Year: 1879

"You may 90 now, but listea FOL
the bell"


"All right SIR"


And Bob glided out as the Chief
ordered, lle turned TO me and con-
tinued


"Well Mack are you ready tor O
tramp tonight |"


"Always ready. What's tho lay ?


"Somebody has been showing the
queer to-day right lively, Two hun
dred at the Astor House, ninety at
a Rover exchange Office for gold
five hundred Tor largo bills with n rail
road agcut on Broadway, and n hun
dred bogus at book store for three
books and the good change.


"What book store 7"


"Appleton's. And n hundred at q
diamond store for fifty dollar ring
and good change


"What is the clew'"


T've told you all l know, Except
this dispatch from Albany, from the
Mayor just received as ! sent tor you.


The dispatch was as follows;


Somebody has been flooding US
with new counterfeit on three banks,
First bill discovered yesterday. Have
you seen anything new of this kind in
New York, and II so, on what banks 7


Sand this is all I"


"Yes-exccpt you must find the
man.


"All right sir, III try"


"Then you'll get him. Report to
me by telegraph ifyou have him or
want help.


l went to the Astor House and in
quired who stuck them. The cashier
said it was u port'y looking Jew,
black hair and whiskers, and well.dress
ed.


Then FASTENED to the exchange
office in the Bowery, to find that a
young woman bad been there, but the
money was of the same kind. Here
was a poser. l fastened to the railroad
office to find that the man who made
the change there was a slim, dark hair
cd man, who represented himself as a
drover from Chicago. He was apleas.
ant looking gentleman, who wanted
to ship a covered buggie, piano, and
some choice furniture West, and SO he
took card telling him how TO ship
his things and quietly went out, draw
ing a cloth cap tightly over his head
as he went out the door.


At Appleton's it was too late. / could
not see the man who made the sale,
but learned that he had bought a gilt
edged prayer-book and two handsome
bound volumes, suitable for Christ
mas gift to lady. The prayer-book
was bound in brown velvet-evidently
for a middle aged persona wife or
mother.


Iwent to my boarding-house, and
ate light dinner just at dark. l had
job on nay hands and not much time.
The man was evidently a stranger
living out oftown. did not think it
so from his professed desire to ship
piano, &C., but from the fact that he
bought Christmas presents before
time, on such day. Had he lived in
the city, he never would have taken
them with him in the storm. And l
learned that he did not have his pur.
chase sent to any address.


Did he live at Albany =! Motor
people, as general thing, commence
their deviltry somewhere else than at
home. But would 60 there and see who
had been victimized, and how their
reports as to description tailed with
the man who called at the railroad
office.


So I bought a ticket for Albany
and started on the 8 o'clock train. 1t
was terrible stormy night. The snow
piled on fences, door knobs, omnibus
tops and window. lodges.


AS was my usual custom, l looked
through all the cars to see who l knew
or who l did not know. And perhaps
I might see suspicious looking man
a board. But no. There wers old
men and young men, old women and
young women, with few babies on
the train.


The train halted at Fishkil, op-
posite the river for Newburg. ! saw
well dressed man, little taller than
myself, come out Of the car next to
me, carrying in his hand smallivalise
or travelling bag. I noticed from my
window that be went at once to the
corner of the depot, where boy was
waiting with a buggie, and got in took