Counterfeiters! Elkport 1882

LEWIS, FLAHERTY, RATCH, STEVENS

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 1/22/2017 at 13:27:44

Elkader Register, Fri., 10 Mar. 1882. Elkport Locals column.

The citizens of our usually quiet town were considerably excited Saturday evening, over the reported arrest of several counterfeiters. The facts as near as your reporter can learn are these:
About three weeks ago five strangers came to town, looking for work, which they secured from John S. Lewis, chopping wood. Saturday three of them came to town and shoved several dollars of the "queer" on Thomas Flaherty and William Ratch. It was not very long before they found out that the money was counterfeit.

A warrant was issued for their arrest, during which time one made his escape and gave the alarm to his two friends, who had remained in the woods. When Constable Flaherty arrived at the shanty where they had boarded themselves, the birds had flown and taken everything with them but one satchel, which contained twenty-seven dollars of counterfeit money.

The two arrested were taken to the Elkader jail for safe keeping. One whose name is William Stevens, formerly lived at Guttenberg and is highly connected.

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Elkader Register, Fri., 1 Dec. 1882. Elkport Locals column.

Stevens, the young man who was arrested at this place last winter for counterfeiting, had a trial in the United States court at Dubuque, last week, and was fined $200 and sentenced to six months in the penitentiary. On account of his previous good character, the sentence was suspended.