PASSED MONEY
THAT WAS BAD.
WOMAN CONFESSES PART IN
COUNTERFEITING PLOT .
WAS CAUGHT AT 511 LOCUST.
MAN ACCUSED OF MAKING THE
MONEY ALSO CAUGHT.
Plaster of Paris Molds, Melting Pots
and Other Paraphernalia for
Producing Bogus Coins Dis-
covered by Police.
In the arrest of a couple giving the name of George and Tillie Bullene at 511 Locust street last night, the police are certain they have a pair of genuine counterfeiters. Four plaster of paris molds, two of them still damp, two pots for melting metal, two batteries and a bad dollar were found in the room. All of the molds are of a dollar.
The woman confessed to Police Sergeant M. E. Ryan, the sergeant says, that for the past year she has been living with Bullene and has been passing the "queer" as fast as he made it. To reporters, however, she refused to make any statement.
Mrs. Bullene brought about the arrest herself. She entered Hudson's drug store at Fifth and Broadway early in the evening. She made a purchase which came to 15 cents, and pushed a dollar slowly along the counter.
T. H. Murphy, a drug clerk, was in the store visiting a friend. The woman's actions attracted his attention and aroused his suspicions. Taking the dollar in his hand he felt of it and said:
"This is a bum dollar. Where did you get it?"
"Well, I declare," said the woman, in apparent surprise, "Let me see who did give me that. Give it here. I think I know who gave it to me now."
With that she left the drug store. Murphy, still filled with suspicion, followed the woman at a safe distance. Many times she looked back, but he always managed to elude her vision. When she got to 511 Locust street she cast one more quick glance behind and darted hurriedly into the house.
Murphy felt that his suspicions were confirmed. He went at once to police headquarters and told his story to Sergeant M. E. Ryan, who detailed Sergeant Peter McCosgrove and Patrolman Joseph Enright on the case. They found both people at the house and placed them under arrest. In the woman's purse was found six "phony" dollars. No bad coin was found on the man.
Two of the molds show plainly that they have been recently used, and there are two which appear to have been made only a few hours, as the plaster had not set. In a match box with some small chips of copper was another "bad" dollar. It is well made, however, and has a ring almost like a good dollar. Ground glass is sometimes used to give counterfeit coins the proper ring. When Enright and Cosgrove brought the molds and metal pots to headquarters they mentioned casually that "there are two old batteries attached out there. We left them."
They were sent back to the room to bring in everything. The batteries are used to give counterfeit coins a thin coating of silver, it is said.
The woman's trunk was taken to Central station about midnight and searched. It was filled with small articles such as cheap soap, perfume, face lotions and other toilet articles which had not cost more than 5 or 10 cents each. She evidently had confined her operations largely to drug stores in passing the spurious coins.
The pair will be turned over to the federal authorities.
