Jackson County IA Archives News.....Counterfeiters in Jackson County July 29, 1875 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ken Wright wright@prestontel.com February 7, 2010, 6:26 pm Jackson Sentinel July 29, 1875 Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, July 29, 1875 Sketches of the Early History of Jackson County and the Maquoketa Valley By Capt. W. A. Warren The early settlers of Sabula, in pioneer times called Charleston, among whom were the Grays, Woods, Case, John Downing, Sam Abling, W. H. Brown, Leonard Hudson, W. H. Eldridge and others, prided themselves upon having the only town in the county, which horse thieves, counterfeiters, and vagabonds avoided. Consequently when complaint was made of the depredations of these desperadoes in other localities, who were constantly prowling around robbing the people of their hard-earned savings and flooding the country with counterfeit money, and assistance asked to drive them from the country, the solicitations were received coldly. Those people would hardly believe that a man with a reputation for so much kindness and goodness of heart as Brown, whose hand was ever open to assist those in distress, could be a leader of such men as were represented to them as composing his gang. This was not a matter for surprise as many of the best men in the county were his friends, and his accomplices were constantly heralding his praise and denouncing his assailants as persecutors of an innocent man. But the people of Charleston eventually got their eyes open. Fox and Trask paid them a visit, representing that they had taken a contract to bank wood for Brown and were in search of oxen to haul it. Dave Carter, then an unsophisticated youth, told them that he had just cattle as would suit them. They accordingly accompanied him to his farm, about five miles west of Sabula. Fox found the animals as represented and a purchase was effected, Carter receiving from them eighty-five dollars in ten dollar bills on the Chataqua Bank of New York. He returned to Sabula elated with the sale. Meeting with Mr. M. S. Allen, he drew out his wallet and exhibited the bills saying, “Here is the price of my oxen; don’t you think they were well sold?” Allen examined the bills and pronounced them counterfeit, but Carter, not believing him had others to examine them and all agreed they were worthless. The tables were now turned and the people of Charleston had a practical application of the character of the men we had to deal with. Allen, who was then my deputy sheriff, in company with Mr. Case, determined to pursue Fox, and if possible recover the cattle. Supposing the rascals would start direct for Bellevue, Allen and Case went to what is now known as Clark’s Ferry, but finding they had not crossed there, they visited Lafayette Ferry, but could get no trace of them. Allen then concluded they must have gone west, and from the time that had elapsed since their departure, conjectured they would reach Wells’s about dusk that evening. It was now late in the night, but the officer and his man pushed on to Wells’s farm, where they arrived about three o’clock in the morning. Here they discovered Carter’s oxen in a lot and the first thing they did was let them out and start them towards home. They rapped at Wells’s door for admittance. Upon entering they found Fox and his comrade, Wells and Shelden. Allen informed Fox of his business, that he was after the oxen, and that the money paid for them was counterfeit. Fox, in a most emphatic and blustering manner, denied that the money was counterfeit, declaring that Brown got it directly from the bank, and offered to bet any amount that it was genuine. To all this bravado, Allen paid no attention, remarking quietly that he had come for the cattle and he intended to have them, peaceably if he could, by force if he must. Fox finally consented to give them up upon return of his money and payment for his trouble. But Allen, in the hurry of his departure upon this expedition, neglected to get the counterfeit bills, and upon his informing Fox of this he became desperate, knowing the money might be held against him and probably traced to Brown as the person who brought it to the country and swore the oxen should not be taken away until every dollar was returned to him. He proposed that Case should go and get the money, while Allen might remain in charge of the animals. By this time Trask and Sheldon were up and ready to back Fox in anything he might do, and an altercation seemed inevitable. At this juncture Allen and Case concluded that “discretion is the better part of valor,” and assuring Fox they wanted no difficulty with him, shuffled out of the house in the manner of Tom Thumb when taking his departure from the presence of Queen Victoria, mounted their horses and hurried after the cattle. These were soon overtaken and taken rapidly to Sabula where they were delivered to their owner, who declared he no longer had any doubt of the dishonesty of Brown and his clan. Fox never returned to claim his counterfeit bills and I presume Mr. Carter still has them in his possession, at least he often exhibited them to show how near he came to be swindled out of his oxen. It is certain if not for the valor of the ex-Sheriff Allen and Mr. Case, Dave would have lost a team that was the means of giving him a start as making him one of the substantial farmers in Jackson County. For all the above facts I am indebted to Major Case, whom I met in the army, and if I have made any mistakes in relating them, the ex-Sheriff will please explain as I have no intention of misrepresenting him, for his representation for courage is well known. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/jackson/newspapers/counterf120nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/iafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb