Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-24
Keokuk County Alleged Counter
feiter on Trial.
JUDGE a. c. STICK IS DEFENDING
One Defendant, Who Has Turned
States Evidence, Tells How the 3D.
gus Money Was Manufactured
Handful of Coins Identified.
From MedaesdaY,s pally.l


The case of Jordan Ruby, charged
money is now occupying the attention
of the federal court at Keokuk. This
case came from Keolluk county.
Ruby and Columbus Monahan were
indicted for passing and making spur
ious coin near Hedrick and Monahan
pleaded guilty to the charge. Column
bus passed but one coin giving that to
little girl. Ruby bought ticket to
dance for quarter and rendered a
bogus twenty-five cent piece in pay
ment. The case was worked up by
Captain John Webb of the secret SER
vice.
The jury was impanelled yesterday
afternoon. Prosecuting Attorney Mel
son Miles and Assistant George H.
Stewart are pushing the case and
Ruby is defended by A. G. Steck of
this city.
Ruby Is Verdant.
| In addressing the jury at the start
of the case yesterday, the defendants
counsel always spoke of Ruby as that
boy" He said that Ruby is about
twenty-one years old, has no mother,
she having died when he was about
two years old, and that he has lived
an econimical and Industrious life.
Never, to his knowledge, has Ruby
been out of the county until he was
brought to Keokuk and knew nothing
of the counterfeiting until he was ar
rested. He attended church and Sun
day school and every dollar he has
earned was earned by the sweat of his
brow. Ruby worked for Monahan, who
was the first witness, chopped wood
for him at 81 a day, was paid 50 on
the weeks work and has 81 coming
| to him.
Monahan, who is awaiting sentence
as a partner in the same offense, was
the first witness put on the stand by
the government. Attorney Steck, for
the defense, objected to his testifying
| because he had been convicted of q
felony in the same court, but the court
loverruled Lawyer Steck and Monahan
told his story to the jury OF their ac-
lions last April to Jure
Buried Mods in Tin Can.
/ When Ruby buried the plaster
moulds at Monahan's house, near He'd.
rick, Monahan watched him through
the window and later dug up the tin
can holding them, Monahan said Ru
by told him, he was making money
with them and at d later visit made
$l2 at his Ihotltt!ss!e, one night in dollars
halves and quarFers out OF the moulds
in court, or similar ones Monahan
identified q hanaful of coins that Mr.
Miles showed him as being like that
Ruby made. only it looks older now
On cross-eXamination Mr.. Steck call
led Monahans home shack and Mon
: ahan insisted on calling it a shanty
All the details were gone over again
without apparent result, and Mona
: han was very frank nd free with his
evidence
There is cloud of witnesses in
the case, which was not decided last
evening, and witnesses had to leave
the court room while others We're on
Inc stand There are four witnesses
by the name of Smith who viii testify
and one of the witnesses sat in the
court room with two babies in hel
: arms.
Mouids in Evidence.
Captain John Webb, in charge of the
states of Iowa and Nebraska, with
headquarters in Omaha, and one of
the secret service men sat behind the
district attorney and occasionally
prompted him during the progress OF
the trial.
On the table are the plaster moulds
/, which We're used by the counterfeiters
They are about two and half by five
inches and an inch and a quarter
thick with 81. 50-cent and 25-cent neg
atives pressed in them. They are
, made of hard plaster. There is {
handful of phoney money laying
around and rusty old tin can in
which the moulds are said to have
, been buried. The bogus coins are
poorly cast. but the color and weight
/, of the metal shows UP fairly we'll