Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1911-02-16

criminals to detect and
convict The peculiar nature of this
crime, the temptation to sudden
and easy wealth, is a fatal fas.
cination that oftimes lays hold of per-
sons possessed of wonderful ingenuity
! in devising methods to escape punish
ment. Almost at the beginning of our
great Civil war, gold and silver went
out Of circulation and vast volume
Of unfamiliar paper currency was
thrust suddenly upon the country
Every note issued by the government
was followed SO closely by the coun-
terfeits that the most expert money
changers were often unable to tell the
good from the bad. In some instances
the counterfeit fractional currency
was almost, If not quite, equal to the
genuine.
The Staunton head fifty cent issue
was so cleverly initiated that it passed
current for long time before it's base
nature was discovered Circulating
principally among the poorer classes
1t was doing incalculable damage and
| was making a great effort to reach
its source, with little or no success
up to the time a chance discovery
was made.
One day detective walking leisure
ly along the sidewalk, of an unfre
quented street in New York city sud
! denly found himself face to face with
Peter Delinsky, skilled counter
feiter who had been released from the
Albany penitentiary about a year be
fore. Delinsky had been caught by
me in the act of printing counter
felt two dollar bill on the National
Undertook bank. He gave some
valuable information and his sentence
had been cut down to three years
When the detective met him he had
on new suit of fashionable cut
Wearing yellow kid gloves, and carry
Ing nobby gold-headed cane, he was
cutting quite a swell for an ex-con
Wet. The detective was both curiout
ana suspicious. Where on earth die
old Delinsky get that expensive out
1t? He was unable to guess. HI
knew the old man was broke when hi
got out of the penitentiary as he hat
when released called at the Secre
Service branch Office and taken up {
subscription, besides, the old counter
feiter had never been known to en-
gage in any legitimate work For thi!
reason the detective was quite sure HI
was doing something crooked, so HI
Just pulled the old fellow and es
corted him to the office of the Secre
Service division on Blocker street
The government officers In that da!
rarely took out warrants for the ar
rest of counterfeiters.
The detective in this case was vel
posted regarding to old Delinsky, AM
1t was only necessary to acquaint hin
with the fact that the chief was anS
ious to see him on important bus
ness.
When brought to my office he wa
badly frightened. l took him into
private room where | accused an
questioned him, but he stoutly dc
MED that he was engaged in counter
feiting.
Then what are you doing, an
where did you get these fine clothe
you are wearing?" | inquired.
The old fellow was unable to al
swer this question satisfactorily
ToLipU odvoptoCo Of bis bo,t.o4;u
hammer, l pressed him more closet
and threatened to send him back t
the penitentiary.
He was a Russian and not altC
! gether familiar with the laws of thi
country. Hence l was able to frighte
him. He held out for long time bu
finally admitted that he was at wor
printing the fifty cent Staunton hea
for fellow countryman, who, he salt
/ was an engraver. The old printer ha
: been detained at my Office two day
| before he made his confession.
: The Russian engraver by whom b
r was employed became suspicious an
: threw the hand press upon which tn
= counterfeit notes were being printe
2 into the East river Delinsky was nj
aware Of this when | released hil
e upon his promise to carry out my fl
4 structions and enable the governmer
+ detectives to seize the counterfe
plates and capture the engrave
0 When Delinsky returned to the ROOF
I where the counterfeiting had bee
0 done he found the place empty. Whe
d he met the Russian engraver he learl
3 ed the particulars of what had hal
pened and accounted for his absenc
by explaining that he had been on
visit with some friends.
The engraver was not altogethe
satisfied with the excuse, but he wa
willing to compromise the matter
, Delinsky would buy another press
take the place of the one that ba
been destroyed
When Delinsky reported the SIT
,, alton to me l sent a detective out
buy small plate printing press. II
employed wagon and took the pres
to the room where the printing was
be done. When Delinsky was agai
ready to begin work the engraver. q