Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-04-26

process. He was also q flne chemist.
but Smith did the engraving. For years
Smith had been employed by the gov
ernment in engraving plates for cur
rency and bonds and his character was
supposed to be above reproach. do
not know how he became entangled
with Brockway. The third principal
member of this crowd was James b.
Doyle, who owned 600-acre farm near
Bradford, Ill. Doyle had brother-in-
law named Thomas Shotwell, who was q
counterfeiter.
Through Shotwell, presumably, Doyle
had met DR.. Parker, Louis Sleight and
other well-known western counterfeit
ers, and had made a trip to New York,
where he had formed the business con-
nection with Brockway and Smith.
When he came west he brought with
him some of the same bills we were try
ing to trace. Doyle's visit to New York
had been reported to headquarters by
the western division, and he was
"piped" in that city by Operative Ken
noch, at the order of Chief Operative
Drummond.
When Doyle left the eastern metropo-
lis for Chicago, Kennoch was on the
same train, and Doyle was arrested as
he stepped from the train in Chicago.
He was tried and convicted. At the time
of his arrest he had in his possession
counterfeit United States bonds repre-
senting $204,000. These also were from
plates made by Smith. They were abb
solutely perfect with the exception of q
slight inaccuracy in the margin on one
corner, and would have made the gov
ernment lot of trouble if they had not
been confiscated.
Smith worked in the treasury depart
ment engraving room on genuine plates
during the regular working hours, and
on counterfeit plates during the time
he was not working for the government.
At the same time Doyle was arrested in
Chicago, Brockway and Smith were ar
rested in the east. If my memory serves
me right, Smith never turned informer,
but Brockway, seeing that the eastern
secret service officers had unearthed
much accurate information concerning
| his operations, told the government
| where the $100 bill plates and the plates
from which the bonds were printed
| could be found.
He claimed he had thrown the 81 900
plate which was much wanted, into East
river some time before when he became
convinced he was being crowded to the
wall by the secret service. This seizure
was most important, as it put stop to
the issue of currency and bonds which
were so cleverly done that they would
have proved a source of endless trouble.
The sentences of Brockway and Smith
were suspended in reward for their dis
closure of the location of the plates,
this being, | believe the first case under
that administration in which such lem
iency was shown, but being justified by
the great value of the plates to the gov
| ernment.
Before closing this narrative I wish
to say that when the Ballards left Clear
Lake, Ia, to return east they buried ten
sets of plates near the farmhouse they
had occupied. This burial was accord
ing to the ironclad rule of good" coun-
| with them. other counterfeiters, how
ever, knew where they were hid. and
| five sets found their way into the pos
session of George Woolsey and Samuel
| PiZer, of the particular "koniacking"
outfit known as the st. Paul crowd, and
in August, 1875, had the satisfaction
| of arresting these shifty gentlemen and