The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-17
CAUGHT BAD ONE.
Police Find Ceunterfeiter
"With the Goods"
Was Preparing to Make Silver
Dollars.
WHOLE OUTFIT FOUND
Everything in Readiness for
Making Money.
Thought to Be Bad Character
of Note.
WHOLE OUTFIT FOUND

Officers Joe Wonderly and Fribance
of the police department made one OF
the richest catches of the season when
they took over into custody a counter
feiter of some note who is wanted al
over the country and who was just
putting the finishing touches on a big
turn out of money to be used on Tic
fair visitors and Topeka merchants
during the busy week.
! He gives his name as James Taylor
and when arrested this morning was
working on the asphaltic gang on the
College avenue paving, Fourteenth and
| College avenue. His complete outfit of
molds, plaster paris, clay. lead, babbil
and monkey wrench was found behind
the barn at his rooming place, 100 West
Tenth street.
Taylor has been under suspicion for
some time by the officers mentioned
above. About a month ago Officer
Wonderly started out on the case and
he has been working night and dsy
ever since. The man was suspected on
account of his strange actions and on
account of his frequent changing OF
boarding places together with an I'M
common package which he frequently
carried. His looks also represent the
worst of criminals and as one of thu
officers said this morning: I'VE Will
take his mug with the shoot box and
send it all over the country
The outfit captured by the police is
crude but will do the business. The
mold consisted of two pieces of hard
firm wood wrenced together with. heavy
bolts and irons. Just inside the two
pieces of wood was a beautiful repro
duction of a silver dollar still powdery
paris. The marks on the dollar were as
plain as day and if allowed a few moro
days the counterfeiter would have
turned out hundreds of dollars.
The rest of the outfit was done up in
some old clothes. A package of plast ar
paris of the finest variety was included.
Also some new chunks of soldering
lead and babbit. The clay for moIdIrg
purposes was still with the outfit. The
clothes worn in the manufacture of. the
model and the manufacturing of tine
money were also in the bundle. The
officers have not taken the trunk to the
station but will do it some time this
evening.
Taylor was apparently a hard work.
ing man but by the looks of the clothes
in his trunk he has some of the gayest
gangs, in shops and around the streets
for a blind but at his best he has some
buds that would make the hashis EST
rah-rah open his eyes.
No money of the homemade was
found on him when he was captured
He had very little money with him
and it was all good and legitimate
The officers had planned to wait I'M
til he made some money but on ac-
count of an unknown detective who
has been working around the
vicinity of the paving gang it was
thought that he should be taken up
at once.
1t is known also that Taylor was
aware of the detective and he was
preparing to skip the country. He
had taken his outfit away from his
room and hid it behind the barn.
friend of the police, James Kioh. and
been working with the officers on the
case and it was through this friend
that the police found the mold and
other appliances this morning. This
friend has been in confidence with
Taylor and can be used as an excel
lent witness.
Taylor has been changing rooming
and boarding places for some time.
and after being suspicioned by the
landladies he made his get away.
At one place he was caught with the
mold under his arm makig for his
room. The landlady thought that he
was q bootIegger of some kind and
made him leave the place. She
asked him at the time what was
wrapped up in the paper but he re-
fused to tell her. officer Wonderly
has been up day and night watching
his actions and all of them have been
suspicious. 1t was hoped however
that they would be able to wait until
he had made some money. But be-
ing caught with such an outfit will
serve as sufficient evidence to convict
him.
No one seems to know just where
Taylor was a resident originally. It is
the opinion of the police that he does
not have any permanent place of resi-
dence and business He halls to To-
peka from Oklahoma where he was
wanted and where he has been under
suspicion for some time. He is
hard locker and refuses to answer
any of the questions of the police. He
will be sent out over the country on
most cards at once and it is thought
that there is big reward waiting
for him somewhere