The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-01-07

hanging lamp"
Taking it down, we unscrewed thu
top. Here to our great relief WI
found several thousand dollars i,
counterfeit $40 bills. They were newl,
printed. The old man now broke dow1
and the woman began to cry. She sale
she had been working under orders
rom her father, but knew little O.
what was going on. She was sure tina
counterfeit money was being made
there, but she did not know what was
done with it. She was also aware that
her lover was mixed mp in the scheme
She was between the devil and the
deep sea and was at loss what
course to take, but had finally con
Guided to become an informer.
| was satisfied | had obtained the
! bottom facts so far as the woman was
| concerned and that Sheldon, who was
expected there that evening, would
bring the back of the counterfeit. The
father and brother had been doing the
printing. II the old man now told me
the truth, they had never been en-
gagged In selling or passing the bogus
stuff They were not trusted with
| both of the counterfeit $40 plates al
the same time. When the face of the
note was finished the plate for print
ing the back was brought and the face
plate taken away. sheidon was the
man that brought the plates and took
away the counterfeits. The young
woman had assisted in these opera.
lions to certain extent, but she had
been doing this under pressure. She
had now informed the officers and
CHANGED the result.
The door bell was rung promptly al
nine O'Clock and Sheldon was admit
ted. When he was confronted with
the situation, he wilted and staggered
to seat His every faculty seemed
paralyzed with blank despair The
woman threw her arms about him and
pleaded with him to tell the truth. He
now became greatly excited and de
clared in a trembling voice that he
would make a clean breast of the
whole affair and take what was coming
to him. l listened to the recital of his
story. 1t was the counterpart of the
others. He hoped for wealth and a
life of ease. 1t was an unhealthy long,
ing, but the opportunity was so plaus.
IDLY presented to him by the oily.
tongued Devoe that he sacrificed his
manhood and yielded to the tempter.
Once within the hypnotic influence OF
this great procurer he was compelled
to do his bidding. Now that he knew
the worst he felt relieved. With curl
OF his lip and sudden elevation of his
head his eyes met mine as he gave me
his promise to surrender the counter.
felt plates and to aid the government
by every means within his power.
All classes of confederated criminals
fear the squealer more than they do
the detectives. In fact, it would be !!
quite impossible to destroy a well-or-
ganized gang Of counterfeiters without |
using one man against the other. For |
this reason | never hesitated while |
chief of the government secret service |
to act upon my own judgment. We ar |
rested the counterfeiters without proc
ess of law, and used them to the best
possible advantage to the government /
The records of the secret service of
the treasury d eTfnsaa will, if ex-
amined, show that the system of using
one counterfeiter against anbther was
successful. When a confederate who
loft wi
others in crime. Is made to confess
and assist the government, he is more
dreaded by his associates than any
other force that can be employed.
Counterfeiting combines the worst
features of fraud interviewer with the
most cunningly devised modes of es-
cape The confederate is better
cooked and more fully equipped to I'M
lertake the unearthing of gang of
,ounterfeiters than the best trained
detective.
l mention these facts that the read
II may better understand the object
had in view in this case as in most
,thers. Young Rhetschlag plead
,uilty and was sentenced to the peni-
entiary. His father was Did and fee
lie. Upon his promise that he would
lever again engage in counterfeiting.
paroled him. The young woman had
endered good service and | did not
tempt to hold her or to use her as
witness. Sheldon made important
disclosures that enabled me to arrest
everal dangerous counterfeiters. He
vas weak and easily persuaded, but
fter using him on the witness stand
gainst his confederates I did not
hink him dangerous to go at large.
he bank note company was only too
lad to employ him notwithstanding
be fact he had been engaged in coun-
Besides, Miss Rhetschlag.
Tho had been so prominent in assist
1g in bringing young Sheldon upon
he stool of repentance, and putting
i'm in way to redeem himself, was
nxious to marry him. The consumma-
ION Of this made as one of the con-
itions of his release. 1t might have
cen little out of order, but it turned
ut all right. A wedding soon fol-
,wed
some time afterward received from
IT. Boutwell,, the secretary of the
'easury, letter saying that he had
cen informed that a certain engra-
ing company doing government work.
ad in its employ a dangerous coua-
srfeiter named Sheldon. and sug-
ested that | attend to this matter at
nee. In reply to the secretary's let
II l gave him a detailed account of
le capture and release of Sheldon,
,uat har with NV reasons for the