The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-06-08
MADE BAD MONEY
IN A CEMETERY
Discovery of a Counterfeiter's
Den Leads to Arrest of
a Suspect.
IS AN OLD OFFENDER
After Some Spurious Coins Had Been
Passed in Yankton, Officials In
vestigated and Clues Led to
the Finding of the Den.

Sioux Falls, S. D., June 6.-The dis
covery by the United States authorities
In this city of a counterfeiter's den, In
what is known as the old Rowland
cemetery, situated near Sioux Falls, ex-
plains the mystery surrounding re-
cent movements Of a strange nature In
the vicinity of the old home of the
dead.
AS the result of a raid on the den,
the federal authorities succeeded In
capturing the man who it is alleged Is
the maker of a great amount OF coun-
terfeit money which has recently been
placed In circulation at Yankton and
other places in the southeastern portion
of the state.
The only occupant of the den at the
time of the raid by the federal officers
was Levi Clark, an ~eX-convict. Clark
has already served two terms in the
Sioux Falls ~penitentiary on the same
charge on which he has now been ar
rested for the third time. Ever since it
was discovered thai spurious coins were
being circulated at Yankton and else
where Clark has been watched by the
federal authorities.
Since being released from the pen1-
tertiary, after having served his last
term, he has been hanging around
Sioux Falls, and was at once suspected
of being at least the maker of the coun-
terfeit coin which a found it's way
into circulation. The making of molds
and counterfeit money is a mania with
Clark.
He is an eccentric character, whose
speciality is the making of molds and
the manufacture of counterfeit money.
He takes great pride in the expert
ner in Which he fashions the moldS and
has ont hesitated to ak even with Of
ficers of the law as to his experiences in
this regard.
The counterfeiter's den was located
In the shelter of clumps of plum bushes
in the old cemetery and was quite we'll
concealed. None of the manufactured
spurious coins were found in the den,
but the authorities captured a COM
plete outfit of dies, molds n other i'm
plements and material used in the
manufacture of counterfeit coins.
The capture of the dies and molds
indicates that Clark was a confederate
Of a mar giving his name as A. G.
Sharp, who was recently arrested at
Yankton on the charge of passing
counterfeit money in that city. When
taken before a United States commits
sioner for his preliminary examination,
Sharp waived his hearing and was held
for appearance al the next term of fed
eral court.
The coins which led to his detection
and arrest were counterfeit half dol
lars, made of pewter and given a silver
finish by being dipped in quicksilver.
They, while fresh from the quicksilver,
are good counterfeits, n during a
rush of business would be readily taken
by the average business man.
The spurious coins were passed upon
more than a score of Yankton business
houses before the fraud was detected
and Sharp was located and arrested.
When searched good money to the
amount Of $7.65 n two counterfeit
half dollars were found in his possess
sion.
The dies and molds captured in the
counterfeiter's den in the cemetery near
Sioux Falls exactly fits the DIN
passed by Sharp at Yankton, which
points to the fact that Clark was en-
gagged simply to manufacture the spur
ious coin while Sharp, and perhaps
other confederates, took care of the
matter of getting the counterfeit money
into circulation.