Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-02-26
BOGUS COIN MEN
BOUND OVER
Mahan and Harrington Are
Taken to Tacoma Jail,
to Answer Charge
HAD TEN DOLLAR DIES
No Spurious Coin Found ---
Were Just Ready to
Manufacture

When T. B. Foster, U. S. Secret
service man left this city this morning
for Tacoma, it is thought that he car
ried in his possession a signed con.
fession from A. E. Harrington and w.
H. Mahan, to the charge of counter
feiting. Foster spent several hours
with the men in this city last Satur.
day and every indication points to a
confession. and other parties may be
implicated in the matter and arrests
made before long.
1t is known that Mahan told the off,
GERS that they had the goods on him
and that there was sufficient evidence
to send him to the pen.
"If you didn't have that set of dies.
1 would tell you to 60 to HE'LL Mahan
said to the officer.
But We have the dies, and without
them we had enough to get you," said
the officer.
But l saw and knew a loop hole.
and if those dies had been destroyed
it would have been off with you," re-
piled Mahan.
That Mahan is the real culprit and
Harrington. his tool, is the belief of
the police and secret service men.
The street car conductor was the dupe
and through him the ringleader saw
an excellent opportunity to work OF
the spurious coins.
The arrest of the two men, reflects
great credit on the ability of Police
Captain Ed. Tribbetts. 1t was this
officer. who has followed a clue Sc
cured three years ago and who
watched the movements Of Mahan for
more than year prior to his arrest.
Mahan and Tribbetts worked to-
gether at the Slade mill in the ma
chine shops and Tribbetts often no
ticed Mahan miving metals and test
ing them with acids. This work was
kept up continually for several months
and when George Dean was chief Of
police and Tribbetts worked under
him, they took up the case and Sc
cured the mixing pots, ladels ETC., but
there was no evidence to warrant
holding Mahan, so he was not arrest
ed.
Mahan then disappeared for more
than a year and on his return, Tib-
belts took up the case again and since
then has worked faithfully on it. The
arrest of the men was premature and
when the information leaked out, it
was necessary for the authorities to
act quickly in order to prevent the
tools from being destroyed.
Tribbetts had secured information
that Mahan was about to leave the
city with sack of bad coins and in
order to prevent this he secured a
warrant for his arrest, which warrant
was to have been served when Mahan
started to leave. At the same time
Tribbitts asked for warrant for Har-
rington. Some one entered the room
at the time. the warrant was being
AouC OuIS 90" IAC AoAhC, oAu
diately tipped off the deal, and as
result the authorities had to work
quick to prevent Harrington getting
the information and rushing to his
home to destroy the evidence.
The men Saturday were taken be-
fore U. S. Commissioner Seth Warren
at Hoquiam and held for the Federal
grand jury in the sum OF $500 bonds.
and were taken to Tacoma to Jail in
default of bonds.
The charge against the men is hav-
ing tools for counterfeiting in their
possession. No counterfeit coins were
seized and in fact the most damaging
evidence was the set of dies for max.
ing $40 gold pieces found in Mahan'a
pocket.
Mahan and Tribbetts were good
friends and when the officer took him
in custody, he asked what the charge.
"Counterfeiting," remarked Trib.
belts.
"Well Ed are you going to push the
case against me?" he asked.
II would not have arrested you, II
l didn't intend to-" was the answer.