The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-08-11
COUNTERFETTERS
ONE THOUSAND N QUEER" MONEY
FOUND WITH PARAPHERNALIA.

Styt---.A 49, 10y
this surrounding territory, were cap
tured in a raid on the home of Jim
Phelps, headquarters of the gang in
this county, Friday morning by a
posse OF secret service men, U. S.
Marshal Dan Cunningham, Chief Of
Police Foglesong, Detective Rupert
Kayser, of Point Pleasant, and De
tectise Jack Bingham, of Hunting
ton.
A few days ago a well known river
rat went to U. S. Marshal Frank
Tyree, and told him that the gang
producing the counterfeit money that
had been causing the government Of
fcials SO much trouble. had their hid
ing place and plant in this county be-
tween Letart and Millwood. Mar
shal Tyree at once Investigated che
case and satisfied himself that Bail
ey's tip was straight, he then wired
Chief willie, head of the U. S. Sec
ret Service, who notified him imme-
diately that he had ordered to the
scene Capt. Charles f. Wright sec
ret service agent at Baltimore.
Capt. Wright came at once, was
closeted with Marshal Jyree and
Deputy Marshal Dan Cunningham a
while and left for the neighbOrhood
of the scene of the manipulations of
the gang, working out of this city,
as travelling junk dealer and in this
way and throught the efforts of a
stool pidgeon got ''in'' with the gang.
Capt. Wright with ehe aid ofMar-
shnl Cunningham began running
down sufficient evidence to convict
before arresting. Friday morning,
by special arrangement north
bound B. s o. train dropped the of
icers off in front of the headquarters
of the gang and before the criminals
were aware of what was happening,
had them handcufed with the ex-
-Iception- of Jim Phelps, who started
to run, leaving the house by the
back door and starting for the river.
He was caught and brought back
ironed and, in company with his as
sociates, brought to Point Pleasant
and locked up. A preliminary hear
ing took place Saturday morning be-
fore .. S. Commissioner Douglass,
and in default of bond were taken to
the Huntington Jail.
Immediately following the arrest
of the gang, search for evidence to
convict the members was instituted
and the entire house thoroughly gone
over. The result was that nearly
81 900 in counterfeit money was
found together with molds absolutely
perfect and showing skilled work
manshlp; plating machine for plat
ing gold coin, all kinds of chemicals
used by such criminals, and per
feet safe cracker's outfit consisting O
drills, fuses, nitro glycerine and 4
!, series of steel bits. The money
found was in dollars, half dollars,
FIVE dollar gold pieces unpIated and
one ten dollar bill, fresh.
The capture is considered one o
the most important that has beer
made in this section of the country
in years and the secret service mer
are naturally elated at the results o
the work which ended so success,
fully.
One of the gang whose right name
is Joseph Ward, but sailed undertht
alias of Joe Porter, has serverd. ter
years in the Ohio penitentiary 70,
counterfeiting, and is considered on'
of the most expert men known t.
the government. The men asso
ciated with him are Jim and Johl
Phelps, Jack Willis and Ed. Bailey
r LATER.
, Rupert Kayser says: Two week
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