Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-05-03
". J. BURNS AND CHARLEY,
THE COUNTERFE|TER

William J. Burns doesn't have 10
prove or admit that he's the world
greatest detective. Everyone else ad-
mits that for him, and right now,
because of the labor trouble arrests
which he has just made, he is per-
haps as much Of a public figure as he
was at the time he forced the confess
sions of California graft from the I'M
willing lips of Abraham Ruef, who
went to San Quentin prison to serve
his sentence not SO very long ago.
Therefore. inasmuch as the arrest of
the alleged dynamiters has brought
Burns again forward, the stories of
his past experiences, as told by him
self, are more than ordinarily inter-
esting. The following is one which
is in the May issue of McClure's Mag
aZine, the result Of an interview with
Burns by Dan Gatlin:
Did | ever tell you about Charley
Ulrich?" Burns asked Charley F.
Ulrich was, perhaps, the most versa
tile counterfeiter that ever operated.
The government itself adopted his
note, and has used it ever since. I'd
to this time the government had been
engraving complete plate for each
bank. Ulrich engraved only one plate.
leaving out the title line: he then en-
graved separately the title lines Of
the different banks. and combined any
one that he wished with the plate of
the note. The government at once
utilized Ulrich's ingenius device.
Zurich came to this country from
Germany in 1853. He was a raw
young German then, but real artist.
he was a gentlemanly fellow. and
his principal fault was that he was
the best counterfeiter that ever lived |
After he landed in New York he soon
became known as a very talented (
artist. 1t was not long before his |
work caused considerable comment /
among steel engravers They called 4
lim the young Dutchman' \ counter |
'eiter named Jim Colbert induced him
10 engrave state bank note. having
convinced him that there was for
-une in it. Charley did fine work
IN the note, but they were both
'aught and sent to prison for short
erm. When UlTich got out, the
Crimean war was just on. and, falling
n with some English recruiting Off
'ers, he enlisted in the English army !
After a few years he returned to |
his country; but the counterfeiters
ioon got hold of him again He fin
lily went i'm with a fellow by the |
name of Jimmy Courtney. one Of the
martest fellows in the business. Char
cy became associated with Jim
Courtney through a couple of German
iris, Katie Gross and Mary Braun.
10Th criminals and associates of coun-
erfeiters. He set right To work and
a 800 note plate. printed
$4,000. gave the counterfeit bills to
Kate Gross and Mary Braun, and told
hem 10 go out and pass them The
iris acted like a couple of fools lin
tead Of travelling about, getting the
ad money changed for good money i'm
arious places, they stopped off in
and bought $4,000 worth
T bonds from woman named Emma
ole, who was the wife of the famous
Dutch Cole. a notorious counterfeit
rOmoter Mrs. Cole deposited the I
ntire $4,000 in counterfeit notes in t
certain bank in Philadelphia {
"Of course, when the notes were I
iscovered to be counterfeit, they Z;
ere traced as coming from this I
ank,. and from there to Emma Cole. !
no admitted that she had bought Z
hem from Kate Gross and Mary {
raun. After the girls had been I
8ught and locked up. they promptly {
5
Zurich was tried. and sent to the
in Columbus, Ohio, for I
fteen years. He was a model pris-
ner. and he was allowed to have I
tile shop in the prison yard. One
ay he picked up an old circular saw {
lade in the yard, and engraved on il
portrait of William Allen, who was !
t that time the democratic candidate
Dr governor. 1t was one of the most {
erfect portraits ever engraved. {
When Ulrich had been in prison for 5
even years. Presidnt HAYES pardoned
i'm through the intercession of the
arden, Col. Innis, who thought il a '
hame that such a clever artist should
e shut up Innis then set him up in I
n engraving shop in Columbus.
Il was a boy living in Columbus
hen. and used to watch him go up
nd down the street, for I'd heard
is history and it fascinated me. At
ines / used to go over To see him,
nd | little dreamed then how much
was TO see of him later. I
Charley left the country and went {
ack TO Germany. This was i'm the I
arly sos. While there he opened a