Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-12-26
coUNTERFE1r1NG is CHARGED
Against Several People Arrested au
Capital Of State.

Columbia, Dec. 19.-Rufus Shan
ron and his wife, Matte, white peo-
pie Of prominent connection in Rich
land county, and VIM. Waddell, alias
Wirtnore. also white, have been ar
rested by secret service operatives,
working In connection with county
officers, and charged with counter
!eiting and having In their possession
dies or molds designed for the man
ufacture Of money or coins Of the
United States.
Matte Shannon and Waddell are
being held in the Richland county
Jail, the former under bond of ST.
900 and the latter under bond Of
$4,000. Rufus Shannon Is confined
TO bed In the Columbia Hospital,
where he was taken on December g.,
after suffering an injury in a street
car accident on the cantonment line,
near Hampton's Creek. His bond is
$4,000.
Rufus Shannon and his wife were
arrested last Saturday afternoon.
Mrs. Shannon at her home, Fifth
street, Olympia Mill. The warrant
charging Rufus Shannon with coun-
terfeiting was served upon him in the
hospitaI. Waddell was arrested Mon
day afternoon In the mill village. 1t
was known to newspaper men as
early as Saturday night that the
Shannons had been arrested and
charged with countcrfeiting; but the
government authorities asked that
the story be held up till one whom
they termed "the man higher up
might be arrested. 1t Is understood
that Waddell is this man.
I VIM Cooper, Deputy U. S. Mar
shall, served the warrant. He, in
company with secret service opera
tives, a rural policeman and other
county officers, went to the Shannon
nome Saturday afternoon, armed
with search warrant. So carefully
did they approach the house that a
man supposed to have been acting as
lookout" was surprised by one of
he detectives and ordered him to
make no alarm. The detective then
entered the house, where he found a
dice game in operation He watched
the participants for several seconds
before his presence was known, then
the men were arrested by county Of
9cials on a charge of gambling.
Matte Shannon was arrested and,
according to the return from the
search warrant, the following articles
were found in the house: Twenty
six counterfeit nickels in various
stages OF completion, six counterfeit
dollars, in various stages of compile
ton, one paper bag containing pow
der similar to plaster paris, one sheet
sand paper, one small hunk of metal
pieces Of plaster parts, hardened and
resembling molds, and various small
| pieces of metal appearing to have
| been nodded"
1t is understood that tho Shannon
| house has been under the surveil-
lance Of officers for some time. How
ever, 1t was not until recently that 1t
was suspected that the house was
connected with the manufacture of
counterfeit money.
Rufus Shannon was formerly con-
nected with the police department of
the city Of Columbia. He Is about IS
or 40 years Of age. WaddeIl is
about 45 years of age. So far as
could be learned he is little known
| In this locality. When seen at the
hospital this morning Shannon re-
fused to make a statement, other
than to say that he would vindicate
himself and wife,
Although some Of the alleged
counterfeit money was found in the
Shannon home is very crude the
greater portion was skilfully manu-
featured. 1t Is evident that the buff
faio nickels were considerably more
| difficult to handle than the old-fash-
| ioned nickles, as the former were not
| sufficiently we'll shaped to pass with
| out detection.