Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-11-04

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was unexcelled. The treasury officials
and money experts generally believed
the "hber' paper 20 be a complete
guard against counterfeiting. and they
were amazed at the product OF Thomas
Ballard long before such a man was
known TO the secret service. The
presses OF Human. Miner and Ballard
turned out bogus money in such
amounts that the lawful currency be-
came disparsged. and the capture OF
the makers OF the clever counterfelts.
became matter OF imperative impor-
lance. He wax caught In 1871, broke
jail soon afterward. and his subsequent
history would All a goOd-sized volume.
Arrested In Buffalo foe engraving n
plate OF $500 treasury note. which
was pronounced superior TO the gem
uine. Ballard was sent 10 Auburn penI-
Tertiary, from which Institution he es-
capped. While IN Buffalo he had also
worked on a plate with which he said
he was going TO bankrupt Canada
and from the perfection OF the work he
seemed in fair way TO make good his
intention.
In 1875 he was sentenced 20 serve 30
years in the penitentiary. after having
been at large about three years with
a standing reward OF s.. 900 for his cap
ture. In 1873 he ripped open his own
abdomen and several an intestine I'm
trying TO take his life. but recovered.
a year later he drew a sharp knife
across his throat severing the wind
q a - % e
recovered.
IL was during the wanderings follow
ing Thomas Billiards. first arrest and
while the reward OF $1,000 was hang
ing over him. that he and his two
brothers came west and took up their
residence on farm near Clear Lake.
Ia They assumed the family name OF
Watson, and, naturally. fell into asso-
citation with the counterfeiters oper-
aung in the northwest. They became
acquainted with the BoscobeI and st.
Paul gangs. and with Frank Conway
which fact accounts for the frequency
with which I encountered the assumed
family name OF the Billiards. while try
Ing TO identify the man who had been
arrested in Vandalia. The st. Paul con-
possession, II was afterward found. the
Poughkeepsie and Peakskin plates that
had been made in the east by Ballard
and had issued money from them.
There was no evidence that the Bal
lards accomplished much in the line of
producing "coney" while in the west.
It is only fair that l here call atten-
ton TO the fact that from this point
any credit accruing to the secret serv-
ice for the ultimate discovery of the
engravers and producers OF the 500
Wilkesbarre. Boston and New Bedford
bills should be bestowed on A. 1.
Drummond and other operatives in the
eastern division OF the service. In the
west we had first found the bills. de-
termined beyond doubt their eastern
origin. showed the connection between
Conway and the Billiards. and Indicated
that in Conway's associates while ia
the east the secret service would prob
ably find the producers OF the bills.
AS / have pointed out, the Ballards
had given Conway credentials when he
started east which, with his arrest and
conviction for horse stealing, was suf-
hcient to satisfy tho eastern contingent
that he was a safe man with whom to
do business" I had carefully pre-
served Conway's testimony at his
Springfield trial, in which he told Of
his places Of residence and some of his
movements in New York, and forwarded
them to headquarters, although Con-
way probably had no idea that the In
formation he gave at that time would
be OF any value TO US. II proved. how
ever. TO be OF much service to the east
ern operatives in unearthing the crowd
that issued the bills which Conway had
showed" in the west.
There were In the United States IN the
year 1879 but four men capable Of pro-
ducing such high-class plates as those
from which had been printed the 500
bills received in Chicago from several
western points. These were Charles f.
Ulrich. Benjamin Boyd, Thomas Bal
LARD and Charles II. Smith. Each OF
these men possessed a distinctive style.