The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-02-06
Spencer CIope, Claiming Ra-
cine as His Home, Arrested
Here as a COunterfeiter
HAD BOGUS COIN ON HAND
Man Claims That He Was Experiment.
ing With Metal and Had Used
a Coin to Test the Value of
an Alloy He Had Made

I. Spencer Clope, claiming that he
was resident of Racine and more re-
Gently in New York, was arrested at
the M. r. and K. station in this city
late Tuesday afternoon on a suspicion
that he had been engaged in the man
-ufacture Of counterfeit money. When
the man was taken into custody a
partially completed coin made of an
alloy of lead and tin was found in his
pocket The coin was evidently re
production Of the half dollar but it
was crudely made and it is certain
that even had the coin been completed
it would have been. a hard matter to
pass it. Clope was taken into custody
by Police Officer Bradley who hadabeen
following the man since Tuesday morn
ing. In the morning Clope had gone
to the Dewey hardware store and pur-
chased an alcohol lamp and in the after
noon he returned and stated that the
lamp had done all that had been promis-
ed for it. He said that he was partic-
ular that the lamp would be able to
melt lead and other metals. This was
the tip that put the officer to work
and resulted in Clope being taken into
custody. Clope was taken to the police
office and searched and in his pockets
was found the portion Of the alleged
bogus coin and he admitted hat earlier
In the day he had die and a plaster
> no Tubi oh ha
at Library Park He also had several
silver coins and a large number Of
chemical formulas which seemed to in
dicate that he was working on an alloy
of some kind. There was also a large
piece of metal which had the appear
ance OF mixture of lead and silver.
The officers placed Clope in Jail and
at once notified the officials of Racine
OF his arrest but they could find moth
ing IN regard to the man in that city.
Clope had bank book from the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Bank in that
city but the book showed that he had
not deposited any money there in years
and the checks in his pocket bore a
date in 1904.
The police officials this morning mott
fed the United States Marshall in Mil
waukee of the arrest Of Clope and it
is expected that the Government off
Gals will take up the case and provide
for the prosecution Of the man.
Clope appears to be thirty years of
age and is well dressed. He seems to
be man Of decided intelligence and he
objected strenuously to life in the
county Jail. He was seen at the jail
this morning and in an interview he
said that he had been arrested wholly
on suspicion and that there was no
grounds for a charge of counterfeiting
against him. g It is just this way he
said, - | am a chemical engineer and I
! have been at work on a match box in
which desire to use an alloy Of metals
and had been working on this alloy
when [ was arrested. [ had made the
die and the plaster cast and had used
coin for the purpose Of testing the
metal, but | had done this openly in
the hardware store where I bought the
alcohol lamp and I did nothing but
break the coin in two after it was made
and offered it to the men in the store
to show them that the, lines came out
well on it. [ was making an effort
to produce fine lines in the ALLOW and
the coin was the natural thing to use
to make the experiment.
Clope claimed that he had never been
in Kenosha until Tuesday morning and
that he had come here for the purpose
of studying in the Gilbert M. Simmons
Library and to people in the jail with
him he confded that he had sought
work as a chemist at the Simmons
factory. Tuesday night Clope seemed
to be insane, but it was declared by
the men in the Jail that he was plainly
feigning insanity. Clope got confden
tial with some Of his fellow prisoners
and told many things which were not
told to the officials. The appearance
OF the man is decidedly in his favor,
but the contents Of his pockets were
just as decidedly against him and it
is pretty certain that the government
officials will investigate the man very
closely before he is released He will
probably be brought into court late
TINS afternoon and held pending the
arrival OF the government officials.