Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18

in its arrival at ceutralia would have been
certain to cause inquiry and perhaps alarm
on the part of briggs
While these events were happening Boyd
had been preparing to vacate his old stone
residence on the bank of the Mississippi ana
II take his fight 70 some point unknown ~ IL 20
tie down to a task of plate-cutting IN Sc
clusion and far from his partners. In short
there was every indication that the next
few months were to be a period OF great
activity on the part of the gang IL not mo-
Tested by Uncle Sam.
It was on September 20 that Boyd ship
ped his household effects to Fulton. III:
and with his wife, went there to live TIL
the work he had on hand was done. Both
briggs in Centralia and Boyd In Fulton
soon had neighbors of whom they knew
nothing but who watched their every move
with more interest than even prying neigh
bors are wont to manifest.
During the eight months that the hide
and-seek game had been going on between
the secret service men and this precious lot
Of criminals daily reports had been for
warded to Washington. as Is customary In
the department In these reports the vari-
GUS actors in the play were given fictitious
names and, had the reports fallen into the
hands of confederates of the counterfeit
ers. they would have learned little from
them. With briggs settled with the Stadt-
feldts in Centralia and Boyd hard at his
nefarious work In Fulton / believed the
play.
Ny report of the situation brought on
from Washington Chief Washburn. Assist
ant Chief Brooks E. G. Rathbone, John
Mcdonald and an operative named Hurr,
all of the secret service division of the
United States Treasury Department. l had
arranged for conference at Lyons, Iowa,
where with Chief Washburn. l went over
the details of he-situation and outlined my
plans for the capture. This meeting at Ly-
ons was secret and we were extremely
careful not to be seen talking together or
even acknowledging any acquaintance In
a secluded spot on the river bank we talked
the matter over and decided to make the
arrests on the morning Of october p at
o'clock.
Chief Washington had lived in Centralia
and knew the city well. so it was decided
that he should lead the raid on the
briggs nest. l had carefully reconnoitered
the Boyd residence, which he had rented
under the name of B. F. Wilson. It was
a large. two-story frame structure in Prat-
rie street, standing under the brow Of
bluff and easy Of surveillance from the
high ground above 1t. The hour of was
chosen because from my knowledge of
Boyd's habits / knew he would have had
his breakfast and been at work by that
time.- provided the day was bright Had
1t been cloudy the raid would have been
postponed because on a dark day Boyd
would not have been engaged in cutting
plates on account of poor lights. Even
with the best machinery this class OF work
requires peculiar. bright light which Is
obtained by reflection from white screens.
and it was reasonably certain that Boyd.
with his crude apparatus, could not work
to advantage on a dark day.
1t was also arranged that Chief Wash
burn should not make the raid on the
briggs house until he heard by telegraph
from me that had secured Boyd In order
to prevent any possibility of slip by
which briggs might be allowed to escape 1t
was necessary for me to get secret mes
sage to my chief. Even the complicated
cipher ordinarily used in the service would
not serve the purpose. as 1t might arouse
the curiosity of the operator at Fulton or
Centralia and lead to disclosure of our
plans 1t was therefore arranged that as
soon as I had secured Boyd l should send
the following message to washington
1.-The captain has arrived with the
barges.'
With the details clearly settled Chief
Washburn left for Centralia, leaving
Brooks, who was afterward chief OF the
secret service. and Mcdonald to aid me.
With these two l went over the plan OF
capture. always exercising the greatest
caution that no one should learn the con-
nection between us. To the world we were
strangers up to the time we met in Boyd's
house. Fate favored US in the matter OF
weather The day was brigham ideal
one for an engraver of plates-and I felt
that nothing could prevent us from eaten
ing Ben Boyd dead to rights" I was to
lead entering the yard by the front gate
and going around to the rear of the house.
Brooks was to follow twenty feet behind:
while Mcdonald, 100 feet behind Brooks.
was to make his way direct to the front
door. By this psah / designed to have
each man at the right place at exactly the
right time.
/ found the back door open, and entered.
No sooner had stepped over the threshold
than Mrs. Boyd. her dark eyes blazing,
sprang fiercely at me and grasped me by
the coal collar
Leave this room instantly" she screamed,
at the same time Juggling toward the
door with the unnatural strength born of
frenzied fear. I grappled with her and had
her fairly subdued by physical power when
Brooks stepped in and took her in custody
a room on the second floor, and l started
up the stairs. When half way up / met
Boyd, in his shirt sleeves. descending.
Who are yOu?" he demanded.
"Tyrrell of the secret service" / answered,
land you are my prisoner -...-
Il have heard of you." he said.
Great beads of perspiration started from
his face. and he became limp as l placed
the handouts on him. Strong man as he
was he displayed none of the ferocity Of his
frail wife. who in the meantime had stood.
sullen and apparently looking for a chance
of escape, in the kitchen. six-hour search
Brooks and Mcdonald in charge of the pris-
oners l undertook the search, after tele-
graphing Chief Washburn.
In loose board in box in the front
cavity containing the plate of the reverse
side of the counterfeit $40 note of the State
Bank Of Ohio, note that had been extern
sively showed by the "coney men, as well
as the plate of 500 counterfeit bill of the
First National Bank of Dayton Ohio
Mortised into the woodwork of an uphol-
stored ottoman in the parlor were the
plates for the 500 Lincoln head treasury
note, the concealment in each case being
so cleverly accomplished that 1t required
the smashing of the wood almost into splin-
ters to find the plates. In the cleat on an
other box was found 1883 in good cur
rency, while wrapped in some old clothes
under bed were found seven sets of bank
plates. one set being of the size used In the
counterfeiting of United States bonds The
counterfeiters work room showed him to
have been engaged in plate cutting at the
time we entered the house. 1t was learned
later that Boyd had set price of $4,000 on
the Lincoln head plate.
Immediately on the receipt of the tele-
gram from Fulton Chief Washburn and his
men moved on the briggs house In First
North street Centralia, and arrested Nicho-
las and Barbara Stadtfeldt, Mrs. Nelson
briggs. their daughter. and Charles Stadt-
feldt. their son. briggs the big prize. was
not In the house but was arrested the same