The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-06-04
MADE BAD ROUBLES
IN PRISON CELL
Amazing Tale of Bold Counter
feiting Comes From City of
Kovno, Lithuania
The COINERS CAUGHT REDHANlED
jaiier Lednicka and One of His Con-
vict Inmates Concocted a Clever
Scheme-All Kovno Convulsed with
the story-How Discovery Came.

MOSCOW, RuSSla.-At kOVnO, large
town in Lithuania, the public have
been complaining for some time T S.
OF the multitude of false roubles, hall
rCubles and 15-kopeck pieces in circu'
lation. The passing Of sucn coins is
not in itself, punishable in Russia,
and the most punctilious persons do
not hesitate to try to get rid of false
coins. The best place is the markeL.
where the Jews take and pass them
with the greatest of ease. In respeCia.
NE households the false-coins go to
the cook, who exchanges them lor
meat and vegetables at the market
llaCc. But at kovno things were SET.
ting too bad, and even the Jews grew
careful of what money they took.
The governor Of the prison, who fol.
lowed the same plan as ordinary NOR
tails for getting rid of spurious CON,
had complaints from his cook, who
got back as good-or rather as bad
as she gave, and received false coin in
her change whenever she went to
market. The governor in turn com.
planned to the head Of the police who
promised to unearth the coiners and
set an "ajent" Ia sort of private de.
tectiye) to watch the market place
The ajent soon discovered that WON.
an named Lednicka was constant!
passing false coins-now at this stall,
now at that One day he had her al.
rested taken to the nearest police
station and searched. A good deal OF
money was found on her, and it was
all false. She protested her innocence,
saying that her husband had given her
a months money for the housekeep-
ing.
What is your husband and where
does he live?" the head Inspector ask
ed. She replied that he was a jailer
and lived at the local prison. Mr
Lednicka was promptly sent for and
questioned as to his wife's money. At
first he refused to answer, but finally
admitted that he got the money from
one of the prisoners under his charge
a man named Mucha, who had been
in prison awaiting trial on charge Of
banditism for the past eight months.
What part of the prison does he
live in?" asked the astonished inspec-
tor. in a cell, Of course" was tho
answer mo. 25-on the ground floor
to the left side of the courtyard" The
police set off to the prison and asked
for leave to search cell No. 25.
Are you mad?" cried the governor.
"The prisons under my charge! You
can bring me people here, but I'm
hanged if you're going to inspect my
place whenever it suits"
Then they explained that Lednicka
had confessed to getting false coins
from cell No. %, and limited that he
himself had asked to have the coincrs
discovered. He reluctantly gave way
and the cell was opened-much to the
discontinue of the occupant, who,
sure that Lednicka alone had the KEYS,
was coinins false money and had not
time to put away his plant.
The Indignation of the governor
was only equaled by the mirth of the
police. when the plant for coming
false roubles, half-roubes and 15-l,o'
peck pieces was found in the cell.
Caught red-handed, Lednicka and
Mucnd maze a Clean breast VI H. lles
took fancy to each other from the
moment they first met in the prison.
Mucha soon confided to the jailor that
he knew how to make false coins II
Lednicka would go to a certain house
and bring the plant. Lednicka, for
passing the coin, was to share profits.
He agreed, brought the plant and al
ways warned the prisoner when the
prison officials were likely to inspect
the cell, when the plant was taken
out and hidden in Lednicka's rooms.
The plan succeeded admirably. They
made and circulated false money for
over half a year, and, had it not been
for the governors cook, would proba
bly, have gone on till Mucha went UP
for trial. Kovno is convulsed with
the story, and, of course, those are
not lacking who hint that the good
governor himself knew something
about the matter.