The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-03-12

people now and then and their APP
pearance at different parts Of the
state where there were gatherings of
people such as fairs and other meet
ings, and where coin flowed freely.
The officers were now getting to
the point where a raid was to be
made They were baffled in their eff.
fort to locate the gang at the Central
House, however, because satisfac-
tory showing was made of all the
rooms and occupants. The detect
ives felt sure, however, that the spuri-
Gus stuff was being made at this
house and they doubled their visi-
lance. So closely were they on the
trail OF the offenders that the circula-
ton OF the bad money had almost
ceased The makers must have been
almost out of funds, however, for they
made an attempt to do some more
work. Some new workmen appeared
with the fellows who had been out of
town, and under constant surveillance
at other places. AS soon as the gang
started to gather in Oskaloosa the
wires began working and the nets be-
gan closing around the comterfeiters.
The fellows managed to get to their
plant and had made considerable
amount of the money when they got
wind" of the fact that a raid was to
be made to find the men with the
coin and tools in their possession.
The men were in a room of the house
with no chance of get away
Their informant said that a deter.
mined search would be made and that
officers were already in the house
watching them and only waiting the
arrival of some tools and some local
officers to act as guard outside, to
make the raid. The place was too
tight for comfort. ~
One of the men, seeing the game
was up, thought If the officers entered
the room and found no evidences OF
their work and no money that they
would get away. They had little time
to act, however They gathered tools
moulds, metal manufactured coin and
the like and, removing the stove pipe
chucked the whole mess into the
chimney, and it fell to some lodging
| place below. And there it has re
manned to this day, so the story goes
The raid was made and the officers
to all appearances, had only inter
rupted a little game of cards and dis
turbed a little beer party, as the
presence of numbers of empty bottles
would indicate. The men sat at q
table playing cards and made no re
sistance. They were placed under
arrest, of course, and careful search
of the room and the adjoining rooms
was made. Floors we're ripped VI
and loose planks were found, but nc
counterfeiting apparatus could be 10
Gated and the ruse of the operators
was never suspected. Oskaloosa hat
now grown too hot asfield for the out
laws and the raid effected the disso
luton of the gang The counterfeit
was too well known locally ard at the
mining camps by this time and i
| "ouiu hpI pass "ithouI bHo pOSSeSSoI
being under suspicion. The detect
ives had been successful in stopping
the making of the coin, but they hat
no positive evidence upon which they
could convict the suspects, and after
being held for a short time the mer
were released. fs1
The workers at the old Contra
House have been informed of the pos
sibility of finding the coin in one Of
the chimneys and they will watch
for it to verify the stories that have
now been almost forgotten.