Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1921-01-27
The Indelible
Clue

and good, but where does 1t get US IL
we don't know who made themf
The speaker, William j. Burns, then
connected with the United States
secret service. glanced up from ms
examination of large sofa which MS
associates had stopped just as 1t was
on the point OF being shipped from
New York to Costa Rica-a sofa which
was stuffed not with wool or hair, but
with 100000 worth of counteriei'
Costa Rican money, destined TO finance
Latin-American revolution.
So far as the men who had been
working on the case had been aDle 10
discover, there was no way in when
TO trace the shipment. 1t had Deeh
brought to the dock in an ordinary
dray which, having unloaded IT'S Dur-
den. had driven off, to be lost among
thousands of others Of its kind In the
streets of New York. OF the men VINO
had shipped the sofa, the men re-
sponsible for counterfeiting the cur
rency of friendly nation, there was
no indication whatever,
But Burns made a careful, almost
microscopic, examination of the bur
lap with which the furniture had been
wrapped. Down in one corner, haif-
obliterated he discovered Il peculiar
mark-the numerals 80 M g. which
the detective rightly presumed re-
ferred in some way to the manufac-
turers of the fabric.
Inquiry through trade channels
brought the information that burlap
of that kind, bearing the NIX mark,
was sold by only one concern in the
East. But even that discovery didn't
bring Burns much closer TO his quarry,
| for the books of the firm in question
showed that more than 1000 dealers
| had purchased "NX" burlap within the
past year. One by one these dealers
were eliminated, until only six re-
NAMED. Among these was a furniture
house in Long Island City and when
| that store opened for business on the
| following morning square-jawed,
| stockily-built man Of medium height
entered and asked to see the manager.
'My name is Burns, he stated, flip
ping back the lapel of his coat in such
| a way as TO afford a glimpse of his
secret service badge. 81 would like
| to have the opportunity Of looking at
| the stock of burlap which you have
on hand at the present time, in order
| to assist the government in running
| down case of considerable impor-
| lance"
| But right there the man who solved
many mysteries ran into II snag. None
of the burlap bore the 80 Xxx 64' mark
The "NN" was there, but the numer.
ais were all different
when did you get this stock inY''
asked the detective.
about a month ago. was the reply
"Have you any of the former mate.
| rial on hand?"
The manager was inclined to think
not. but careful search of the ware
house brought to light a single piece
of the former supply and there, in the
| corner, was the clue that Burns had
hoped to tind-the indelible 40 Xxx ga"
Now snapped the secret service
man, 'if You will let me see your
| books for the past three or four
months, | won't bother you any
longer"
That same afternoon Burns and two
Of his associates rang the bell of
house in Brooklyn occupied by Mrs.
I opi v-bo 1uos aooordipo m tha oIariy
who had made the sale "a Spanish
woman who insisted upon buying
sofa of a certain kind, well padded
| and heavily stuffed" The sofa an
| swered the description Of the one
which was being held at the wharf,
and the very fact that the purchaser
had been Spanish added the final con-
Meeting link. But, in order to avoid
any possible slipup Burns located the
eXpressman who had taken the furni-
ture from the Loni house TO the dock
"A feat which was far from difficult
once he had clue to the location OF
the home of the counterfeiters.
As he had expected, Mrs. Loni dis
claimed any knowledge of the ship
ment and fell back upon a protested
lack Of understanding of English to
bolster up her position. To her amaze
ment, the detective replied in fluent
Spanish, informing her that he had all
the facts In the case--the statement OF
the clerk who had sold the sofa. the
eXpreSsman who had carted it to the
dock and the fact that he had seen
with his own eyes 100000 in coun-
terfeit bills taken from the piece Of
furniture
This house is surrounded" con
Guided Burns. 1--WE got my hand on
my gun and I'm going to stay right
here until ! land the men who made
that money If it takes me" but IL
didn't take as long as he had expected,
for, as he spoke, the womnn's son-in-
law Ricardo de Requesans. stepped
into the room and admitted that he
and another Spaniard had been re-
sponsihle for making and planting the
counterfeitS.
''rhe next time you try 10 pull off
anything Of the kind" Burns said as
he took them into custody, be careful
Of the markings on the burlap YOU use.
Overlooking details of that hind %