The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-03-15

Not one clew, Cronin, but two of
them-two good live leads. Now lis.
ten. The coins are all identical,
made by the same die. That's where
the gang were not cute; they should
have changed the mill mark. These
are all supposedly Frisco minting.
! Clew one: The die from which these
coins were cast was made by a die
cutter of the San Francisco mint, or
one who has at one time or other
worked there. Mexican silver is used
in the coinage. Now, clew two:
Mexican silver can, of course, be
bought up here, but out on the coast
and on the frontier pesos are dealt
In almost like potatoes, therefore the
plant of this gang is at some con-
venient point to the Mexican frontier.
where money is plentiful. The
queer money is made, shipped seven
ways for Sunday, and put in circu.
lation"
| "Clew one and clew two are very
interesting, but we're long ways
from the right party
"Yes," interrupted Cheney, smiling,
$4,000 miles, more or less. But,
Cronin, we're going to get those birds
sooner or later. I'd rather run down
a gang like that than eat. They're
clever, but, as I told you, they've
made one mistake, and that mistake
will be their DOOM"
by George, old man, the cnief'll
be glad you're on this
Don't say anything to the chief
about it. I'm going to Frisco to.
might. Later I may wire you to come.
I'll keep in touch with you and in
the meantime you find the person or
persons who are floating this money
! up here. Don't arrest them; Just
keep them under surveillance. We
want the king pin of this crowd,
then the gang will fade away"
"All right, Cheney, I'll do as you
say, but keep me posted
I'll sure do that, Cronin." The
two men parted, and after clearing
up the odds and ends of current work,
| Cheney made ready to leave for
Frisco. The Overland carried him
west that night, and three days later
he landed in the american Paris"
He had been there before on numer-
Gus occasions, had number of good
| friends, and spent the first evening
just looking around. Frisco always
had large floating population of
Hght-f1ngered gentry, and Cheney
went to the hall of Justice, looked
over the gallery, joshed with the
| city force without revealing his mis-
sion, and after trip through China
town, went to the Palace and had a
good nights sleep.
He was cordially received at the
mint the next morning. Fitzgerald,
the superintendent, had not as yet
been informed regarding the "Mexi-
can Ones.' Of course he surmised
Cheney was out there on business.
Fitzgerald" said Cheney, after the
usual salutations had been ex-
changed, Il want to see list of
your die cutters.
mot much of a list, colonel. Let's
see, there's only four of them-Gang.
ley, Stearns, Richie and Evans"
"Who cuts the die for silver dol
lars?"
! "Ritchie.'
| SIS he all right?"
Yes, as straight as a die. Been
here about two years. Makes $1,000
per year, married, lives over in
Berkeley, and is good, useful citi-
! zen.'
THE other three: how about
thems''
All good men, and old-timers. The
youngest of them, Richie, has been
here seven years, and Gangley and
Stearns both have been here over ten
years."
Cheney handed Fitzgerald one of
the Mexican ones. What do YOU
think of that coin, Fitz?" Fitzgerald
examined it closely and said:
Looks good to me, Cheney
Cheney then told him how it was
discovered, and what he suspected.
Fitzgerald took down a record book
and studied it carefully for a mo.
merit, and then said
Il am positive none of my die cut.
ters did that work. About three years
ago there was die cutter worked
in this mint by name of Kuhn
Emil Kuhn. He was a high class
workman, but rather uncertain in
his habits. If remember rightly. he
drank more or less, and two years
back he was discharged"
did he cut dies for silver ones ?''
"Oh, yes, Kuhn was an artist, He
could cut a die for any coin. He
also painted quite well.'
know what became of him after
he left here?"
mo, don't. heard he went back
to his old home in Mannheim, Ger.
many. It was said he came from a
very good family"
! After a little further conversation
Cheney left, promising to let Fitz.
gerald know in case anything came
| up. AS soon as Cheney got down