The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-16

AZ counterfeiters as the BoscobeI crowd
mere must be information concerning
the identity of a shower who said he
came from that locality. and who. an
parently, was thoroughly familiar with
~. consequently 1 provided myself
with photographs Of Levi Logan and
started for Wisconsin
On this trip L had not long pursued
my investigation when I encountered
the name of ''WatsOn'-One with which
was entirely unfamiliar in counter
Ielting circles. From the report I got
from persons more or less familiar with
kale Ellis. Frank Brown and Malcolm,
| Robinson. the 'Watsons" must have
visited Wisconsin frequently. always
tiSSCclatlng With men who bore shady
regulations and who later were found
10 be counterfeiters. The reDuted home
OF the "WatsOns" was at Clear Lake
Ia Without going to that place I
stored away what I heard about them
for future reference. Continuing NV
search in Wisconsin
At last ] found my reward through
casually showing the photograph OF
Levi Logan to a man who at once
recognized him as the father Of Mrs.
Malcolm Robinson. The true name Of
the Springfield prisoner / found 10 he
FRANK Conway. One of his daughters
rad married Malcolm Robinson and an
oJher had married his brother. CIate.
being
PRISON Tor counterfeitinE offenSes
The further Identification of Conway
was a simple matter. l found he had
animated with Counterfeiters fer many
years, and in 1876 had been arrested for
morse stealing and convicted "a y-r.yfr,ur
his case to the supreme court kffeT
securing his freedom on bail he mad
disappeared from his Wisconsin baunts
re mad been an associate of the uys-
ferrous Watson brothers" and mad
Lake. Further than this he h2d t,een
closely connected with a band Of .Jloni-
ackers that made headquarte i'm St
Paul; In short. the connection between (
me " atsons. Conway the BCscobeI /
gang ana the St. Paul COunt erfeireY-s /
vas found to be very close. although !
the theft of the team Of horses in Wat /
seka county. Minnesota was the only /
1dct discovered that could be used {
against Conway at the forthcoming /
trial.
The defense of Conway at the trial .
" as that Charles Scott whom he
subpoenaed. had given him the bill. 3
scott testified to this fact Conway al [
united he had been arrested and said
after his arrest he had come TO Chicago
ana then gone to New York. assuming
the name OF /. G LaVa-ee. He re
NAMED IN New York year. he said.
and then returned 70 Wisconsin.
His defense availed him nothing. and
ne was sentenced to serve FIVE wears
IN the meantime the case in Parsons
Kan. had been made and he served an
other hye years for that offc1Se. SUBJ
sequently he was given another five
years on the horse stealing charge.
WITH Conway settled" in the peni-
tertiary. an investiga ton was made to
determine the identity Of the Wat
sons While it had not been proved.
there was little doubt that CONWAY had /
gone east for the purpose of eeta blish-
ing a connection with one of the bands !
OF counterfeiters which infested TIE.
Auantie seaboard. that he had formed
such a connection and that he had I'M
dertaken 10 shove some or the
coney' that was being issued by them.
To a secret service man il was also
clear that such man as CONWAY. who
nad never been east before his arrest
for horse stealing. could not have
formed such connection without TAX
ing with him first-cIasS references from
counterfeiters in the west who were
also well acquainted with the more
prominent men in that line in the
east.
From all that 1 could gather Of Con
way record he had not been sssacf-
lted before his eastern trip with men
With the eastern coUnterfeiting aristo-
rats The high artistic character Of
he sl0o bills he had showed ia the
mississippi valley WAS indication sui
i~tS-tA that tfieS ndd come from the |
hands Of artisans OF much skill In
'sta blishinS the identity of the Wat
son" brothers. therefore. we hoped 10
'e able TO determine who had placed
,onway in touch with the eastern coun-
erfeiters and eventually to uncover {
he makers of the 800 plate
]
To relate the details Of this investi- J
ration would consume more time and
ace than ! have at my disposal. and I | [
hall. therefore. state that the Wat
ons were found to have been the
Ballard brothers-Thomas George and