davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
"a True Story sr the Secret Service
By
COL H. C. WHITLEY
Former Chief u. s. Secret Service

piled Bower cautiously. but do
not like to take the chances any
more"
"Oh. h-l." replied Gurney. We've
got everything our own way now. The
government detectives are all green
men and there's no danger of getting
caught unless fellow goes and gives
himself up" Taking from his wal
let $50 counterfeit note on the Ma
tonal Shoe and Leather bank OF New
York city. he added: Here's some
thing good enough to deceive the dis
ciples."
After some parleying Bower ac-
cepted $500 of the queer for the dia-
mond. and now instructed Bower to
stay away from Gurney for couple
of weeks.
While Bower had been working
Gurney. that worthy had been coming
to my office every few days to work
me. He imagined that / fully believed
what he said, and that he was regard
ed as a valuable ally. always re-
ceived him kindly. and assured him
that l had no desire to make arrests
unless forced to do SO. and that did
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
HOIST BY HIS own P[TARD

= tame affair In comparison with the
Indulgence of these men II there
were any letters of warning upon the
walls. all were too drunk to read them.
or they lacked a sober Daniel to In
terpret them
Under the circumstances It seemed
advisable to allow these merry plot
ters to pursue their way unmolested
until sufficiently on their guard to per-
init the successful carrying out Of a
plan to entrap and apprehend the en-
tire party.
Much Of my time was now spent at
my New York ONCE In Blocker street
where. In due time. Gurney called
upon me for the purpose 'of paying
bis respects and rendering some in
formation in regard to counterfeiters."
The artless appearing fellow said that
when quite young he had been foolish
enough to engage In counterfeiting.
but had long since abandoned It and
was now ready to render the govern
ment such assistance as he could
affected to receive him with open
arms. and apparently gulped down as
truth everything he had to offer. Cur
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

VINO took part IN the fray. But II he
keeps silent 1t Is conclusive evidence
In their minds that he cannot stand
investigation. and this establishes his
character beyond doubt 1t is ac-
cepted by them as sufficient voucher
tnat he Is a member In good standing
In the brotherhood of crooks. and he
Is then admitted into full fellowship.
Shortly after the melee one Of the
crowd suggested to Butts that he call
In the police. He promptly replied:
NO police for me-" and the detective
was thereupon received without hesi-
the next seven or eight months Butts
worked with this gang of counter
letters as a shower of queer.
Counterfeit showers" as they are
called. usually travel In pairs. One
fellow carries the bogus money and
remains outside. while the other
takes one bill. enters place of busi-
the counterfeit note In payment. and
receives change in good money. II
this precaution we're not observed.
the possession OF other counterfeit
money. in case Of detection and arrest.
swould indicate guilt and lead almost
inevitably to conviction.
Detective Butts. however. did not
pass any counterfeit money but used
instead a good bill in the place Of the
one he received from the carrier.
That was kept for evidence. and in
this way he deceived the queersmen
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

not believe In using harsh measures
unnecessarily. Gurney fairly chuckled
at this simplicity and WAS thrown
completely on his guard.
He assumed an air of great mystery
and spoke of the possible existence Of
counterfeit plates that might be
reached for a reward. He would not.
he declared. accept a dollar for his
personal services but, because of his
great fancy for me. was ready to as
sist In every way possible. He was
permitted to blarney along and play
the game to his own liking, secure in
the belief that he was completely de-
ceiving the government officials.
In the meantime the services OF an
old counterfeiter. fresh from the peni-
tentiary, had been secured. Many of
his old confederates were now opera
ting with the Gurney gang and.
through him, Bill Butts, fresh-look-
ing detective from one of the western
states, was introduced to several of
the men who made their headquarters
at saloon on the Bowery. Butts in
formed the barkeeper of the saloon
that he had just served a term for
Showing the queer"
At first the counterfeiters and
thieves hanging around the place ap-
peared to be suspicious Of Butts. One
day. however. when these Williams
were drinking beer in the back room
of the place. fight arose. The de-
tective went in with the rest and
stretched out several of the fellows,
though he was badly beaten up In the
end. and in addition was robbed of
his pocketbook and watch.
The ethics of the criminal profes-
sion are peculiar. When a crowd of
crooks fight they frequently rob one
another, and II the victim calls in the
police to recover his property he
loses the confidence of the rogues
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

for months, and secured evidence to
convict about twenty of the Gurney
party.
While Butts had been busy with the
gang Of showers. Bower had been de-
voting his time to Gurney and the
other leaders. On one occasion Bower
purchased $500 of counterfeit money
from Gurney. and this he handed to
me as ! was on my way to dinner at
the st. Clair house. AS / entered the
restaurant / met Gurney looking as
cheerful and innocent as a Raphael
cherub. The rascal appeared with a
bland smile and informed me that he
had come there especially to see me
about counterfeiting transactions out
west. i took him by the hand, thanked
him. and invited him to dine.
We selected table where Gurney
could talk without being overheard
His information, as usual, was in
definite. hearsay, with no particular
point to 1t. He told me that my pol
icy of being easy with the counter.
feiters was working like charm
that there was no counterfeit money
In circulation In the east-in fact. he
had not seen a bad dollar in six
months. At that very moment my
hand was resting on the package of
counterfeit money that had Just been
purchased from him by Bower.
A few days later Gurney told
Bower. in a boasting way. of this in.
terview and. in burst OF enthusiasm.
declared that everything about the
government detective headquarters
was known to him before 1t trans
pired. He asserted that he was one
of my assistants, and was so puffed
up over his imaginary success that he
really believed he knew what was GO
ing on in my Office.
The time now seemed ripe for the
arrest OF the entire party who had
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

ney was well fitted to deceive with a
plausible story, for he seemed candid
In manner and well equipped in every
way to impose upon the most incred-
ulous.
The officers of the secret service
all considered him dangerous per-
son and none was anxious to encoun-
ter a man Of such gigantic proportions
and apparently desperate character.
My first move against Gurney was
to send Mike Bower, a newly-fiedged
government detective. to form his ac-
quaintance. Bower was selected be-
cause his appearance was anything
but that of detective. Bower drifted
into Gurney's "boozing-den' on East
Bleeker street where, after lettering
around drinking and smoking for
week or two. he one day called Cur
ney aside and told him he was broke
and must have little money. He
drew from his inside pocket a gold
watch with short piece of chain
hanging from it. giving 1t the appear
ance of having been nipped from the
pocket of some unfortunate citizen.
Gurney snapped at the bait at once
and intimated. with sly wink, that
the watch had been stolen. When
Bower finally admitted as much CUR
ney seemed pleased and bought the
watch at about one-third its value,
remarking: You're all right. my
boy. When you want anything. come
to me-"
After few days Bower again ap-
preached Gurney. this time with
diamond stud that had been slipped
from its fastenings. Il need some
more money" said Bower.
Gurney inspected the gem with an
appreciative eye. and finally said:
you are a good one. Did you ever
handle any of the 'queer?"
'I took little hand in IT once" re-
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Metals.

New York Copper Standard.
spot and November, 12.40O12.6O: De-
cember, $12.40012.65. Lake copper,
$12.S7h @13.121z; electrolytic, yi287x
013.0O; casting, $12.50@12.75.s
Tin-Easy. Spot, 36.17k 0as. 20:
November, December, January ana
February, s36.00@3630. Sales, s tons
spot at $36.15; 10 tons spot at $32-Izh.
8 tons spot at $33.20. London dun.
Spot. f165 los. Futures. fl65 15s.
Lead.-Quiet. Spot, 34.400l.50.
New York and s4.27h@432h; East
st. Louis. London, spot, Ella 2s. 3D.
Iron.-Locally iron was quiet. No.
I foundry Northern, No. / foundry
Southern and No. foundry Southern
soft. s15.75@16.25; No. foundry
Northern. s15.50@16.00.
Bar silver, 55%c.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
miscErLAneous Markets.
New York Money.

New York.-Money on call strong
at 4@4A per cent, ruling rate ~.
closing bid AZ, offered at ~. Time
loans strong, with sixty days and nine
ty days 5@5H and six months 4k0
per cent. Prime mercantile paper.
bh to per cent. Sterling exchange
weak after advance. with actual busi-
ness In bankers bills at 34.S1830
4.S195 for.slxty-day bills and at $4.a5se
Tor demand. Commercial bills $4L81H
@4:s1&. Bar silver. 55Nc. MEXICAN
dollars, 47c.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Grain.

Wheat. choice milling. per 100 lhs-.
$l.32. Rye, Colorado, bulk. per 10e
lbs. s1.10. Nebraska oats. sacked.
$l.25; corn in sacks, $1.11; corn chop,
sacked. $1.12; bran. Colorado per 100
lbs. $1.05.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Hay.

Upland. per ton. s16.o0017.oo: 200
onb bottom, $13.00Gp14.0O: timothy,
l$16.e0@H.00; alfalfa, $4,000 f4.05
straw, $400@5.00; South Park wire
grass. s1700@1s.0o. San Luis Valley
wire grass, $150O@16.00.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
LATE
MA r K E T
UoTATIo 8
DENVER MARKETS.

Cattle.
Beef steers. grain fed. good
to choice .6.2B0e.o9
Beef steers. grain fed. fair
to good .4750k1S
Beef steers grassers, good to
choice .-.. ...... .l.5006.6o
Beef steers. grassers, fair to
good ........ -. .4.oo04.ss
Cows and heifers. grain fed,
good to choice. .4.750k1x
Cows and heifers, grain fed.
fair to good ..4.OO04.7y
Cows and heifers. grassers.
good to choice ...... .3.7504.4o
Cows and heifers, grassers.
fair to good -. .s.oS0asS
Stock cows and heifers. -. 2. 2.0003-lo
Gamers and cutters .... .2.0003.oo
Veal calves .4.500eoe
Bulls -. .2.7603Bs
Stays ....-.........3.0 .3.0004ee
Feeders and stockers, good
to choice .4l006.20
Feeders and stockers. fair to
good .3.750A4s
Feeders and stockers. com
mon to fair .30O03.76
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Minneapolis wheat.

Minneapolis. Wheat December.
9sAc; May. s103%;. No. Il hard.
s1o2H; No. l Northern. $1,o0K0
l.O1h; No. Northern. 96H 0ssk:
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Chicago Options

Chicago Options
Chicago-Cash quotations wers -
follows:
Flour-Easy.
Rye.-No. 2, TIC.
Timothy-Seed, 5000.
Cloyer-$f4.30.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

Exchange on New York.
chicago-Exchahge on New York
par.
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

Galveston Cotton.
5alveston--cotton-Hishsr. I4xcV :
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11

JRING the sixties and
and the early seven
ties of the last CEN
tury, counterfeiting
blossomed into one OF
the nne arts. and to
such perfection was 1t
brought that. in many
Instances. it was ex-
ceedingly dincult to
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Live Poultry.
Butter.

Elgin ........ ........... son
Craameries, ex. East, h.. -
Creameries, ex. Colo, h.. -
Creameries. End grade, lb.. -
Process and renovated. z8
Packing stock ......... 22x
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Hogs.
Sheep.

Good hogs -. ........-...s-a50sss
The Elbert County tribune., 1910-11-11
Eggs.

Eggs. Denver candled, case
Eggs. case count, case -.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
2,OOO1
$llO.OO]
$4,000


One of the chief arguments the Cava-
ller courthouse boomers are advancing
Is that if they are defeated this time the
matter cannot be voted on for ten years
and in the mean time the present bull
dlngs will be condemned and new ones
erected in Pembina. The Pembina pao-
pie contend that the buildings are good
for twenty or more years, and to substan.
tiate this offers to take you here, pay
your expenses, and you inspect the bull
dings yourself. You owe this to your.
self before you vote to increase your tax.
es for the price of a new courthouse.
do the Cavalier committee offer to take
you here and be your own Judge? When
they call on you next time ask them to
do so. If the courthouse is in the con-
dltlon they say 1t is no more convincing
argument can be had than to show 1t to
the voters.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
not result in loss in trade to near.b

not result in loss in trade to nearby
towns;
That Pembina would or could cause
the county board to erect new buildings
Immediately after the election if the
same is favorable to Pembina.
That the law would permit the county
board to make such an extraordinary
expenditure without vote of the
people-anywhere;
That there is any money in the hands
of the county treasurer available for
the purpose of building new court
house anywhere;
That any expenditure is necessary on
the present buildings except such as
are called for by ordinary and usual
repairs to any similar structure;
That Pembina people expect or desire
the erection of any new buildings with
in the next ten years.
You can refer to this paper as your
authority-and this paper will furnish
official figures to any inquiry, showing
that all the above are false and untrue.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
Reaching the Top

in any calling of life, demands vigor
GUS body and q keen brain. Without
health there is no success. But Elect.
ric Bitters is the greatest health builde,
the world has ever known. 1t compels
perfect action of stomach, liver, kidneys
bowels, purlfies and enriches the blood,
tones and invigorates the whole system
and enables you to stand the wear and
tear of your daily work. "After months
of suffering from kidney trouble .
writes w. M. Sherman. of Crushing,
Me-, "three bottles of Electric Bitters
made me feel like new man" 5Oc at
The City Pharmacy.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14

families that have recently returned to
their old homes in Walhalla after giving
Seattle trial.
Wilson Lee, son of editor Lee of
Walhalla who is in the employ of the
N. w. Telephone Co. at Grand Forks
fell from 40 foot pole and was quite
badly bruised and shook up.
Gov. Burke is scheduled to speak in
the following towns on Friday Oct. 14:-
Concrete, Walhalla, Leroy, Backoo,
Cavalier, Hensel, Mountain, Crystal
and st. Thomas.
Fred Hartyir of St. Thomas had his
leg broken. He was riding broncho
which became unmanagable and ran
against tree in such manner as to
catch the right leg.
Fred Robinson, son of J. B. Robinson
formerly of Bathgate, was married Oct
5th to Miss Alice Brooks at her home in
Lowell Mass. Mr.. Robinson resides in
Great Falls, Mont. where he will take
his bride.
Jack Baptie formerly of Bathgate
was married Oct. 9th to Miss Adella
Walker at Glenwood, Minn., the home
of the.bride. They will live in Anamoose
N. D. where Mr.. Baptie is connected
with machinery firm.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14

The Independent still insists on
publishing mileage lists for jnrors with.
out money details. The Pionee,
Express makes the same offer it already
has made to the Mountaineer, to pay
the Independent IS if it will publish . n
officially certified list of jurors who
attended the January term of court in
1909 with the amount of their mileage
in money as shown by the vouchers on
which they were paid. These figures
are on file in both the Office of the clerk
Of court and the county auditor. And
by the way the Independent has never
yet published the full text of the laws
in reference to Extraordinary expendi.
ture" by the county board. It the law
permits such expenditure why don't the
Cavalier papers publish the samei We
say that the law in three different
places distinctly declares that the coun-
ty board must first get a vote of the
people before they could build new
court house anywhere, either at Pembi-
ma or Cavalier-if this Is not true just
publish the law and prove that we are
lying. ..t - Z fif1as,ls;;
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14

The Hamilton Independent is still
trying to prove ''that the sum of the
parts is greater than the WHOLE" by
detailing the jury lists Of 1908 and 1909
and showing the number Of miles
travelled by each juror, In the hope to
prove that the "excess mileage paid
jurors would in itself build court
house. We have already shown by
official figures that the whole OF the
court expenses for the last ten years,
including jurors, witnesses, baillffs, etc.
put together make gross sum Of less
than Sl7,OOOz-and yet the Independent t
proposes to build court house out of
the small item Of "excess mileage, alone.
Why if we didn't hold term Of court
for the next twenty years and applied
the whole amount thus saved to build
ing court house it would only amount
TO ~, 600 and that much wouldn't build
a.court house any better thAn We nov
have in Pembina. WHIST ncnseass to
naks items prove moro thAna
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
LET PEMBlNA COUNTY HELP.

The awful news from our comparative.
ly near neighbors to the northeast who
have been the victims of the terrible
forest fires will bring sorrow and sym.
pathy from all.
From near Ridgeville just over the
line few miles in Manitoba clear to
Port Arthur along the Canadian North
ern there is now dreary black waste
for miles on either side of the tracks.
Some of this territory was burned over
in the summer, and these fires have
been alternately smouldering and then
breaking out since they began, until
last Friday they broke out with increas-
ed violence and on Sunday famed by
a sixty or seventy mile an hour wind
the flames ran with railway speed
through the timber, devouring homes.
stables, stock, towns. mills, anything
and everything that would burn. Mil
lions of dollars loss in timber and wood
alone, thousands in the buildings and
stock of the settlers. Thousands of
people were suddenly compelled to flee
through hot, choking smoke and fire to
places of safety leaving all they posses
sed behind except the clothes they wore.
Hundreds of these fell by the way,
choked, blinded, exhausted, and falling
never to rise again. Others tried to
save themselves in wells, cellars aud
perhaps after hours of suffering with
heat and sufication, managed to live
through the awful heat, while others
were:roasted like fowls in an oven.
As we write the fires are still burning
and there is no telling how much more
disaster may be caused by them. This
last out break covered q territory almost
hundred miles long and from twenty
to forty miles wide. In this territory
about everything has been burned.
What little timber is left standing will
have to be cut and marketed within a
year to get any salvage from it at all.
We who are in the midst OF land of
plenty should not forget to spare from
our store to these who are now SO needy.
Several thousand people are now mas
sed in the border towns with nothing
left them but the clothes in which they
stand. The. town people who them
selves are in many cases large losers by
the fire, have opened their homes and
purses to the needy ones. We hope to
see Pembiua county help out in this
time Of dire need. Give the dead your
sympathy, but give the living and needy
something more substantial. Let us
all help.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14

NIT suicide before he would surrender
and this oath he kept, so far as seeing
his children shot, their lives endangered,
but as soon as he got flesh wound in
his own hand he weakened, gave up and
then-came out and had his picture
taken by the newspaper correspondent is.
That last act, just short time after. he
or some of his family had shot deadi an
officer of the law, shows the alibre of
the man.
There have been lot of people who
have been making sort of dime novel
here of John Deitz. Many of these,
including some newspaper correspond
ents, have been sympathizing with this
man whose history shows that he is
just an anarchist. Whenever man says
that he will not submit his differences
with others to his arbitration of the law
then he becomes an anarchist.
1t is true that the wheels of the
chariot of law sometimes crush even
AAAO ASoCAA AAOlA GA0 1uuOC0IG OuC SuCQ
victims are martyrs to the must be
Law cannot be omniscient because it is
but the product of human minds, but
law must be omnipotent.
John Deitz may have had his wrongs,
or what he thought were wrongs, but
the remedy for wrong in this country is
not, and we hope never will be-, the rifle.
Because John Deitz attempted to
right his own wrongs real or fancied he
has been the cause Of far greater wrongs
to many others who were innocent. An
appeal to the law, might not have right
ed John Deitz, but it would not have
shot the innocent. It would have been
far better for him to have suffered all
the wrong without attempting redress
at all than ato be responsible for the
tragical events that have followed his
defiance of the law.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14

"A copy of the statutes relating to
the building of court houses, wherein it
states plainly that no such buildings can
be erected without vote of the people,
can be had by dropping postal card in
the Office addressed to the Pioneer Ex.
press. Pembina. To those who have ac-
cess to the Political Code of North Da.
-kota, look up Sections 2419, 24O6 and
: IEzS5s5. 81 When the Cavalier committee
tells you that a new court house can be
built without vote of the people ask
them to show you the law authorizing
such act-make them furnish you copy
OF the law and the Sections in the Code.
If they can't do it treat their argument
as falsehood.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-10-14
:County News;

A son has been born to Mr.. and Mrs
James Gibbons Of st. Thomas.
A son was born to Mr.. and Mrs. R. J
Moore of Drayton Sept. 3oth.
Born to Mr.. and Mrs. James Weeks Of
Leyden on Sept. 22nd daughter.
Sam Ardies of Pembina has ACCENTED
position with the Drayton Echo.
Carl Lembke of Neche is taking 3
course IN medicine at the Minnesota u
Mr.. and Mns. Robert Haddon o,
Neche are the parents of a boy born
Sept 26.
Rev. John Bale Of st. Thomas. Ontar.
10 has been visiting his brothers in s.:
Thomas.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clarence Hall are the
parents of baby girl born in Cavalier
Oct. 3rd.
Mr.. Ernest Hellfach and Miss Maude
Rudolph of::Walhalla were married in
Winnipeg Sept. 28th.
Eugene Beaudry of Neche has gone
to the Pacific coast and may locate
there.
Mrs. E. J. Halle of Bathgate has gone
to Rochester with nurse Steele where
she will undergo an operation.
Mrs. G. e. Hood and children Of
Drayton we're guests of Pembina friends
and relatives the first of the week.
Walter Lynch..of Drayton has gone to
the A. G. where he has accepted a
position as instructor in engineering.
Chas. H. Hager has returned to his
home in Toledo, Ohio after couple of
weeks spent in st. Thomas looking
after his farming interes.s.
4 Baby daughters have recently made
their appearance at the homes of Mr..
and Mrs. R. H. Woods and Mr.. and
Mrs. w. j. Greenwood of Crystal.
Mr.. Fowler Of Pembina accompanied
by the members Of his family was over
on Sunday and spent the day with the
Richardson's. Pink Paper.
Mr.. and Mrs. Thos. Council 81 Han.
ilton expect y spend the winter in
Seattle. They win go By way Il Ed
lonton i and their dAugh ghter win scoom.1
my tn tatt ~.
~ - ~ -. =. s -.