Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-23

ing carried On In any Town OF Sucn
size as would allow an inspection OF
all the houses.
Boscobel was not so large but that it
was easy to locate the rendezvous of
the counterfeiters. AS usual it was on
the outskirts of the town and it's
nearest neighbor was 100 yards away.
There was but one house beyond it on
the street. The house was two-story
frame structure. The peculiar arrange
ment of the curtains on the second
floor told the tale without any other
information.
Malcolm Robinson and his wife oc-
cupied the house by themselves, accord
ing to the belief of the townspeople.
The facts were, however, as revealed
by investigation, that Robinson and his
wife occupied the lower story and Kale
Ellis and Franklin J. Brown the upper
story. The three men were counter
letters Robinson was the "manufac-
turer" of the Boscobel crowd, Brown
being the printer under Robinson's di-
rection. Ellis was the engraver, as
l have previously told, but at that par
ticular time he was also aiding in the
work of running off the issue for the
use Of NAP" Latta.
Brown and Ellis seldom went down
stairs, and were never seen by the
neighbors, their meals being served
them upstairs by Mrs Robinson. The
little exercise they got was taken un-
der cover Of the night. The life of
the counterfeiter at his busy times is
not bed of roses, by any means, for
it requires the utmost concentration
and application of effort. The longer
the delay in producing an issue the
greater danger Of discovery and such
task, once begun, is followed with
tremendous diligence until the output
is in the hands of the dealer and the
genuine coin of the realm safely in
the hands Of the manufacturers of the
"coney."
l took some time to satisfy myself
as to the exact conditions prevailing in
and around the Robinson residence. l
had not forgotten Kale Ellis little
pleasantly in regard to the probable
fate OF any secret service men who at
tempted to capture him, and l did not
intend to take any more chances than
necessary when it came to planning for
the event. But the time soon came
when it seemed certain no mistake
could be made in raiding the Robinson
house.
Frank w. Oakley, United States mar
shall at Madison, was told of my plan
and his services and those of two OF
his most competent deputies were Sc
cured. Warrants were taken out Sc
cretly at Madison. Marshal Oakley said
he had frequently heard of Kale Ellis.
and that from all he had heard he was
dangerous man to handle / also sent
to Chicago for John Mcdonald and C.
D. Townsend, the latter a secret serv-
ice operative. The five men were in
structed to come to Boscobel on the
same day, and to register at the hotel
without letting it be known that they
knew me9or knew one another.
1t was about IL o'clock at night when
struggled them into my room, where
| outlined my plan to them. l did not
deem it consistent to send any other
man into probable danger of which |
myself was afraid, so planned to take
the lead in the actual entry of the
house. One of the others was to be
stationed about 16 feet from each cor
ner of the house in such a way that
each could command a view of two
sides of the building. l calculated that
Ellis and Brown might leap from the
second-story windows in front when
they heard me ascending the stairs. To
the men stationed in front said:
"One of these men who may Jump
from the second story has sworn to
kill on sight any secret service men
that tries to take him. His record is
such there is no doubt he means what
he says. If these men Jump from the
windows they will be armed and will
kill any men in their path Either you
or they will be killed. 1t will be bet