Semi-weekly herald., 1907-11-07


tendent in Denver with n special de
tail to handle all counterfeiting cases
| For years he worked in Denver with
ont failure. His close cooperation
with the city detective force led him
to become very friendly with Detec
tive Leyden. known as the cieveresi
Bertilion expert in the United States
| and Detective Ustic. whose work on
counterfeiting cases is second to few
detectives outside of the government,
employ
It was in 1891 that walke-. work
ing with Ustic and Leyden. caused
the arrest of BENJAMIN p. Johnson and
Charles Wilson. who wero at the heal
OF n mob Of spurious money makers
and handlers and general thieves
which had qualifications In every large
city of the Union Thieves in all
parts of the country were engaged In
stealing solid silver and gold orna.
ments. jewelry and tableware and
sending them to Johnson and Wilson
IL Denver, whore the metal was made
into silver dollars and gold pieces
of different denominations. Wilson
and Johnson were artists in their line
of criminal endeayor, and their money
was detected only by the peculiar and
extraordinary fact that it was purer
and of a greater intrinsic value than
the legal tender of the United States.
Thieves everywhere were engaged in
passing counterfeit money for Wilson
and Johnson and in supplying the met.
al for them. and the counterfeiters
did not need to be stingy in the
amount of gold and silver allowed for
each coin. They made $50 gold pieces.
il is said which were actually worth
$3.50 in gold These coins were so
soft that they could stand little han.
ding hut they lasted longer than did
the counterfeitlng enterprises OF VII
son and Johnson. for both men were
arrested and their almost perfect mint
conhscated on April 2s 1891.
Al the time of the operations OF
Wilson and johnson counterfeiters
were exceptionally active. and within
few months AL Simmons. who work.
ed much in Denver Colorado Springs
and Pueblo was arrested by Walker,
ustic and LeyJen for manufacturing
tens and twenties. simmons had
passed 5000 worth of the gold in "A
week and hnd $4,000 of the stun in
his possession when he fell"
In 1905 the country was Hooded
with counterfeit $40 and $50 Lewis
and Clark bills. The paper was al
most perfect and was passed from
New York to San Francisco. The bills
were OF the series OF 1901. were mum.
bered 295l3972, and were unusually
perfect Walker furnished informa-
tion which resulted IN the apprehen-
sion of the gang responsible for the
bills, the men being arrested in san
Francisco.
The Eggleston case, in which Walk.
er accomplished such brilliant work.
Will be remembered by most residents
OF Denver. DR.. ]. Denslow Eggleston.
for years "A prominent Denver physi-
clan, and a son Of the president OF the
Pacific Express company, was arrest
ed in his office in the Commonwealth
building. where counterfeitins appli.
ances. both molds and plates were
found. After a long and sensational
prosecution he was convicted and was
sentenced TO eleven years in he pen
itentiary. and was later transferred to
the government asylum for The in.
sane at Washington.
The case of ID. y. Blackburn and
James II. Barnard, In the unraveling
OF which Walker played the leading
role. is most interesting. Barnard
was one OF the cleverest counterfeit
ers who has ever come to the atten
tion of the secret service departmen,
and through his operations in Denver
every Denver bank suffered. He was
arrested on January 9. 1906, together
with his wife, at their home, S26 East
Thirty-second avenue. This arresl
was brought about through the sweat
ing process to which Blackburn, who
had previously been arrested In Lt
Junta, was subjected.
These men were cousins. and camt
originally from Texas. Following Bar
nard's arrest In this city 1t develope.
that he had been wanted In Texas TO
| eight years for passing counterfeit
$40 and $50 national bank notes. Hi
wife had been shadowed by the Texai
authorities for three years suosequen
to her husbands escape in the hop,
that some clew as to his whereabout
might be obtained. Blackburn wa
a murderer, having killed a man II
Indian Territory. owing TO lack o
evidence he was acquitted.
There are numerous other cases II
which Walker was engaged and a,
quilted himself credltably, but /
eDumerate them would be to give tn
history OF counterfeiting In the Yves
for twenty years.