The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-03

wanted. The painter was willing to
undertake the task of helping.
How Well DO you know these men?''
l asked.
Some OF them l am intimately ac-
quainteG with-so well, in fact, that
they have dropped hints of the opera
tions in talking with me. Through
these we Will have To reach the 9TH
ers"
Have you heard any of them say
where the cOney comes from?"
Not definitely. but in talking with
some of them ] got the impression that
the supply for this district was secured
from Cincinnati
This theory was entirely plausible.
for at that time Cincinnati was one Of
the chief sources of supply Cor the
middle west. and one of the principal
dealers of that city was Mother
Roberts, a woman of So or more years
of age, the wife and mother of counter
teiters and a dealer of uncommon
shrewdness. StansbuTy's knowledge Of
the source of supply was cloudy, but
/ knew if my plans did not fail that
feature of the case would soon develop.
In the privacy of my room at the
hotel Stansbury and L carefully con-
/ cOcted a new identity for myself and
a story with which to bolster it up in
case the men we expected to associate
with became too inquisitive. I as
sumed the role OF Stansbury's uncle
whom he had not seen for many years
and who had returned from the west
with some money, but not so much that
/ he was averse to making more. Mel
! Their had the uncle brought back with
him from the west any troublesome
scruples as TO how the money was to be
made.
No sooner had I completed my plans
with Stansbury than Cashier Ham OF
The First National bank, who had been
let into the secret of Stansbury's en-
I plOyment by me, took me aside and
gave me cause for alarm by saying:
You'd better watch your man
clOsely-he's too thick with that gang
TO be depended on. No man could be
as intimate as he is with some of them
and still place a strangers interests
above his friends. He may turn out all
right but watch him."
Although 1 considered my Judgment
of men as accurate as Mr.. Hams, the
| latter had a personal knowledge of
| Stansbury and his warning was dis
/ concerning. Had / been led into a plan
whereby the members of the band were
To be kept informed of my movements
/ through the man l had hired to protect
the governments interest? If so, |
might as well leave Mt. Vernon and
approach the task from another direc-
ton later. But | had gone too far To
retreat on account of one mans
opinion.
My personal introduction to ii mem
Der of the Jefferson county band was to
Edward Mecum, one Of the younger
members of secondary Importance.
Mecum lived in Williamsburg and
bore the reputation OF being tough"
citizen in many ways. In fact he had
about the worst reputation of any of
! the cOunterfeiters. We started with
! Mecum because Stansbury was on
terms of greater intimacy with him
than with other members Of the crowd
Mecum took the bait. accepting me
! without hesitation as his friends uncle,
and discussed counterfeiting matters
/ without more respect than he would
/ have used had Stansbury and he been
alone. Ny assistant bought little
"coney" from Mecum, his pretense be-
ing that he was buying the stun for
me and wanted it in considerable guam
titles.
Some time later Stansbury went to
see Dr. Lau- in East St Louis I.aur
had known him for years and trusted
him. although there had been no deal
ings in bogus money between them
The doctor introduced his visitor in
different gambling houses and other
wise accorded him what he believed
TO be desirable entertainment. Then
my assistant preached the subject of
obtaining ''coney." -
II know you're all right, Jim" said
Laur but the fact is ] have only
about $50 myself now and couldn't