The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-09-20
OFFICIALS MAKE CAPTURE
SECRET SERVICE RUNS OOWN
GANG OF coUNTERFEITERs
IN TACOMA.
The Leader Claims He was Waxing
Money for Use in Slot
Machines.

TACOMA, Sept 20.-One of the
most important captures in the his
tory of the secret service department
in the Puget Sound district took place
here when Capt b. w Bell of Seattle.
officer in charge of the United States
secret service. assisted by Deputy
United States Marshals +. l.. Crosby
and Ira S. Davidson and City Detec-
ticves Phil Sullivan, Fitzgerald and
Ellison captured Ed Stickney. M. P.
Anderson, A. f. Brown and Charles
a shack at Fifteenth and c streets, the
men being taken redhanded while they
were busy making coins.
Harmon tried to make fight. but
was quickly overpowered and hand
cuffed. Stickney had a big rasp in his
hands as the officers entered, and made
as if to use it in cutting his way out
of the stuffy room, but he too, was
hand-cuffed before he had time to do
any damage. The men were working
with might and main with the evident
intention of getting Il considerable
nigntfall In their possession were
found mouds with hot metal in them.
There was hot metal in the crucibleS,
and also plenty of the crude form of
the metal used in making the coins
laying about The coins being man
ufactured were of the nickel and
quarter denominations, and the Off
GERS gathered in a number of these
with the mOlds.
Worked Up by Capt. Bell.
The arrests were worked up almost
entirely by Capt Bell, who has been
on the case for some time. Bogus
quarters made by the quartet have
been floating around. and q close look
out has been maintained to locate
their source. Recently Capt. Bell got
information giving him an excellent
clue and several days ago he located
the men FL the shack. The place was
placed under police surveillance, the
detectives doing nothing to arouse
The suspicious of those using the
building. Shortly after noon today the
word WAS given that all of the men
were there and the drag was made.
Capt. Bell and Deputy Marshals
Crosby and Davidson approached the
door. while the detectives located
themselves around the building, to
take Il hand providing any of the men
succeeded in getting out at window,
Capt. Bell knocked on the door, de-
manding that it be opened, and then
with Crosby and Davisson. began
battering in the frail structure. Some
one inside threw open the door, dis
closing the men hard at work in their
smoky little den.
In the outfit seized by the officers in
their raid We're several boxes contain
ing plaster of Paris, The men would
make the imprint of a nickel or a
quarter in this and then fill the moldS
boxes the coins We're still hot when
the officers arrived. All of the para
phernalia used in making the money
was carefully taken in charge by the
officers and will be used in the trial
as evidence against the men.
All of the men arrested are young,
and the crude and almost open man.
ner in which the counterfeiting was
being done indicates they were most
inexperienced.
innocent Bystanders.
Harmon, Anderson and Brown say
they were merely looking on and had
no hand in the coin-making business
Stickney admits he was making the
coins. but alleges they We're for use
in slot machines, the operations of
which being against the statute he
claims immunity from punishment.
\ few days ago Stickney was
pitched upon by +. II. Baldie, who
has the monopoly of the slot ma
chimes Ill Tacoma, and severely beat
an. and Stickney and his friends be-
iieNe it was through Baldies work
that the arrests We're made this af-
ternoon.
Suckney was arrested a year age
for having in his possession counter
felt nickels and quarters He was
cleared. however, upon making the
plea that the coins wore too crude fol
anyone TO hope TO pass them a:
money: that they We're solely for us,
IN slot machines, and that being so HI
could not be punished the operation
OF the machines being contrary t