Lykens Valley: History & Genealogy
  • Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Commerce
    • Communications
    • Education
    • Entertainment
    • Farming
    • Genealogy
    • Government
    • Labor
    • Memories
    • Military
    • Mining
    • Organizations
    • Religion
    • Resources
    • Sports
    • Transportation
  • Civil War Blog
  • PA Historian
  • Contact

The Bogus Nickel Coiners of Washington Square, 1873

COINING THEIR OWN MONEY

Mrs. Daniel Boyer, who lives in an old house on the road leading from Washington Square across Berry’s Mountain, near the intersection of the Powel’s Valley Road, Jackson Township, recently made information before Squire Hawk of Wiconisco, against Samuel Bechtel and George K. Lyter of Washington Square, charging them with manufacturing bogus nickel five-cent pieces. A hearing in the case was had yesterday, and drew together quite a number of persons from Washington Square and vicinity. —

Mrs. Boyer testified that Bechtel and Lyter were in the habit of coming to her house at a late hour at night and remaining until two or three o’clock in the morning, and that they occupied their time in manufacturing bogus five-cent pieces. She exhibited material of which the metal was alleged to be made and a die, with which she explained the process of manufacture. Upon being questioned why she had not made information before, Mrs. Boyer stated that she was threated with death by her husband if she divulged their secret work. Boyer is serving a sentence in the county jail.

The defendants were represented by J. C. Durbin and M. R. Young, Esqrs., and after considerable parleying and delay, the accused were discharged. Our informant states that they paid the costs and before night had indulged in a heavy load of benzine. Bechtel is a somewhat well-known character, and his name has heretofore been coupled with counterfeiting. It is believed that there has been a considerable business done in this line during the past year of two by these parties, and that an abundant evidence might be secured from about Washington Square to convict them. Why the case was so summarily disposed of by the justices of the peace, when so many prosecutions of a trivial nature are sent below, is not altogether clear to us.

__________________________________________________

The above piece was originally from the Lykens Register, November 28, 1873, and was reprinted in the Sunbury Gazette & Northumberland County Republican, December 5, 1873.

Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Elizabethville Jackson Township Washington Square Wiconisco
January 3, 2022 Norman Gasbarro

Post navigation

History of the Sentinel Newspaper, 1884-2021 → ← Wiconisco Post Office, 1907

Email notification of new posts

Places

Ashland Bear Gap Berrysburg Dalmatia Elizabethville Erdman Fisherville Gordon Gratz Halifax Halifax Township Hegins Hegins Township Herndon Hubley Township Jackson Township Killinger Klingerstown Lenkerville Loyalton Lykens Lykens Township Matamoras Mifflin Township Millersburg Muir Orwin Pillow Pine Grove Porter Township Reinerton Sacramento Shamokin Specktown Spring Glen Tower City Tremont Upper Paxton Township Valley View Washington Township Wayne Township Wiconisco Wiconisco Township Williamstown Williams Township

Categories

  • Commerce
  • Communications
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Farming
  • Genealogy
  • Government
  • Labor
  • Memories
  • Military
  • Mining
  • Organizations
  • Religion
  • Resources
  • Sports
  • Transportation
  • Unidentified

Categories

  • Commerce
  • Communications
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Farming
  • Genealogy
  • Government
  • Labor
  • Memories
  • Military
  • Mining
  • Organizations
  • Religion
  • Resources
  • Sports
  • Transportation
  • Unidentified

RSS Feeds

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Copyright 2016-2024, Norman Gasbarro, Philadelphia, PA

Site Created by Brian Tomlin

Archives

Powered by WordPress | theme Layout Builder
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d