The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-20
MORE THAN A MILLION
in COUNTERFEIT MONEY
Counterfeiters Were Brothers and
Members of Old Louisville Family.
Were Waiting For Numbering Ma
chine Before Going to Mexico.

LOUISVILLE, KY, August 20
Dreams of wealth which reflected their
gaudy hues from brass bound trunk
containing million dollars III counter
felt Mexican pesos, We're shattered
for John C. and Marion Roberts here
Yesterday when Deputy United States
Marshal William Blaydes arrested
John Roberts in Shelby county with
the money in his possession. Since
the hour of arrest there has been un-
raveled in the custom house of Louis
vile and the Central police station a
tale of attempted financial buccaneer-
ing that puts into shadow some of the
boldest exploits in the history of coun-
terfeiting.
John Roberts, sitting in the office of
the Secret Service Bureau here, cooliy
said that he would plead guilty at
the October term of the Federal
Court and seemed philosophic about
spending a majority of his years in
the United States prison at Atlanta.
Je had played bold game and failed,
he said, he would have been rich be-
yond his dreams had it succeeded.
Now he was poor and in the hands of
the sternest law on earth, hut he laid
rather flattering JUNCTION tC his soul
that the scheme had been Cbring and
romatic.
1t was through Marion Rcberts that
the counterfeiters were apTehended,
Marion Roberts, some days ago, ap-
preached a Louisville brokeIiand made
i'm the proposition that he dispose of
counterfeit Mexican pesos at a high
commission The broker ntifiedChief
of Police J. II. Haager, wlo at once
enlisted the Secret Servic, men and
the trap to catch Marion Foberts was
laid Marion fell into it Monday and
since that time the police and Secret
Service men have been extracting
from him the information which led
10 the descent upon his brother at
Simpsonville.
When Marshal Blaydes confronted
John Roberts in the hamlG in Shelby
county, the chief counterfiter admit
ted that he was behind ne plan to
dispose of the imitation peos through
the Louisvlee broker.
He showed Blaydes a lass bound
trunk of the sort especially construct
ed to figure in romances ad this was
filled with $1,OOO,OOO in Grip Mexican
notes.
Roberts said that he ould have
been in Mexico with the trnk a week
ago had he not been awaing the ar
rival of a perforating macine and
device for numbering the ills.
did you suspect that tie Federal
Officers were after you?" Bberts was
asked in the custom houseoffice yes
terday.
IF l had, I'd never bee in Simp-
sonville," he replied laughig.
Will Koenig, a printer, ns also ar
rested in connection with he case.
Roberts is a bulky MAJ weighing
close to 25O pounds, and wen he was
brought into Louisville Is clothing
was spotted and frayed VIII hard Ia
Dor. He says that he Manufactured
all the peso notes in this ountry and
that he had not intendedio defraud
any one in the United SITES.
Il merely wanted to &c rich" he
said,.
John Roberts is a son the late
Judge Roberts, once Ia gell-knoWn
Louisville jurist. His bon was fixed
at sic. 900 and he at once Mved exam
lining trial.
The police late last nighannounced
]. NJ. Fetter G Co. were ne brokers
approached by Marion Rberts, who