Year: 1872

NOTES FROM THE DIARY OF DETECTIVE.


During the year lS47 the West was
flooded with counterfeit coin. 1t was SO
we'll manufactured that it passed read
lily. The evil at last became so great
that the United States authorities re-
ouested that skillful detective might
be used to ferret out the nest of coiners.
I was fixed upon to perform that duty.


had nothing to guide me. The fact,
however, that Chicago was the city
where the counterfeit coin was most
abundant, led me to suspect that the
manufactorv was somewhere within it's
limits. 1t was, therefore, to the capital
of the West that proceeded. I spent
five weeks in the city without gaining
the slightest clue to the counterfeiters.


1 began to grow discouraged, and
really thought | should be obliged to
return home without having achieved
any result. One day received a letter
from my wife, requesting that l should
send her some money as she was out of
funds. l went to the banN and asked
for draft, at the same time handing a
sum of money to pay for it, in which
were several half dollars. The clerk
pushed three Of them back to me, say
ing, Counterfeitl'


"What ~ said l, "you don't mean to
tell me those half dollars are counter
feit?"
81 do"


care you certain?"


Perfectly certain. They are remark
ably well executed, but deficient in
weight. See for yourself"


And he placed one of them in the
balance against genuine half dollar,
and the latter brought up the former.


"This is the best counterfeit coin
ever saw in my life," exclaimed, exam
lining them closely. "Is all the coun-
terfeit money in circulation here of the
same character as this p


"Oh dear no." the clerk replied, "it
is not nearly SO we'll done. These are
the work of the famous New York
counterfeiter. Ned Willett. | know
them we'll, for l have handled great
many in my time. Here is some OF
the money that is circulating here" he
added, taking some half dollars from
the drawer. ''You see that the milling
is not so well done as Ned Willett's, al
though this is pretty good too"


l compared the two and found that
he was right. supplied the place of
the counterfeits with good coin, and re-
turned the former to my pocket.


A few days after this I received infor-
nation which caused me to make a
journey to small village about thirty


i lies from Chicago. l arrived there at
night, and took up my quarters at the
only tavern in the place. 1t was a
wretched dwelling, and kept by an old
man and woman, the surliest couple, J.
think, it was ever my lot to meet. In
answer as to whether | could have a
lodging there that night l noticed that
the host gave particular look at his
wife, and after some whispering, was
informed in the most ungracious man.
ner possible could have bed.


have frequently in the course of my
life been obliged to put up with wretch
ed accommodations, so | did not allow
my equanimity of temper to be de-
stroyed by the miserable sleeping apart
ments into which / was ushered after l
had finished my repast.


The chamber was of small size, and
certainly well ventilated, for l could
see the stars through the roof. The bed
was simply bag of straw thrown in one
corner of the room, without sheet or
covering of any kind. This last fact,
however, was not of much consequence
as it was summer and oppressively
| hot.
l stood more than an hour gazing out
of the opening which served for win
dow. Before me was an immense prai-
rie, the limits of which ] could not see
The tavern in which had taken up nv
abode appeared to be isolated from ali
| other dwellings; and, save the croak of
the tree-toad and the hum of the locust,
not sound reached my ear. 1t was a
| beautiful moonlight night, so bright
that could read the smallest print.
| At last I began to grow weary, and
throwing myself on my pallet l was
soon asleep. How long slept know
not, but | was awakened by dull
| sound, which resembled some one ham
mering in the distance. l suppose it
was the popularity of the sound which
awoke me, for it was not loud, but con-
yeyed to me the idea of some one strik-
ing IRON with muffied hammer. rose
from my bed and went to the window.
The moon was now in the western no.
rizon, by which fact / knew it must be
near morning. The sound have before
referred to reached me more distinctly
than when in the back part of the
L