Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-10
JOE McLANE CAUGHT AGAIN.
Notorious Counterfeiter Who Had
 Just Been Released from Prison.

Washington, D. G., July 10.-Chief
 John E. Wilkie, of the secret service,
 is in receipt of information of the ar
 rest, at Natchitoches. La. of Joe Me
 Lane, alias s. A. McLane. alias J. F.
 Kennon, nortorious counterfeiter for
 murder. It is quite certain Chief Will
 kie and his officers will breathe the
 more freely with McLane behind the
 bars for n long period. He is regard ed as one of the most dangerous coun-
 terfeiters of gold coin in the country.
 According to the files of the secret service, McLane has had long ca
 reer of crime and his picture is one of the conspicuous features of Chief
 Wilkes gallery of rogues. For many years he and the members of the gang
 who operated with him have given the
 United States officers great deal of trouble. They have made all sorts of counterfeit coins. but devoted their time chiefly to the manufacture of five and ten dollar gold pieces. The coun- terfeits were good ones, too well stamped and milled, but of no intrin- sic value. They had little difficulty, evidently, in getting rid of the bogus coins, for they operated principally in the country districts of the south and southwest, and is usually took some time for the coin to reach bank, where, of course, 1t was de- nounced instantly.
 For a long time the secret service operatives were unable to ascertain where the bogus coins came from. They found many of them in circu- lation and picked up many others at banks where they had been stamped mo good" but the markers had left little tangible trace of their opera tions. By the merest accident, a secret service offlcer captured the whole gang late one afternoon in Shreveport, La. The officer was in Shreveport on business connected with some peonage cases. He arrived fin the morning and hours when he discovered some bogus gold coin. He confiscated the stuff, but had little hope of finding those who had put 1t in circulation, al- though he received a far description of the man who had passed the coin. Going to the railroad station later in the day to take a train, he saw four men sitting on baggage truck He did not approve of them a, first glance and he looked them over the more closely. Then he discovered that one of them fitted the description of the man who had passed the ''gold'' coin. He took a chance and arrested the whole crowd. After that his work was easy. From evidence found on the persons of the prisoners. the of ficer unearthed the coincrs' outfit and lot of bogus coin. Two of the men weakened and confessed. and all of them were convicted and sentenced to terms In the penitentIary.
 McLane was released from the pen itentiary at Atlanta few days ago. Chief wilkie had him spotted imme- diately. determined that he should not give the United States treasury officials any more trouble. If he could prevent 1t. McLane returned to his old haunts in Louisiana. Two days afterwari. he snatched a pistol from Edward Sanders. at Gravel Spur, near Natchitoches. and shot him through the head. killing him instant ly. Some bystanders attempted to ar- rest him, but McT.ane held them off with the revolver. backed into bis room. hastily bundled up some things he needed and escaped Officers start ei in pursuit and. the next afternoon, McLane was surrounded in a negro shanty and compelled to surrender.
 Even in the brief time he was out of prison he had initiarei plans for the resumption of counterfeiting. Had not his violent temper not gotten the better of him. if is not unlikely he might have given Chief wiIkie and his men serious trouble in a short time. In the circumstances. he prob ably will be either hanxef or given a long term in prison. In either event. be will De ouf of fhe nafh If rshfaf