Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-11-10

As insidious enemies Of the people
in every walk of life, counterleltels
may well be classed among the most
subtle and dangerous persons WIFI
whom officers of the law have to cope
Ever wide awake and on the alert Ior
treachery in their W ranks .hese
crafty rogues can only be captured
and convicted by means of caretully
rbaited traps, or by what is generalLy
known as the stool-pigeon system
Counterfeiters are divided into SIX
distinct classes: First, the capitallst
or procurer; second, the engraVer;
third, the printer; fourth, the whole-
sale dealer; fifth, the retailer, anu
sixth, the shower or circulator' Ano
capitalist is the most difficult man 10
reach as he seldom handles any ol
the plates or spurious money. Hence
the chief offender in this line may
walk calmly about, defying the ueteo'
tive. each tacitly understanding lne
other in his relative POSITION one
suspecting and watching, the o'nei
patiently and tirelessly picking up
.crumb by crumb, convicting evidence
The methods pursued by detectives
IN entrap counterfeiters are rarely
better illustrated than in the lollo"lns
account of the capture of William M
Quincy, alias big Bill" the honlach-
ar one of the foremost wholesale
dealers in queer of his day. lie was
born of respectable ~parentage' reareu
in the uuietude incident to country
life educated and supplied win d
auftcieut amount of money where"l'h
To live like a gentleman and, TRANCE
Iy enough, he chose a pain tna' leu
to his ultimate ruin.
In the excitement of those mutt
rous DAYS the city of New YORK was
uon stocked with men possessed OF
a genius for conceiving n conceal
INC crime. Perhaps no other city IN
4be civilized world has ever ahorded a
better opportunity for fleeing tne
npblic. Quincy had been handing
counterfeit money for several years
hut had managed to escape PUNISH
ment. He was n OF the chlel us
+ributors for Joshua d. Miner, VINO
was the head and front OF a power
Pr, octopus whose t~entacles were
stretched out in almost every sectlon
of the country.
Gurney was by NJ means unattract-
Svs IN anpearance, and there were
few men walking Broadway III MS
dav whose physique could compare
fayorably with his. He stood SIX lee'
two inches in height and was CORE
~,anondingly we'll proportioned, whlle
his expansive chest and well-deVelopeu
limbs gave him the appearance OF a
man possessing the muscular strensln
inf a giant, His black eyes were SHARP
and seyere, or mild and pleasant 10
uuit occasions. In conversation ne
was easy and interesting and, among
strangers. would readily have passed
for a gentleman of marked aDilty'
To be a leader among the counterlelC-
inp fraternity seemed to have been
HE browning glory of his highest am
;bition.
In the spring of 1869 l was ap-
Dointad chief of the government Sc,
crsE service and, though had hau
~4nerience with General Butler IN
New Orleans, and later in the INTERNAL
revenue service, I was unknown among
the counterfeiters.
Shortly after my appointment re
oeiyed information, at my headquar'
tiers In Washington, regarding a ratneI
unique affair that had taken place al
one of the drinking resorts on Hous'
ton street, in New York city. VII
liam Quincy, with his characteristic
push and daring, had invited a party
of ''uueersmen'' to partake Of a ban
uuet at this place. There were "a
persons present at this function, three
ex.detectives being among the mum
Der.
On the following day l was furnished
with the particulars of this remark
able assembly, and the ex-detectiv'
who reported it also provided a lis
OF the AIMING O1hS
things I learned that my appointment
ms chief of the secret service was dis
.rnssed at the affair, and pronounce
a good Joke upon the government
Quincy addressed his guests, boas
fully declaring that 'the new chic
might do for a preacher or an inferno
revenue clerk, but that he coul
never cope with shrewd men like tn
queersmen."
Nov is our opportunity" he sal
~'to g a a rich harvest" AT the san
time he advised his friends that /
was going to take the new chief I'M
his confidence and keep him we
stuffed with fictitious informatio
~In the meantime" he continued,
will draw out from him his plans ar
keep myself posted as to his pr
posed movements"
This plan pleased the fancy of Il
~Wcoundrels, and they agreed that Gil
ney was a great a They we
seated at the tables imbibing wir
and they drank to Gurney's heal
while the ex-detectives and count'
letters jostled elbows and bandi
foxes good-naturedly as they conte
plated the easy times In store I
them. When sufficiently filled wi
wine and enthusiasm, they capped t
climax by hurrahing for his satar
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