The National tribune., 1901-07-18


ment as Commissioner of the United States
Circuit Court for the Eastern District OF
Missouri. / was then a young attorney
at-law, having been admitted to the bar
only the wear AbefOre, and at the time OF
nv appointment knew little of the duties
md RESPONSIBILITIES of a Commissioner.
NV jurisdiction covered the entire eastern
half of the State, but my field of opera
tions was mainly in the northern half of
the territory, which since the close OF the
civil war had been overIun with moon
Sinners "boot-leggers, and illicit tobacco
peddlerS.
MI. George F. Williams, of my own
town. was appointed Deputy United
States Marshal. A better selection could
not have been made. Williams had served
during the civil war i'll a regiment OF
sharpshooters, and since had acted almost
continuously in the capacity of Constable
or Sheriff.
We set TO work with all the zeal of new
officials. and in about IS months had near
ly cleared our territory of yiolators OF the
revenue law. 1t was perhaps our success
in this line which induced Hon. VIM. ii.
Bliss. United States Attorney for our dis
trict to summon me to st. LOUIS TO dis
cuss measures for breaking up gang or
counterfeiterS, who were flooding the
whole northern part of the state with
spurious coin, mainly dollars and half dol,
lars This bogus money was distributed
almost entirely in the rural districts among
farmers and country merchants. MIR.
Bliss gave me almost unlimited latitude
in the search for and prosecution of the
criminals ] was authorized to use the
Secret Service Bureau, or employ any
other means that to me might seem best.
Several members of the Secret Service had
tried to run these farmer outlaws to earth,
I,,,+ tho cpnDfprfpltprS
that they foiled them every time.
Two men, named HicoX and May, had
been arrested by Constable of the rural
districts for passing a bad 5O-cent piece.
The arrest was premature, for While S4.oU
were found on the person OF HlcoX, no
positive evidence could be obtained of his
possessing it with a guilty knowledge, or
holding it with any criminal intent. Then,
he told such a plausible story of meet
ing stranger III the road and asking him
to change bill for him that, despite sus-
piciOus circumstances, both were released.
After many plans had been tried and
failed, we determined to secure some suit
able person to join ''the gang" obtain
their secrets, and keep US informed. The
selection of such a person was left en-
tirely to Mr.. Williams, who, aided by the
advice of two farmers, named Hayes and
Cavett, living near the railroad tie
camp" selected a young "tie-maker,
named John Roberts. Roberts was an
excellent choice for the work. he was de-
void of fear, and some say of principle,
though he never deceived us. Roberts
was Incorporate, quarrelsome, and had
been in jail for fighting, yet, with all his
faults, never forgot the business in which
he was engaged, nor was he negligent in
duty. He reported regularly at headquar-
ters often bringing specimens of coin
from the counterfeiterS.
/ was rather suspicious of Roberts, es-
pecially as his reports implicated some of
the best and most respectable farmers In
that part of the cOuntry-men above re-
proach-whose word was as good as their
bond" men with large deposits in the
local banks, and farmers and ranchmen on
an extensive scale. But Williams insist
ed that Roberts could be relied upon.
The information gained by Roberts was
that the money was coined near Keokuk,
Iowa; at least, their general agents, or
distributors, went there TO get their sup
ply. The method of distribution was GER
tainly very ingenious. A regular line of
customers was established, running dag
onally across the northern half of the
State, from Keokuk and Warsaw to Kan
sas City. The general agents, who alone
knew the manufacturer, went to KeOkuk
and bought the spurious money in large
quantities, and then went back along the
line distributing 1t among the local agents,
who undertook to put it in circulation in
the neighborhood. The chief agents were
May, Hicox, Smith and Shoemaker.
The customers of the general agents,
like the general agents themselves, were
all farmers, but unknown TO each other.
The farmer who was thought to be one
of the most quiet, peaceful men living,
had certain time and place where he
met the general distributing agent, and
paid him about 40 cents on the dollar for
the amount of spurious coin which he