The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-28
II WAS 4 CASE OF
 MISTAKEN IDENTITY A Prominent Man is ShadoWed
 as Counterfeiter
  HAS ANNOYING EXPERIENCE Bears a Striking Resemblance to the Man Who Distributed Buffalo Bills and InnocentIy Runs Amuck
 the Secret Service.
HAS ANNOYING EXPERIENCE

That appearances are sometimes de- captive at least one prominent citizen of Alabama will bear cheerful witness.
 This citizen will also declare that he is exceedingly glad and at the same time regrets that such Is the case. In short. he is glad that he is not a counterfeiter and sorry that he should be mistaken for one
 When the counterfeit ten-dollar "Buf- falo" bills were being "shoved" here re- gently 1t was stated by the authorities that they had no accurate description of the counterfeiter, and, therefore, no clue by which to trace him. So far from this being the case the secret service depart ment was in touch with several people who had seen him and talked with him and could easily identify him on sight.
 Strange enough the counterfeiter bears a striking resemblance to one of the best known business men of large Ala bama city to the south of us, and by this token the bad money distributor must be an exceptionally good looking man.
 Just after the counterfeit bills had been put into circulation here the counter feters double was in Birmingham on business and stepped into Parker's to buy cigar The weed was selected and a Buffalo" ten-dollar bill handed the clerk, out of which to take the price. A citizen who had seen the counterfeiter was n a cited manner whispered to the clerk, Don't take that; it's counterfeit" The clerk examined it, however, and &C., cepted it.
 The cigar purchaser left the store and so did the citizen. but the latter went post haste to the secret service office and reported that he had seen the counter feiter and that he had passed one of his spurious bills at Parker's.
 .e secret service officers went to Par ker's as fast as possible, but after thor ough examination of the bill pronounced 1t as genuine-as good an acknowledg- ment of an obligation as Uncle Sam ever issued. The citizen was not satisfied and insisted that the man who spent it was the counterfeiter and no doubt had swapped a bad bill for the good one, and suggested that he be shadowed anyway. After being shaddowed around Birmng- ham for two or three days the object of suspicion went to a neighboring city to examine some property. After his arr ! rival in pursuance of his mission he went down the street and passed be- hind a building to examine it's construc- ton and state of preservation. This act was noticed by a local officer who had read a description of the counterfeiter that had been operating here and, bring ing all his Sherlock Holmes powers of deduction into commission he reached the conclusion that he had TUT down the man who had been abusing his govern ment and unwary persons.
 The officer followed his man back to the hotel and taking those around into his confidence announced in deep stage whispers that he had the counterfeiter under covey When told that the gem tleman he was trailing was one of the most prominent men in the state who was lneTe OH d1 lilpOTldHl DuSlHtSS nat ter the excited guardian of the peace. good order and dignity of the city, had to admit that he could not make an arrest in the face of such evidence of mistaken identity, but insisted that cir cumstances were very much against his man.
 In telling his experiences to a crowd of friends yesterday the star, or perhaps, more correctly speaking, the victim of this comedy said:
 While you gentlemen no doubt think that it is a great joke on me I'll tell you I'm afraid that I have failed to ap- precate it. Now if you have never been shaddowed and trailed down by secret service officers and country policemen you can't imagine what a peculiar sensa- ton it produces.
 This is the first time in my life that I would refuse to accept money of any kind but right now I would not have a Buffalo bill in my pocket for $50.'