The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-26

When George Y. Hazen. Chief Uaited
states Secret Service Agent far the Ps-
einc Coast Division. arrested the tehes.
father and sen. il san Francisco, IN their
room, at 5se Stevenson Street, he made
what the Secret Service regards as
capture OF a pair of the NEST dangerous
ccin counterfeiters On record
In all there was S, $50 face value CT
go pieces ready fer gold plating fond
in the room. and the co9nterfeits are
pronounced by Chief Eazen to be he
best on record. In a few more days t;sese
coins would have been put into circiiia-
tton- The impression and reading we're
so fine that they would hare been taken
without hesitation except by experts in
the handling and examination Of coins,
their only defect being Iightness-
Chief Hazen says he has succeeded II
welding the chain Of evidence that viii
convict William Benton Fritch. the
father, and Emmett, B. FFitch. the son,
and that viii ensure 10 the old man at
least a long term in the penite atiaFy as
3 professional criminal This ev5den
consists OF a series of letters Written by
Fritch In 1895 to ais dupes when he
was engaged in q remarkably ingenious
scheme 10 prey spor the cupsdity OF his
correspondents
Under the name Of W ? Trip, at
Los angeles, he wrote to several run
dFed persons II this STATE AID else
where. announcing the formation OF a
secret company of silver n-iRe owners,
who had gone into the business Il E-aEJ-
featuring silver coins out OF Ike product
OF their mines and which h sid you'd
be very profitable to themselves and
their patrons. because CT the log price
OF silver in its raw state After reSeiV-
ing reply to his circular announcing his
appointment as the agent OF tie syndi-
cate he sent to bis coTresp 9adenJS = gen-
uine 25-cent piece as q sample CT the
coins for sale by kim RE advised The
recipient OF this sample to take IT 10
the bank and ascertain whether CT not
L was genuine
1t was 3 great temptation to the dupe
who believed that the genuine piece had
been manufactured by the syndicate, &c
invest In a large number OF the illicit
coins as q sure thing proposition. never
stopping for a moment to reflect that ii
the ccins would &c received by tAe banks
they would be received By business nle-r
and everybody else without question, and
that Il was waste OF time and effort to
advertise them for sale 1T a discount
The following sample letter 10 Clinton
Stone, OF Tulare who had sent 10 cents
fer sample quarteT-doliar as an cyl
dence Of good faith, viii illustrate the
counteTfei5er's method Of putting cut
bait:
Dear Si-There is no danger in this
II you will only keep quiet and ali year
business TO yourself. Leave 70 trace
whereby 1t can be traced Up, which Is
very easy done after the first order Es
viii recognize you rs our agent and give
you tie address to cur manufacturing
Of
Was al the same priee-$25 worth OF
goods for S16 and $50 worth for $50.
Please ind sample enclosed Always
send ietteIs back; I viii do the same.
viii Be tTUe 10 you, Tor il is Gny interest
10 be so, trusting you 10 be the sane, al
must. be confidentiaiiy then eli viii be
we'll Yours truly,
address as per slip"
Enclosed was a typezrittcH slip with
The name " f TrIpp. Les Angeles.
Fritch was arrested shortly afIsTWard
in Fresno county fer using the mails for
the purpose of defrauding his correspond
EMS and served . year in prison He was
very much cast down whea Chief Hazen
placed the haTFdcUHs upon his wrists ii his
room On Stevenson Stree. Pretending e
be suffering from q pain II the heart, he
asked Chief HaZen as a favor 10 pas hin
certain bottle or shelf containing med
iciRe he said prescribed for him for hear
Weakness The chief took Whit al the
bottle ard found thai 1t ceataiaed cl,I9ro-
form
Fri5ch then informed his eaptor that h
had intended 10 commit suicide in the
event Of his detection. He haG set III:
hear upon making a fortune By his Iates
ccunteTfsitiHg venture and ha1 spent nigh
after night, he said, in the public libra
~ in this city consulting books upon the
properties Of metals. such knowledge be
ing essential to him in his Ecfarious busi-
ness
FFiteh has a seyenteen-SeaF-o son
Nelson Fritch. working in Los Angeles
but he is leading an honest life Emmett
the other son, who is under arrest, VII
be prosecuted. Chief Hszen having CONS
into possession OF letters written by hin
that sh0w him 10 be an accomplice of lis
father. He is oaiy nineteen yeas old
Killed nv Eoofr.u.FS