Counterfeiters Judged

A Secret Service Official Runs In Some Shovers Of The Q–r. 

Montgomery. Advertiser Calera, Alabama
May 3, 1887

On the train tonight your correspondent met the famous Mike O’Brien of the United States Secret service on his way from Mobile northward. From him was had an account of the running down and arrest of a band of counterfeiters in Choctaw County. O’Brien spent three weeks there disguised as an Irish peddler working up the case.

The band consisted of Sheriff Hudson, County Clerk McClurg, an Englishman, and engraver named McLeon, one Randall and two others all of whom were arrested and cried to Mobile and on a preliminary hearing before commissioner today were committed to jail without bond. O’Brien had the case thoroughly worked up before a man was arrested and had over a score of United States Deputy Marshals on the ground to assist in the arrest. The counterfeit was a two dollar silver certificate and was a fine piece of work. Its engraver McLeon had been in jail once before for shoving the q–r. He went to Choctaw County over a year ago, but got the plate finished and has been issuing bills only about two months. Little of it was passed in Choctaw County. Most of it was sent to Louisiana and used in buying cattle. Only eight dollars was passed in Choctaw. Sheriff Hudson was arrested in his office and the examination of his safe showed three thousand dollars of the counterfeit bills in it. There was some talk by the citizens of Butler of rescuing the sheriff, but sober counsel prevail and the plan was abandoned. Editor O’Brien says he gave a complete copy of this diary to the Register today. I think there is no doubt of O’Brien being the man he represents himself to be.