The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-05

was in the secret service. His head |
quarters were In Chicago, and many |
countcrfeiter was sent over the |
road by Jimmie" Cronin. as he was
afrectionately called by his friends.
Cronin and Cheney were much the
same as regards ability. but Cheney
had ambitions land was achieving
them) 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
great big, whole-souled Irishman, full
of wit. and as 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
a slight Irish brogde: "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 tCo
old to work I'll kiss the world good
by" Cronin could have been
rich man had he any desire to be a
CRATER A great deal of money had
been offered him at different times.
but each time refused. He was as
honest as n 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 Cheney's 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 1t. 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 forefinger OF his right
hand. After that 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 ye are, Cheney, but that's
the 'queerest queer I've ever laid my
eyes on"
Yes. notice It. The silver in
these Ave queer coins is of a higher
alloy than the American coin. In
trinsically, the spurious coins are OF
more value than the real coin. That's
a paradox. but it's a true one"
well, whatever paradox Is, II
sounds all right to me-"
"Where'd you pick up these coins
Jimmie?"
"Over in the First National three
weeks ago. Later ! found them II
several other banks, and reports from
the west indicate that part Of thu
country is flooded with them"
"Any suspicious, Cronin?"
from everywhere, country banks, BIZ
stores, railroads, coal companies ant
what rot Why, hang 1t. any maj
would take one OF those coins an,
never notice It. An expert exper
would be fooled. You would hav
taken a number Of them without
murmur. so would I. Amt It so?"
Sure thing" murmured Cheney
At the same time he was studying tn
coins with the microscope, "Cronin,
he continued, these coins all bea
the mill mark Of the San Francisc
mint. Made any Investigations alon
that lineY"
mo, not yet. I've Just been feelin
around. ! reported II to the chic
and he directed me to run 1t dowr
Blamed easy thing for the chief I
sit In Washington and say run 'er
down. but it's not so easy to do It.
Cheney was busy. but heard ever
word Cronin had spoken. He ha
a dual intellect. He could hear an
understand intelligently what a pc
son was talking about and at tn
same time his mind could be workin
out some sort Of problem.
Excuse me minute, Cronin,"
said, and was gone.
The colonel came back In about
minutes and laid down one OF th
coins with a section cut out.
81 thought 80, Jimmie" he r
marked.
Thought what?" snapped Croni
These coins are Mexican peso
Their value in United States none
is BIN cents. The man. or gan
can buy all these Mexicans the
want, recast them into our dollar
and net 62h cents profit, Queer. to
isn't 1t. Cronin. the counterfeit
are better silver than the good ds
lars?"
We'll, all that's news. Cheney, ar
interesting, but what we want Is