Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1909-02-13

Murray sent for Detective John
Hodgins OF Toronto police headQuar.
ters, and accompanied by the two OF.
ficers Johnson entered caS. In re-
sponse to the counterfeiter's directions
the Jehu drove the party out to Wells
Hin into n clump OF woods above To.
ronto, where they all got out. The old
man took a careful observation and
pointed to the foot OF an old elm tree.
That's where they are" he an.
nounced.
The two officers removed their coats
and proceeded to dig but found moth.
ing.
This Is poor time for joking"
said Murray, when they finally do
sisted, looking sternly at the prisoner.
I'm not joking" insisted Johnson,
but | may be mistaken. Wait a mo-
ment."
After celebrating he pointed out an.
other tree, and the officers resumed
their labors. Presently spade struck
something hard and Johnson sprang
forward with outstretched hand.
Go easy. go easy" he implored.
Those plates are not hard to damage
Remember they took years 20 make
and are worth over $4,000"
Johnson lifted the plates out of their
resting place with inilnite care. They
were wrapped in oiled cloth and en-.
cased In solid coverings Of beeswax.
Here they are. Murray" he said.
mournfully banding them to his cap
tor, IL don't own them all. A party on
the other side has an interest In
them"
The plates made package the size
OF two large bricks and were very
heavy. Murray took Johnson back TO
jail and then drove to the attorney
generals department with his treas
ures. Upon examining them the ex-
perts conceded that they were the best
they had ever seen. They were re-
markable for the fineness and precis-
ion of the strokes. the authority of the
signatures. the beauty Of the vignettes
and medallions. the accuracy of fol-
lowing all the little whims of the en-
gravers OF the original plates. For
each bill there were three copper
plates--one for the front, one for the
back and one for the wedge Each
plate was about a quarter of an inch
in thickness. There were 21 separate
copper pieces or plates. three each for
the Bank OF Commerce $40, the Bank
of Commerce $5, the Ontario bank $40,
the Dominion bank 81, the govern.
ment issue 81, and the United States S.
Johnson confessed that Hill made
the States IS, and that the remainder
was his work. He made the plates In
the States and his daughters forged
the signatures. They had been trained
In forging or duplicating signatures
since childhood. They would spend
hours day duplicating a single sig
nature and work at the one name for
months. writing 1t thousands of times
Jessie was better at large. and Annie
at small. handwriting. The boys were
learning to be engravers aud were SO
proficient than there father was wont
to boast proudly OF their skin.
On August 10. 1880. Murray went ia
Washington and called on John Sher
man, secretary of the treasury, told
him the story, and showed him the Sc
plate OF the United States issue. Sher
man congratulated the detective heart
lily. remarking that 1t was one OF the
most valuable seizures OF counterfeit
plates ever made. Murray turned
over to the United States secret serv
Ice the names Of the parties implicated
by Johnson's confession, and these
people were afterward arrested.
Edwin Johnson was placed on trial
at the Fall Assizes in 1880. in To
ronto, before Chief Justice Hogarty
Seven indictments were read and
Johnson pleaded guilty to every one
The counsel for the crown asked the
court TO suspend sentence and this
was done. Johnson was released and
Murray escorted him and his daugh
ters to the United States. where the
authorities desired TO make use OF
them.
In 1896 old Hill, the maker OF the
States IS issue, was still in & United
States jail, under the name OF John
Murphy. Several Of the johnson fam
lily are In prison, several out and theiI
whereabouts unknown. Old man John
son, the genius of the aggregation
died In 1898. The capture OF the
plates put stop TO the issue Of any
more bills. and the case OF the coun
terfeit million came to an end,
Copyright, 1909 by w. @. Chapman)
Copyright In Great BritatAl