Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-01-12

IN alone, certainly III
HlU matters of love and
ST sacrifice she often
I'm times proves her
"xnmwHt.zu self the stronger,
and in criminal ways her powers of
invention have many times reached
the acme of perfection. The subtle
devices resorted to by women for pull
ing the wool over the eyes of the Off
GERS of the law are frequently more
misleading and difficult to penetrate
than the most scientific roguery plan
ned by men.
The several novel expedients resort
ed to by the Widow Wood, better
known in police circles as ."The
Naughty Little Milliner," for throw
ing dust into the eyes of the detec-
tivNs, Is indeed a marvellous exempli-
fication of female ingenuity.
1t was along in the early seventies
when it became known that there was
circulating about New Orleans a dan.
gerous counterfeit five dollar treasury
note, likewise a pretty good imitation
of silver half dollars. A number of
these bad five dollar bills were re-
ceived at the banks and might have
passed along undetected had not one
of the bankers, more discerning than
the others, made the discovery that
these notes were counterfeit, though
they were well calculated to deceive
the average tradesman. The bogus
half dollars had been coined with steel
dies and were exact facsimiles of the
genuine in all except the metal they
contained. They passed readily among
the foreigners, especially about the
French market.
Operator James Fitzpatrick, who
was at that time in charge of govern
ment secret service affairs In New Or,
leans, began an investigation for the
purpose of ferreting out the source Of
this bad money. After weeks of anx.
1ous watching it was learned that q
young girl who daily visited the
French market for the purpose Of
buying family provisions had, as regu.
iarly as she came, left a bogus hall
dollar. She wore a tattered dress and
there was a sorrowful expression set
tied about her pallid yet interesting
features. 1t was the gentle and de,
1eCted expression of her c%ountenance
that first attracted the attention Of
Officer Fitzpatrick. The Gascons and
italian dealers about the market had
never made a complaint in regard to
the bad money, as they could readily
pass 1t Off on one another or at the
coffee houses along the river front.
Following the girl one day the of.
hcer traced her to a little variety
store On st. Joseph street, neal the
corner Of Tchoupitoulas street. After
o short time had elapsed the girl
came out of the shop. She was now
attired in somewhat above the com
mon garb. Unobserved by her, the
officer watched her movements until
she finally went into a small grocery
store. When she came out she car
ried a package. 1t was plain that she
had made a purchase. When the girl
was well out Of sight the detective
stepped into the little store and re-
quested the Creole boy In attendance
to let him see the money that he had
received from the. girl that had Just
left the place. 1t was a new five.
dollar note that the boy handed out.
Looking 1t over carefully it was found
TO be n Of the bogus kind.
The officer made a plausible ex.
PLANTATION that he thought sufficient to
satisfy the curiosity of the boy, and
was now quite certain that he was on
the track of the source of the counter
feits and that the occupants of the lit.
tie variety store were the distributors
of the bogus stuff.
Opposite the variety store across
the street was the sign Furnished
Rooms to Rent" and Fitzpatrick was
fortunate enough to be able to hire q
front room where he could sit at the
window and watch the suspected
place. In the course Of time he learned
that the occupants were mother ant
daughter. The mother was a widow
quite pretty, about thirty years O
age. Her daughter was not more thar
twelve IT fourteen. AS the wheels o
time rolled on it was learned further
that the husband had died but a shor
time before and that the family hat
entombed in New Orleans. It wal
likewise discovered that the littl,
store was a resort for persons VIII
would bear watching. The officer nc
ticed that the woman who was the OF
cupant occasionally left this place o
business carrying a basket on he
arm and that she was always lookinl
over her shoulder and peering abou
rs If she suspected she was bein
watched. Tracking her one day, sh
aed the way to the St. Louis cemeter
on Basin street. Approaching
tomb, she knelt down before 1t an
bowed her head as If engaged 4
prayer. Leaning against a tomb neal
by was a well-dressed man apparent
waiting for some n AS the detet
tive carelessly sauntered along h
drew near the stranger, and as be di