Randolph County AlArchives News.....Counterfeiters in Chambers & Randolph Counties September 29, 1889 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 March 5, 2023, 2:54 am The Montgomery Advertiser September 29, 1889 The United States officers have a gang of counterfeiters in tow over in Chambers County. The game of fraud came to the surface at Roanoke. Deputy United States Marshal F. M. Bunn was in Roanoke one day last week, and while there he purchased a whip of Mr. James Carlisle, a merchant he handed Mr. Carlisle a $5 bill, and in the change, he got $4 in counterfeit money. He detected the fraud and called Mr. Carlisle's attention to it. Mr. Carlisle had taken the money from a negro circuit rider named J. H. M. Duran. Deputy Marshals Bunn and Eichelberger soon located Duran and arrested him on a warrant charging him with the crime. He was taken to Opelika, tried before United States Com missioner Bell and discharged. The evidence established the fact that Duran had received the counterfeit money from Rev. W. F. Smith, colored. Presiding Elder of the Roanoke circuit. Elder Smith says that seven counterfeit silver dollars were taken up in a church collection. The collection only amounted to $8, and $7 were counterfeit goods and utterly worthless. His idea is that the worthless dollars were put in the contribution box by members who contributed small amounts and got good money in change. Smith was held on bond and will have a trial before Commissioner Bell at Opelika next Tuesday. Mr. Carlisle was not the only victim. Mr. Weathers, another merchant took $1 of the bad money from Duran who proved, however, that he had passed it innocently. Capt. B. W. Bell, the United States Commissioner before whom the case is being investigated, was in Montgomery yesterday and showed an advertises reporter $1 of the worthless money. It is a first-rate imitation of silver dollars, but the material used was a sorry sort of pewter. The dollars are very light and can be bent in any shape with the fingers. The machinery used in turning out the fraudulent coin was all right, but the metal is very inferior. The officers are determined to sift the case for all it is worth, and the chances are that the guilty parties will be located and brought to a just punishment. The Montgomery Advertiser Oct 4, 1889 Some days ago, The Advertiser published the fact that the United States officers had captured some bad dollars at Roanoke, Ala., and were on hot trail of the counterfeiters. The counterfeit money bad been innocently received by Roanoke merchants from Rev. J. H. M. Duran, a negro circuit rider. Duran was arrested and tried before United States Commissioner Bell at Opelika and discharged. The evidence adduced established the fact that he had received the money from Rev. W. P. Smith, also colored, the Presiding Elder of the Roanoke Circuit, Smith was then located and arrested by Deputy United States Marshals Eichelberger and Bunn. He gave bond for his appearance before Commissioner Bell and the trial took place in this city yesterday morning. Smith was represented by Sam Henderson Esq., of Rock Mills, and Geo. F Moore, Esq., Assistant District Attorney appeared on behalf of the government and conducted the prosecution. It was proven by the witnesses in the case that Smith has passed counterfeit money, but there was no evidence to show that he received it or used it with guilty knowledge. He was accordingly discharged. T HE THIRD MAN ARRESTED. A few days ago, Charles Weaver, colored, the third man, was arrested by Deputy United States Marshal Holder. Duran and Smith both stated that they had received one dollar each of the bad money from Charles Weaver, a negro living near Roanoke. When Weaver was arrested $250 in counterfeit money was found on his person. He had a dollar piece, one half dollar and four quarters. Deputy Marshal Holder brought the prisoner to Montgomery night before last, and yesterday he was lodged in the County jail, where he awaits trial. The officers think they have the original counterfeiter located, and they will likely have him in the "loop" of the law in the course of a few days. A STATEMENT FROM WEAVER. Charles Weaver, the colored prisoner, was seen at the jail yesterday by an Advertiser reporter. He had stated to the officer who arrested him that he got the bad money from a white man and had used it without knowing that it was counterfeit. To the reporter's questions as to how he came in possession of the money he said: "I got the money from Mr. William Key, a white gentleman who lived in the neighborhood. I borrowed it to pay some hands for picking cotton. I got $6 from Mr. Key promising to pay it back when I sold cotton, and I had used all of it but two dollars and a half when Mr. Holder arrested me. I thought it was good money when I got it and didn't know any better until after I was arrested". HOW THE MONEY WAS MADE. Yesterday one of the officers interested in the case gave the following interesting facts to an Advertises reporter: "In December last the illicit distillery owned and operated by J. W. Langley near Roanoke in Randolph County, was raided and broken up by the United States officers. The worm was cut up and left on the ground. We have good reasons for a firm conviction that this counterfeit money was made from that still worm. The material used in making the bad money is a sorry sort of white metal, the same as that worm. We also have proof that a certain man went to Langley a few days after the still was broken up and got the old still worm. It was utterly useless then in running a still, but it came in very well no doubt as raw material for turning out counterfeit coins. The metal is so soft and sorry that a blind man ought to detect the fraud at once, though the government stamp used in stamping the coin made a perfect imitation as to outward appearance". The man William Key, from whom Weaver says he got the money, and who is suspected of being the original counterfeiter, is a respectable citizen of Randolph County, and a man of family. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/newspapers/counterf2135gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 6.5 Kb