El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-12
III--A Promoter OF COunterfeits
Bv William J. Burns
By William J. Burns

your standing, came 10 meet the en-
graver of this nOte2'
THAT was curious" he said. Some
months ago I began to dream cOntin-
ually of. being in a locality that was
quite unfamiliar to me. In my wax
ing moments I could not remember
ever having seen ii. yet It became eX-
traordinarily vivid in my mind from
these dreams
Last month had occasion to 90 TO
S.. where We were reorganizing q
gas and electric company that wanted
a new franchise to supply the town
with light and power one day, as
1 walked away from my hotel, / rec
ognized the street. could have told
you the names on the shop signs De
fore I came to them / remem bered
particularly the gilt lettering on the
plateglass windows Of bank And
when I came to a hitching post In
front OF a hardware stOre-lt was a
metal figure OF negro boy holQlnS
I'D a tie-ring-I recOllected that there
should have been a man waiting for
me with his hand on that post. That
was the way we had met in my dream
He was not there L went back
again I'm the evening, but he was not
there. On the following morning, as
] approached, I saw him. 1 went up
to him and said: You are looking for
me-
He replied that he was looking FOR
some one with money who would be
willing to back him in an enterprise N
which there would be large returns
Il explained that I was evidently
the man he wanted, since [ was a pro-
promoter by profession He made an
appointment to call on me at my no.
tel. And he came
He told me then that he was an
cugraver; that he had worked hard all
his life. honestly and had remained
poor; that he had been reading much
about modern business methods, and
had a right to use his ability to make
money regardless Of the honesty OF
the means
"He pointed out to me that in sell
ing watered stock I had really been
selling a sort of counterfeit stock GER
tificate. He argued, too. that We would
do no one an injustice by issuing
counterfeit money, since, as long as Il
was kept in circulation. 1t would be
worth IT'S face value If man suS-
pected il. he could pass II on to some
one else just as he would with stocks
He was very convincing He went
over my whole career with me, very
much as I have related 1t to you /
finally agreed to finance his scheme,
and he got out his ten-COllar note We
are now arranging to distribute them
in large quantities throughout the
country
A Call Upon WaIn's Lawyer.
81 suppose" I said. you have an
attorney who attends to your legal
I have he replied .AIr. Rudolph
Schmidt in the Burlington Oulldlng-
But I have not consulted him IN TINS
matter
.Have YOU taken any one into your
one man only. I have spoken
e-uardedly to him He is in position
TO help US put the notes into circu-
latiOn. because he IS manager or a To-
cal bank This seemed an opportunity
to help him make a large profit
You have said nothing TO your
daughter
Nothing explicit"
Have YOU had your breakfast.
No. 1 was Just about to start Wheh
I will not keep you from it any
longer 1 said, rising i snail come
/ + found Mr.. Rudolph schmidt in his
! have heard Of you" he said brief
" when ] had introduced myself
And YOU" 1 said, are attorney Ior
Mr.. George G. W ain, are you not
In some Of his private aIIArs-
And what would you say II 1 told
Won that Mr.. Vain had been financing
the counterfeiting Of ten-oollar
note2-' / asked, accepting his curt en-
phasis upon the private
Il would say that you were crazy
Schmidt replied Srimly-
And if he confessed the 4dSb ~
YOU himselfE
Schmidt stared at me
"If YOU viii make an appointment
to he at Mr.. Wain's house at ) clock
mis- afternoon. ] shall be glad to take
the matter up with you and your client
on behalf of the government L SAID
nUttine- on my hat. Il do not presume
to advise you, but think it would De
well TO have his daughter present,
since she will have TO be consulted
in the end"
Schmidt found voice to call; Just a
moment. Do you mean to tell me
IN Vain will tell YOU called
back. Il prefer-in a private matter
of this sort-that it should come from
him. 7 shall see you, them at three
o'clock"
DenOuement.
I went back to my hotel, where
telenhoned to Worthington, who
agreed TO see me at one o'clock at
luncheon. which he ate at home Then
I had my own lunch at the hotel
bought a ticket back to St Louis on