NEBRASKA POINTER
STATE NEWS AND NOTES IN CON'
DENSED FORM.
THEPRESS, PULPIT AND PUBLIC
What Is Going on Here and There
That Is of Interest to hte Read
ers Throughout Nebraska.
At a Bchool election held to deter
nilno whether or not tho city of He
bron should vote $20,000 honda for tho
purpose of building a new wnrd schocl,
the bonds carried by a majority of
ilftcon.
While Mr. and Mrs. Wlllinin Burko
of Friend were out riding in their nu
tomobllo, the machine was overturned
and lira. Burke suffered the breaking
of a collar bone beside nomo other
bruises.
.TnmeB Keith, a bartender from Ray
mond, was shot and killed at Bridge
ort by Michael H. Hngerty, n salcon
keoper of that place, as tho result of
n drunken dispute. Doth men 'are
well known.
Mrs. Dora Wilson, proprietor of tho
hotol at Manloy, went to Lincoln lo
attend tho funeral of her niece, Miss
Edna Konnett. While In a restaurant
she was attacked with appendicitis,
taken to a hospital and operated on
and died next day.
Leaving bohlnd her a husband and
live children, Mrs. Ernest Olson, liv
ing about four miles north of Polk,
deserted her homo In company with
Hay Helvery, the hired man, came
over from Polk to Central City with
hlin In an automobile, boarded tho
train at thnt place and has not been
heard of since.
Jutlgo Grimes held a brief session
of tho district court at Sidney nnl
sentenced tho following to tho ponl
tentlaary: Henry Harris1, burglary,
eighteen months; Samuel Glm, for
gery, two years and a half; Will La
Maar, a boy of 17, was sent to tho
stato reformatory for a period of four
years for burglary.
Word was received In Dcatrlco that
Lon Eddlemnn, a young man whoso
homo is near Ellis, had died in South
Omaha from an overdose of cocaine.
Eddloman was suspected of having
robbed the storo of tho Jackson Drug
company In Bcntrico. Ho was also
suspected of other robberies at Eills
and Plymouth and escaped Trom tno
ofllcors a few years ago.
Sheriff II. U. Miner of Burt county
has apprehended Fred Clark and Ed
Orr, half brothers, wanted at Mt. Ster
ling, 111., for jail breaking. Tho men
do not deny having taken French
leave of tho Mt. Sterling prison. They
had been given a preliminary hearing
on a chnrgo of assault with lutont to
kill, and were awaiting trial in tho
district court there when a jail de
livery was effected.
A. E. Williams, living at 530 North
Seventh street, sayB tho Lincoln Jour
nal, 1ms succeeded in growing in bis
yard a very perfect cotton plant,
which is now full of blossoms. It was
planted In March and has been gtvon
caro enough to bring it to full devel
opment. Inasmuch as it is only ono
of thirty stalks to come to perfection,
it does not appear that cotton can bo
grown hero to advantage.
Tho food commissioner lias forward
ed to County Attorney English of
Douglas county information that six
restaurants of Omaha aro soiling skim
milk and directs thnt they be prose
cuted under tho pure food law. Tho
law requires that milk shall tost 3 per
cent butter fat. Two and six-tenths
per cent was tho best any of tho res
taurants In tho list did, according to
the food commissioner's report.
Tho nnnual convention of tho Lu
theran synod of Nebraska opened In
Hanrdy. Tho following ofllcers wero
elected: Rev. L. droll, D. D., of Oma
ha, president; Rov. George W. Livers
of Benedict, secretary; Dr. James II.
Miller of Surprise, treasurer; Rev. C.
J. Ringer of Wayne, statistical secre
tary; Rov. M. L. Mollck of Omaha, his
torian. The annual roports showed a
general advance all nlong tho lines.
Food Commissioner Johnson Is pro
ceeding against moro farmers on a
chargo of selling hotten eggs. Ho has
asked county attorneys to prosecuto
I'. Smith of Rokoby and P. L. Cullen
of Ashland for selling bad eggs to a
storekeeper. It Is tho food commis
sioner's policy to catch farmers by
having inspectors stntloned nt coun
try stores to candle eggs and tho first
farmer that offers a bad egg Is Imme
diately detected.
Some boys nt Shelton wero using a
high, slanting wiro as a slldo for llfo
and sliding down hnnglng by tholr
feet. Whllo Hnrold Kestorson was
making a slldo tho fastening to which
his feet wero attached broke, precipi
tating him -to tho ground head first.
Ho alighted on his hands' first with
such forco as to break both nrms nt
tho wrist, tho bones protruding
through tho flesh. Although badly in
jurcd(U Is thought that his arms can
lie saved.
Tho assessed value of proporty ap
portioned to cities and towns, belong
ing to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneap
olis & Omaha railroad, under tho pro
visions of tho terminal tax law, Is In
creased from $277,100 In 1907 to $435,
101 In 1908.
A letter received at Fremont hy hor
husband clears away tho mystery
which surrounded tho disappearance
of Mrs. Olson. Mrs. Olson Is In
Sweden staying with her parents.
How she managed to get thero Mr.
Olson says ho ennnot Imagine. Ho
says sho did not hnvo any money that
he know anythln" about.
ma
1 h
By CAPTAIN PATRICK D. TYRI3LL
How Probably the Most Wonderful Counterfeit Plot of History Was
ished and Was Eventually Uncovered by Sleuths.
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RlOR to the year 1S84 thero
wns no lnw of tho United
States that prohibited any
one from counterfeiting in
this country tho money of
a foreign nation. Out of
tho lack of legislation on
this point had grown
many cases of much Im
portance to other govern
ments, for your counter
feiter Is a man usually
woll versed In tho InWB bearing on his
trndo and ho had not been slow In
perceiving tho possibilities of largo
and quick gains in using tho United
States as a place for manufacturing
bogus curroncy nnd coin to ho clrcu
lated In other countries.
Ono of tho most notable of theso
cases was that of tho manufneturo In
tills country of a largo amount of tho
currency of China a Job that was
cunningly conceived and clovorly enr
rled to tho point where tho counter
feit currency was manufactured nnd
ready for shipment to tho Orient for
circulation. Anothor plot of great in
ternational Importance wns that con
ceived by McDonald, Scott and Sheri
dan, who made and throw Into circu
lation a counterfeit Bank of England
nolo to tho amount of about $5,000,
000. Tho criminals In tills caso wero
Amerlcnns nnd their daring wns shown
by tho chnracter of tho task they 'sot
for themselves.
u
In tho Into 'COs tho movement for a
Democratic government In tho empire
of Brazil had taken on great strength.
Stories of tho marvolous resources of
tho country and of tho unlimited pos
sibilities for nchlovlng power nnd
money wero renchlng tho United
States. A political upheaval In a
country of great natural wealth Is al
ways a tempting bait to Boldlers of
fortuno tho world over, and tho ac
counts of Brazilian conditions that
reached sputhern Texas about this
time wero not to bo resisted by tho
moro adventurous. A party wns mndo
up for Brazil, nnd In this party wore
two brothers, Lucius A. and Joseph A.
Whlto. Lucius wns a moro lad In his
toons, whllo Joseph wiib nonrly 20
years his senior and moro a father to
tho boy than a brother. Joseph wns
married. Tho Whites wero tho sons of
Judgo Whlto, who settled In southern
Texas In 1839 and who wns a notod
lawyer nnd Jurist of thnt section.
Judgo White wns a man who wns hold
In the highest esteem on account of
his strict Integrity and learning, nnd
his sons grew up respected In their
native stale. Lucius had studied civil
engitfoerlng and was an engineer or no
meager ability. Josoph was a farmer.
But in both tho brothers thoro was a
strong spirit of adventure, and after
listening to tho stories of gold and
diamonds to bo found and fortunes to
be mudo oaslly In rubber, coffee and
general agriculture told by returned
Texans. tho brothers decided to Join
the party bound for tho South Amer
ican emplro, which finally Innded at
Rio Jnnolro.
Whllo In Rio Janeiro Lucius Whlto
mot a young woman who was visiting
thoro and whose homo wns in Florhln.
He courted and mnrrlod hor, and throo
children wero born to Ilium. In 188 1
ho docldod to rotnrn to tho statoa to
llvo, and brought his family to Florida,
fhoro ho stayed a fow months, going
H STS I wns 110 lnw of 1,10 United ho bought a 90-acro farm for $4,000 RffSll 5 IgO
a JP I States that Prohibited any- and settled down to tho llfo of a Tex- Kwlu tl lWTM IwHH
1 A't&gl a torVlBU natton." Out of In tho early Part of tho summer of 7 MU T I
It-si ',sroa z c KS n,l rzz Khr.ss: mmiwwFfmmmtuBBZS2-
e Brazilian
from thero to Whltnev. Tex.., whore I OifflMMMmMi
In tho onrly part of tho summer ot
1S85 tho United States district attor
ney at St. Louis received an anonym
ous letter stating thnt a certain en
graving houso of thnt city wns pre
paring plates from which wero to bo en
graved a largo number of slips which
had tho appearance of being imita
tions of tho currency or tho Empire of
Brazil.
Tho letter In quostlon pointed out
thnt which seemed to bo n crlmo In
process of execution, and, anonymous
or signed, the letter was not to bo
Ignored. It was turned over to me,
nnd I went to work on. tho enso.
I found tho mannger nnd was
informed by him that ho bellovod
his Ilrm did hnvo a contract
to ongravo plates for and print
some Brazilian matter; but ho
clnlmed to bo ignorant of tho idon
tlty of tho party with whom tho con
tract was mndo and of tho oxact char
acter of tho commodity contracted for.
I wns told to return later and consult
with tho oHlcinl of tho concorn who
had mndo tho contract and who wns
convorsant with all tho details. This
I did. This gentleman, nftor learning
who I wns, told mo that a man named
Lucius A. Whlto had contracted with
tho Ilrm for a plate of a "cigar label"
to bo used In tho Brazilian trade. The
work was under wny at that time.
With this information tho Brazilian
consul was called Into consultation.
Tho nppearanco of tho pinto was de
scribed to him nnd ho pronounced it a
duplicate of tho front of tho Brazilian
"Duzentos MIIrolB" noto, or a treas
ury noto of tho Emplro ot Brazil rep
resenting 200 mllreis. As a milrols
of Brazilian monoy wns equal In vnluo
to approximately 51,0 conts of United
States money each ono of the "labels"
would bo worth in Brazil $109.20.
So far as I could learn tho order
loft In St. Louis by tho mysterious
Mr. Whlto called for the engraving of
but ono plate, if a currency noto were
to bo produced thoro would of neces
sity bo two plates, ono for tho front
nnd nnother for the reverse side. The
spokosmnn for tho engraving linn
claimed to tnko this as evidence that
the plato was to bo used for tho pur
pose sot forth by tho man who had
made tho contract, and In this claim
the engraver may havo been honost.
I Immediately camo to tho conclu
nlou that tho men who woro planning
to Inflate the llrar.lllan currency had
made a contract with ono firm for tho
front pinto and impressions printed
from It nnd with anothor ilrm, prob
nbly In nnothor city, for tho plate
nnd impressions of the rovorso side.
From tho engraving (Inn I Jnarned
that Whlto had reached St. Louis May
28 and had askod for a price on tho
work ho wanted done. Ho snld ho
wns going to Now York nnd would
rot urn In a few weoks. Ho kept his
word and closed the nogotlntlons for
the front plnte. Theso negotiations
Avore under wny two weoks boforo
they woro tlnnlly closod, and after tho
contract had boon signed Whlto dls
nppearod. It would have boon tin easy matter
nt this tlmo to havo conilscatod tho
platoj but It was always tho plan of
1S85 tho United States district attar ' MR
Vlilreis
tho sorvlco to sccuro tho guilty am.
as woll as ta destroy tho product I
had a description of Whlto from th(
engraver with whom he hnd made the
contract, and, depending on Us being
correct, I believed I could pick out my
man when ho returned to tho city.
From this tlmo a strict watch was
innlntuliied on tho engraving estab
lishment. This Biirvolllanco was re
warded a fow weeks later by my see
ing n man answorlng tho description
of Lucius A. Whlto enter tho building
of tho ongravors. Satisfied that ho
was tho man wanted. I called to my
assistance a deputy United States
marshal anil from the tlmo he emerged
from tho building till his arrest he
wns never out of our night, unless In
his room at tho Mower hotel. He
mndo more thnn one trip to the ok
tnbllshmont whore the work wns being
(lone, and In leaving ho would pursue
n zig-zag course, as though he feared
being followod. Ho wns wnltlng for
tho completion of tho work, and put
In the tlmo sight-seeing.
Ah tho work wuh now about roady
for dellvory, I bellovod tho tlmo was
nt hand to take White Into custody.
In company with a deputy marshal
we wont to his hotol and followed him
Into the dining-room nt dinner tlmo.
Aftor ho had tnkon his sont tho dep
uty nnd 1 sat down at tho nainq table.
As soon as ho had givon Ills order I
slid my ehalr closo to his and said, In
a volco that would attract no attention
nt tho next tablo:
"You may consider yotirolf my prls
onor. It will do you no good to make
a Kcono."
Groat bonda of poraplmtlpn utooil
0
Hatched, Flour
on tho man's face, but ho collected
himself almost instnntly nnd snld:
"I don't wnnt a sccno; what do you
waul mo to do'"
"Come with us," I said.
Wo all arose quietly and wnlkcil out
of tho dining-room without attracting
attention. Whlto wns taken to the
federal building and Hiibjoctod to nn
Informnl examination. When 1
searched him I found documents bear
lug on the milrols transaction and
placing tho firm that did the work In
a peculiar light. One of those papers
was tho formul bid made by tho firm,
offering to ongravo an oxact facsimile
or tho front or the 200 mllreis bill on
stono tor $230 and a facsimile of tho
back for $210, or facsimiles or rront
nnd back on steel for $810. Another
Incriminating paper wns a receipt
from the engraving firm for payment
or the "cigar labels" and for a 200
mllreis Brazilian HI), lo be returned to
White. According to the papers found
on White, he had Increased tho hIzo
of his order from 2,000 to 3,001) sheetB
of bills, four I1 lie on n sheet. At llrst
White denied any part In a counter
feiting plot, but later broko down and
admitted his guilt. Ho claimed to
have a partner nanied Liuio, but re
fused to give detallW Information
concerning Mm further than to say
thnt lie livod In Toxas.
I shall always question tho propriety
of tho course followod by tho fednrul
attorney In making his ona ngitlnit
Joseph Whlto, which wm an (nllowtj
A iiKckngo was wails rJ ,170 of tho
hutftH 1 had brought' l" Attoru'
IljlHK (linn wrote out n tulograni to
tho iiuent at Bloom, Tex., requesting
him to deliver a certain pnekngo te
lotoph White, and had Lucius sign It
Deputy United States Marshal Wheel
and Assistant United Stntos Attor
iioy Drtimniond wore then hnstoncd t
Texas by tho first train for tho pup
pose of "piping" Joseph Whlto as In
took tho paekngo from tho express of
flcr, and. Inter, ot nrrostlng him wltt
the counterfeits In his possession. Tin
pnekngo and telegram wore sent, glv
lug Wheoler and Drummoud sumclont
time to reach the destination llrst. II
seems thnt after all this planning tn
cstnbllsh tho fact that Joseph Whlto
received tho package, ho was allowed
In Fomo way to tnko tho pnekago from
the express ofllco without being scon
by tho men who hod been sont to
watch him commit this vory net. Joi
soph Whlto took thorn to his homo on
his fnrm near Bloom nnd placed them
in a bureau drawer Knowing tha
sheets woro In his possession, al
though they had not seen him receive
them, tho ofllcors wont to White's
home, plucod him under nrrost and
senrched tho houso.
In tho meantime Lucius A. Whlto,
hnvliiK Been his plan fall miserably
and himself a prisoner, gavo tho au
thorities a comploto confession. Whllo
In Brazil ho and his brother had con
ceived tho Idea of manufacturing In
the United Statoa a largo Ibsiio of Bra
zlllan currency und returning to that
country to float It. Lucius admlttod
that ho was tho originator of tho Idea.
Lucius A. White, after pleading
guilty, wns tnkon to Texas as a wit
ness ngnlitBt his brothor. Lucius was
33 years old at this time and his
brothor was a man ot 50. Ab 1 have
Raid, tho older brother also had stood
In the relation of a father to the
younger man, and tho sccno In the
Waco courtroom whon LucIub was
placed on the Bland nnd told tho story
that meant a penltoutlary sentence for
his brother wns a most affecting one.
"1 would rather suffer than havo
Lucius suffer; lie's only a boy to mo."
Aftor tho evidence was in and
Lucius una being led from tho court
room by tho iloputlos, Joseph grasped
hliu by the hand und with learn In his
oyoB su.'d :
"Good-hy, Lucius. God blot$ you. '
Name Spoiled In Many Wayp.
No fuwer than 372 ditor-m x'jjay. of
nmMJns Ypnilati'i rv 'Hei cop'.rd
ficm ufivilcpB and iotgltd by a
luMtfniaaU.' cf tl:nt tewa. '
