New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-12
SECRET SERVICE RAIDS
ASTORIA PRIVATE MINT
Taylor Arrests Men Said to Have
Flooded the West with Bad
Gold Coins.
DISCOVERY DUE TO PIN0CHLE
Agent Wins Confidence Of Man,
Who Introduces His Partner,
and They Offer Him an
Interest, He Says.

ard H Taylor. the new chief, who sue
oeeded William ]. Flynn when Mr.. Flynn
became Second Deputy Police Commits
sioner. landed man yesterday they
have been trying TO get for the last ten
wears for making and passing 81 and $40
gold pieces. He was Frank Weber, an
apparently respectable householder of
No. 604 Academy street. Astoria, and
the reason he was caught was that he
made the mistake of trying to get one
OF Taylor's men TO buy one-t third in
terest in the counterfeiting business
BENJAMIN Lottere, OF No. A. East -1th
street. who had a partnership in livery
business up To year ago. when he de-
cided to become a counterfeiter. was ar
rested with Weber. and both men were
locked up in the Adams street police sta
ton. Brooklyn. They viii be arraigned
before the United States Commissioner
this morning.
The arrests were made at Weber s
home in Astoria, where the Secret Ser
vice man had been taken by Lottere TO
meet Weber. look over the plant and see
that everything WAS shipshape and
proper for a first class ccunterfeitlng
business The detective examined seven
steel moulds for making the new issue
o1 81 and SO gold pieces-those bearing
the Mexican eagle. commonly called the
bUzzard. instead Of the American eagle
looked over two mixing machines said
by Weber TO have cost $500 each, and
,asually valued quantity of silver,
copper and gold To he used in making
f1e counterfets.
Mould Sell an Interest.
Weher said he had some more alloy
coming today. which would cost $50
{ Q. y. He enumerated some ma
chinerv that he wanted to buy, d couple
of stamps and some die presses, and
said the detective could come in as
equal partner with one-third interest
il large and growing business by put
ting VI one third of the cost of the new
stock and improvements
Doesn Il look like good thing?" ne
inquired.
Too good" the Secret Service man
averred and displayed his artillery.
II was the signal for which Taylor
ard four of his men had been waiting in
the garden for some time. They swarmed
through the la asement window into the
factory. and Weber and Lottere capitu-
lated with ali saved but honor.
4 game OF pinochle in an East side
saloon for two-penny points was the un-
doing of the counterfeiters. Weber had
leen suspected by the Secret Service for
ten years. and in that time it was esti-
mated he had passed more than $4,000
in spurious 81 and $40 gold pieces
through the West
He has owned the house in Astoria for
half \ dozen years. and has posed as a
medal worker. having well fitted up
shop in his basement His story WAS
that he had been a chemist and had
worked in the German mint in Berlin be
fore It camc To this country. nearly fif-
teen years ago, and that il was there
that he learned his trade OF medal max
inG.
For three az four years he has been
away from this city. leaving his wife
and children in Astoria, and during that
time counterfeit coins have been appear
ing pretty regularly throughout the
west. About month ago the counter
feits Of the new 81 and SO gold coins
began t. be seen here-perhaps $500 or
500 worth We're put in circulation
Weber and Lottere Friends.
Nr Taylor looked up Weber and found
hc had been back in Astoria for couple
Of months. Then his companions were
investigated. and it was learned that
Lottere was his closest associate.
one of Taylor's men made the ac-
quaintance of Lottere and over game
of pinochl6 the Italian told of the coun-
terfeiting business. and said it paid 80
well that he had given up his livery
business a year ago and formed part
nership with Weber.
He said the spurious so coins We're
made for ST. each. and that Weber had
discovered an acid bath that took away
all the copper color and made the coun-
1erfeits indistinguishable from genuine
government currency. Some OF the
Counterfeits were exhibited as proof of
the story and they passed easily.
The detective became so interested
that be WAS almost persuaded to give up
his own Long Island real estate busi-
less and GO into making money At
least. he was willing 10 invest few
thousands with Weber. provided he could
see the plant and talk the matter over
with the principal AS a cautious bmsi-
ness man he could hardly be expected
IL go into the scheme without thorough
examination.
Thus the meeting for yesterday morn
ing was arranged. But when Taylor
and his men doomed into view Weber
frankly sckno,s ledged that the " eight
OF the argument was against him. IL,
said that he Was fifty-five years old and
knew better than to put up fight, any
Ny.
LotteIe said he was only fort give, and
:H Italian. bat he remembered the Triple
Alliance. ahd he thought the German
reasoning MAS sound