The Mankato free press., 1922-03-10
LOOKING FOR EASY MONEY
TAKEN IN CLEvERLY
Stranger Showed His Boz That
Made Bills Multiple; Demon
ystrated With s2,7oo of This
Marks Greenbacks; When
Opened Recepticle Contained
Nothing But Cheap Newspaper
Clippings.

ACSin, MlAD. mSTCu o.-W men
Nick Thomson" left Anstin a few
days ago he. carried with hinl S2,7O0
in greenbacks given MIN by two men
who carefully guarded for the follow
ing forty eight hours q package which
they thought contained a fortune but
which was filed with newspaper clip
pings.
One OF the suckers was a business
man, who, while telling the story beg
ged that his name be not published
but says that it can be said his friend
Jerry Birdsey was a heavy loser.
Birdsey left here saying ne was going
70 Iowa, Leo Bassett, said to he a
navy deserter and who was kept con
cealed here in Austin for several
weeks is mixed up in the deal. BaS-
sett's home is at Festa Beulah. near
Cincinnati, Ohio. He has also left the
is the business man who is said to
have put $4,000 in the swindler's
scheme and is said 10 have loaned
Birdsey $500 so he could get into the
game.
Mysterious Box Shown
Nick Thomson" for that is the
name the crook gave here, came TO
Austin some weeks ago an spent a
good deal Of time in certain soft
olTuScE was
with him a great deal of the time.
The question came up how Nick"
lived without work and then he took
the business man and Birdsey into his
confidence. He showed them a box
that would make real United States
money, The box was about Is inches
square There were two doors in the
box. Just inside the doors hung
black curtains Over each door was
IL ~&,-f.n I..k. 6,-I Anff
within the box
Nick said he had a cousin who
worked at Washington who sent him
real money paper and he showed a
bundle OF paper containing silk
threads, etc, which was most con
vincing evidedce. He explained to
the Austin men that the money was
not counterfeited and 10 one was
cheated but the rich United States. 1t
wasn't wicked because it ws not de-
frauding the poor people Of the coun
try The money was real.
Counte rfeiting Is Demonstrated
He"made" some money for them
He took FIVE dollar bill and showed
them the numbers of the bill and said
they must be different on the new
bills and told them TO write down and
keep record OF the number he was
going 10 have on the new money. He
paper an fastened them over the fl
cures on the bill Then he inclosed
the s5 bill betweeen two blank pap
ers, cut to the size o fthe bill. He
dipped all three papers in an acid
Then he wrapped them in a silk cloth
and put them into the mysterious box.
The electric lights were turned on.
After time the operator reached in
and drew out silk wrapped package.
similar to the one he put in.
Now We know he kept that pack
age there for q bait" said the Austin
man. when telling OF the swindle.
The package he placed between two
heavy pieces of wood, held to gether
by bolts and set the numbers down
tight, bringing great pressure On the
package between the pieces of wood.
said Nick" the crook and at the end
OF 48 hours I'll open it and show you
how the new money was made
Has Forty Eight Hours for Getaway.
At the end of forty eight hours
Nick" appeared. and Birdsey was
there as well as the business mn. Tn
bolts were loosened and behold there
we're three five dollar bills between
the boards
Nick" the crook explained that the
acid had loosened the printers ink of
the original bill, and the electric
light had photographed it onto the
blank paper, thus making two five
dollar bills that were as good as the
original.
The business man said Birdsey
wanted to buy the machine but Nick
said he wouldn't sell it for less than
$4,000 but because of his friendship
for the business man and Birdsey he
would make up a bunch of money for
them before he left town He asked
them how much money they could
raise. Y
The business man said he had close
to $4,000 on deposit but didn't want to
use il all. Birdsey didn't have much
but he wanted to get rich so lie asked
him.
Withdrsws Al His Money
The business man drew all his
money from the bank in large de-
nominations and then he borrowed all
he, could, something between $500 and
500 TO loan to his friend Birdsey.
This was last Tuesday The three
men met and $40 bill was laid down
and blank paper laid on that Then
another $40 bill and another blank
until all the money was on pile al
ternating with blanks. 1t was wet
down with acid. wrapped with silk
and Nick the crook put the package
into the mysterious box behind the
black curtains, closed the doors and
turned on me electric light Then the
three rGen waited until the proper
time had elapsed "to loosen the print
ers' ink and photograph the bills onto
the blank paper"
Mich" reached in and drew out a
silk bound package and this he has J.
tily put between the two blocks OF
wood, that had been used but a few
days before for experimental purposes
art holtcd the block dawn hard
Waits Forty eight hours
Nick" gave strict injunction not to
release the bolts for forty eight hours
IF you do he said "the acid will
destroy all your good money. There
viii be no anger if you wait forty
eisrt hours" mick" left taking the
myster;aus box with him after prom
ising to be On hand in forty eight
hoafs to open the package he was
ls&Fing with theIn.
Mick did not show UP the next
day arg tho business man got little
anxious, The nours vert by. He
wanted 20 open the package because
lic xa5 growing cGsricious but didn't
a. a,std H.