The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-08-24
Two Men Plan to Duplicate the
Money of Venezuela.
THEY CLAIM 1T 4 WAR MEASURE
And Common to- All south American
ReSolution>-The Men are Charged
With Counterfeiting-Both Prison
crs Were Admitted To Bali i'm sum
OF $4,000 Each.

of making dies 20 counterfeit the stand
lard silver dollar OF Venezuela u
finance a revolution in that country.
| secret service officers Yesterday ar
| rested Captain George c. Boynton. for
mer resident manager OF the Orinoco
| corporation OF Venezuela, and Lewis VI.
Thomson, an attorney, both OF this
city. Both prisoners were admitted
TO bail in $1,000.
Joseph Keller and Sidney Keller. Of
| Keller Brothers, die makers, were also
arrested in connection with the case
| and released on $1,000 bail.
The two principals aver that the
plan TO duplicate Venezuelan money
is not counterfeiting. Later after the
revolution proved successful, they said
it was expected to legalize this issue
Of money, bothby decree and By act
OF the Venezuelan junta The accused
| men characterize this plan as a war
| measure. They also allege that nalf
Of the South American risings arc
similarly financed.
So important did the federal author
| tiles regard the arrests that Chief Will
kle or the secret service came over
| from Washington TO be on the ground
| when the men were apprehended. With
Chief Wilkle was man said TO be the
| secretary Of the Venezuelan legation
| The story of the arrests and the
| facts leading up TO them are interest
| ing. According TO Chief Wilkie and
Chief Flynn, of the New York division
of the secret service. Captain Boynton
| came to New York in June last 10
finance and lay the preliminary plans
for a revolution against President
I Castro.
| Captain Boynton, it is said, has been
| for years the local and resident man
ager of the Orinoco concession capital
| lied at s., 900 and controlling praC-
| tically the entire OrinOco delta.
In some way. Captain Boynton met
| Lawyer Thomson, an old acquaintance
and interested him in the revolution.
| The captain said he wanted 10 find a
man who would advance $4,000 with
which to buy the silver bullion Tor
turning out the coin. To such Il man
| the captain said $4,000 would be re-
turned if the movement against Casuo
proved successful. Lawyer Thomson
had difficulty in interesting men or
means and finally approached some
men described as sporting men. One
of these called 10 see Chief Flynn and
talked with him about 1t. There is
a federal law protecting the coinage
Of other nations and Chief Flynn de-
| cided to investigate. Through agents
l ho CainnJ tho annfHanna Of pnvnt0n
| and TO them the latter confided his
plans.
When arrested yesterday afternoon,
| Captain BOynton was then on his way
TO his friends office in lower Broadway y
to meet Chief Flynn's agent. Under
his arm was a package, which contain
ed two dies. The dies were wonderful
workmanship and a perfect intagliO
of the we'll known Bolivar dollar OF
| Venezuela. Captain Boynton insisted
that he was no counterfeiter, and tina.
his plan, which he candfdly admitted,
was merely the war measure common
to all South American revolutions. He
said he had no intention 10 counter
felt in this country.
| The captain showed both Chief Will
kie and Chief Flynn his authorization
as commissioner Of the revolution II
was in Spanish and bore the signature
Of c. Y. Salinas, secretary general. and
the words "diosy federasion."
| When searched $500 In American
money was found On the captain. In
addition there was found receipt
signed by Keller Brothers. showing
81, 500 had been paid in part for eight
l sets Of dies. hubs, and device. using in
milling the edges OF coins.
/ At the same time Chief Flynn and a
number Of his men searched the Kel-
Ter establishment in West Broadway.
/ where the remainder Of the dies and
hubs were found. Other secret service
officers brought Lawyer Thompson 70
the secret services where be and Boyn-
ton we're detained all night.
J The men. IL convicted. may be sen
fenced I'd ave years imprisonment for
attempting TO counterfeit the coin OF
a friendly power.