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

LIE BAN y X 1
counterfeiter as ever lodged the secret
service. Drummond and W. w. Ken
noch. another operative. both had been
sailors, and. through furnishing infor-
nation 20 the revenue officers concern
Ing certain smuggling operations, had
been appointed customs officers In New
York. From this work they went into
the secret service.
Woods was then chief Of the service
and had sent Drummond 20 Wisconsin
10 hunt down Ellis, the maker OF the
scrip plate Drummond caught up with
his man and Ellis lied. with the secret
service officer in close pursuit The
countcrfeiter ran TO the Pecatonica riv-
er, plunged in and swan 20 the other
bank. Drummond seeing his man es-
Gaping, fred at him In midstream. one
OF the bullets clipping away the lobe
or Ellis right ear making mark OF
Identification that became known to
every man In the secret service.
In his flight Ellis had carried with
him the plates from which the scrip
was being made. and. knowing he could
not be convicted unless the plates were
the package in the river as he swan
for his life. With remarkable pres
ence OF mind, while bullets from the
officers revolver were chipping the wa
ter all around him. Ellis mentally took
such accurate bearings OF the spot 40
which he dropped the package that be
was able afterward 20 recover it,
He reached the opposite bank ex-
hausted. Drummond followed him over
and searched him. but found him
clean that is. without tangible evil
dence OF his guilt in his possession.
Aware he could not make a case that
would hold in court against Ellis
Drummond let him go. but not until
the counterfeiter had delivered this
message for the benefit OF all OF US:
II any - - secret service man
ever again tries 20 take me III kill him
OF sight"
Ellis was known throughout the serv-
ice as man OF great determine
ton and disregard OF consequences
when II came TO keeping his skin
whole. and his sworn threat 20 Drum
mond made him a man 10 be feared IN
less We took him unawares. was
comparatively young in the service
then and very ambitious. / decided
that Ellis was IN my territory. and as
be was a particularly dangerous Gus
toner, besides having escaped from one
or the best operatives in the depart
ment, il would be much TO my credit II
/ captured him. and at the same time
would rid the public of sagacious
counterfeiter.
BY systematic piping" and the use
OF stool pigeons" learned in the early
part Of 1875 that Ellis was one of a
band Of 'coney" men who were run
ming on big issue or scrip in the town
OF Boscobel. in the central western part
OF Wisconsin.
Despite the studied and artrul secrecy
OF the cOunterfeiters il is true that sell
dom was a big issue Of "coney". doated
without the secret service having some
;ntimation Of the forthcoming event.
The showing" OF an issue was always
preceded by the absolute retirement OF
the manufacturers and the mysterious
activity on the part OF the dealers. In
other worNs, the coming event got into
the wind, and, while we may have had
no definite knowledge whatever, we
could scent The approaching issue in
cases by keeping in touch with the diff
ferent men who were always under sus-
pdeion- In this case il was learned that
Napoleon b. Latta. wealthy French
farmer living 10 miles from Boscobel.
had contracted with the Ellis crowd for
all the "ccney' they could furnish him
OF certain standard of excellence. We
even got SO far into the secrets Of the
~coney" men as 10 learn that Latta was
TO pay S5 cents in genuine money for
each dollar OF representative currency,