The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-07-01
MADE BAD ROUpLES
IN PRISON Cell
Amazing Tale of Bold Counter
fsiting Comes From City of
Kovno, Lithuania
The COINERS CAUGHT REDRANDED
Jailer lednicka and One Of His Con-
vict Inmates Concocted a Clever
Scheme--All kovno convulsed with
the story--How Discovery Came.

Moscow, Russia.--At Kovno, a large
town in Lithuania, the public have
been complaining for some time past
of the multitude of false roubles, half
roubles and 15.kopeck pieces in circu-
iation. The passing of such 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 market,
where the Jews take and pass them
with the greatest of ease. In respecta-
BILE households the false-coins go to
the cook, who exchanges them for
meat and vegetables at the market
place. But at Kovno things were get
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.
GALS for getting rid of spurious coin,
1ad complaints from his cook, who
got back as good-or rather as bad
as she gave, and received false coin in
1er 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" Ga sort of private de-
sective) to watch the market place.
The ajent soon discovered that wom-
IN named Lednicka was constantly
passing false coins-now at this stall,
low at that. One day he had her ar.
'ested, taken to the nearest police
station and searched. A good deal of
money was found on her, and it was
Ill false. She protested her innocence.
aging that her husband had given her
months money for the housekeep-
.ng.
What Is your husband and where
ioes he live?" the head inspector ask
ID. She replied that he was a jailer
md lived at the local prison. Mr..
Gednicka was promptly sent for and
nestioned as to his wife's money. At
irst he refused to answer, but finally
omitted that he got the money from
me OF the prisoners under his charge
"a man named Mucha, who had been
d prison awaiting trial on q charge of
Janditism for the past eight months.
what part Of the prison does he
I'VE in?" asked the Gstonished inspec.
or. "In a cell, OF course" was the
nswer. mo. 2o-on the ground floor
. the left side of the courtyard. The
olice set off to the prison and asked
jr leave to search cell No. 25.
Are you mad?" cried the governor.
The PRISONS under my charge! You
n bring me people here, but I'm
,nged If you're going to inspect my
ace whenever II suits"
Then they explained that Lednicka
I'd confessed to getting false coins
ON cell No. 25, and hinted that he
mself had asked to have the coiners
scovered. He reluctantly gave way
ID the cell was opened-much to the
scomfiture of the occupant, who,
re that Lednicka alone had the keys,
rs coming false money and had not
ne to put away his plant.
The Indignation of the governor
IS only equaled by the mirth of the
lice, when the plant for coming
Sc roubles, half-roubles and 15-ko-
ok pieces was found in the cell.
Caught red-handed, Lednicka and
Icha made a clean breast of it. They
ok fancy to each other from the
>ment they first met in the prison.
Icha soon confided to the jailor that
knew how to make false coins IL
dnicka would go to a certain house
bring the plant. Lednicka, for
ssing the coin, was to share profits.
agreed, brought the plant, and al
VS. warned the prisoner when the
son officials were likely to inspect
cell, when the plant was taken
and hidden in Lednicka's rooms.
The plan succeeded admirably. They
de and circulated false money for
ar half year. and, had it not been
the governors cook, would prcb
have gone on till Mucha went up
trial. Kovno is convulsed with
story, and, of course, those are
lacking who hint that the good
iernor himself knew something
,ut the matter.