The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-06-09

countcrfeiter was sent over the
road 10y Jimmie Cronin, as he was
anecuonately called by his friends.
Cronin and Cheney were much the
same as regards ability, but Cheney
had ambitions tand was achieving
theml beyond the mere detection of
crime. Cronin hadn't any ambitions
beyond the running down OF smooth
fingered gentleman or smashing a
gang Of counterfeiters. He was a
great big, wholesoulcd lrishmau, full
OF wit, and a. brave as a lion. lie
was always poor; every cent he re-
ceived went through his fingers like
water but, as he said to Cheney, with
slight Irish brogue: "Phat the divil
good is money save to have fun wild?
/ Ye see, Jack, / haven't any one de-
| pendent on me. and when ! get too
/ old to work I'll kiss the world good
! by" Cronin could have been a
rich man had he any desire 10 be a
CRATER \ great deal of money had
been offered him at different times.
/ but each time refused. lie was as
honest as sturdy oak, and Cheney
counted Cronin as one of his stanch.
est and best friends The head of the
treasury department secret service
on more than one occasion had
been informed by Col Cheney Of
some exceptionally good work that had
been done by Cronin.
Cronin came in Cheneys office one
day, and after his salutation Of Top
o the mornin to ye, Jack threw six
bright silver dollars on the desk
and said.
What do you think Of that bunch
of silver?'
Cheney knew Immediately the
queer" money was being passed. and
Cronin had discovered II, and want
ed his advice and cooperation on the
case. He picked up the silver dollars
one by one, fingered them carefully.
took a microscope and minutely eX-
amined the milling and stamping.
Then he passed each one between
the thumb and forefnger Of his right
hand After that a pair of feather
weight scales came into play, and
the coins were carefully weighed.
Cheney stacked five in one pile and
the sixth coin he tossed over to
Cronin.
THAT coins all right, Jimmie. but
these five are queer"
Right We are, Cheney, but that's
the 'queerest queer I've e,er laid my
eyes on"
Yes, | notice II. Tie silver in
these FIVE queer coins is of a higher
alloy than the American coin. In
trinslcally, the spurious toins are OF
more value than the real coin. That
paradox. but it's a true one"
"Well, whatever paradox is, II
sounds all right to me-"
"Whered you pick up snese coins
Jimmie?'
"Over in the First National three
weeks ago. Later | fou.d them IN
several other banks, and yeports from
the west indicate that sart of tn,
country is flooded with them"
ANY suspicious, CroLin?"
r Mary a one, Cheney. They com,
stores, railroads, coal companies. anC
what not. Why, hang ii, any mar
would take one of these coins anC
never notice II. An expert eXper
, would be fooled. YoI would hav,
taken a number OF th.m without ;
, murmur. So would l. Amt 1t so?"
Sure thing" murAured Cheney
A. hsa hn 10 INfp "a.
coins with the micros .ope. "Cronin,
he continued, these coins all bea
the mill mark of thu San Francisco
mint, Made any inve Atigations aloni
that lineg
mo, not yet. I've last been feellnl
around. | reported It to the chief
and he directed me 20 run It down
Blamed easy thing Tor the chief I,
sit in Washington ahd say run ZEN
> down. but it's not SO easy to do it,
t Cheney was busy, but heard ever.
D word Cronin had spoken. lie ha,
a dual intellect He could hear an,
understand intellgently what per
> son was talking about and at tn
! same time his mind could be workln
| OuN hollt nplA VI a Il'bl'lis
excuse me minute, Cronin," h
said and was gone,
The colonel came back in about
: miDutss and laid down one of tn
coins With a section cut out.
4 thought so, Jimmie he re
q marked
? Thought WHAT" snapped Cronlr
e "Thcse coins are Mexican pesos
Their valre in United States none
Is 37ia cents. The man, or ganl
q can buy al these MeXlcans the
5 want, recast them into our dollars
!, and net 62L cents profit. Queer, toe
isn't it. CONN. the counterfeit
are better silver than the good do
Y iars?'
v "Well, all that's news, Cheney, an
a. interesting, b what we want is I
? 6nd the man that's making this bun