Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-23
'COUNTERFEITERS
TO GET THIRDS"
Ferry Declares He Never Re-
ceived His Share; Wants to
Know About Weaver

THAT was a pretty poor investment
and / guess I'll get about four years
in the penitentiary in the bargain"
declared Joseph d. Ferry yesterday
afternoon shortly after he pleaded
guilty to his part in the counterfeiting
game unearthed here by Secret Service
men.
You see, the scheme was pictured
so we'll to me that 1 thought it would
be all right" continued Ferry. Horn
berger and this fellow Russell Weaver
came to me and told me about the
plan and asked me to help finance it.
put in about $500 altogether and
rented the old foundry building near
Cameron and Paxton streets as a place
where the plates could be made.
Hornberger was to do the work and he
was paid a good salary. Then we
rented cottage at Speeceville and
the money was printed there. There
were three of us in it and each of us
was to get one-third of the profits.
/ didn't help to make any of the plates
or print any of the money and
didn't get any of the profits either.
The fact is / didn't know any of the
money was in circulation. The notes
were printed and ready to be dis
tributed, ] think. about FIVE months
ago, and since then the plates were
given to me and 1 buried them under
my garage because l felt that / was
going to be arrested sooner or later.
Il wonder why they don't get Rus
sci Weaver? i believe he has been
doing the squealing, for some person
has. Weaver and Hornberger knew
each other and / knew Weaver. The
two called OH me one day and told me
of the counterfeiting plan. 1t looked
so good that L decided to get in; it
looked like good investment and
Hornberger is good workman. l
don't know Calvin Balmer or these
other fellows they say are in the gang.
only know that Weaver, Hornberger
and myself were in on it.
I'm not trying to get out of it.
I'm guilty of my part and I'm willing
to take what they give me for it. but
| have some good people back OF me
and. / believe that after about two
years ] can get parole"
A slip of the tongue-or probably
Federal District Attorney McCort, of
Scranton. thought third man had
been arrested here-brought.t the name
of Weaver into the case. Ferry wanted
to plead guilty, but at the same time
he wanted to know just what the
charges were against him. The dis
trict attorney read the charge aloud
and also the names of the three men
accused. Joseph d. Ferry. Alvin NJ.
Hornberger and Russell Weaver" The
Secret Service men looked at one an
other and one of the federal authori-
ties told q reporter there was nothing
TO that and please don't say any
thing about Weaver"
Secret Service Agent NJ. j. Ahern.
of Pittsburgh, when asked about
Weaver. stated emphatically that che
had nothing to do with it and If Ferry
says he was drawn into the scheme by
Weaver he will have to prove that"
"rhen Weaver will be used as q gov
ernment witness?" the big Secret Serv-
ice officer was asked
NO" was the reply. "he has nothing
to do with it,
Matthew Griffin. captain of the Sc
cret Service men in Philadelphia. was
Just as evasive as Ahern when the
question concerning Weaver was put
to him. The captains eye twinkled