April 4, 1864
Counterfeiter Arrested. ? The Wellsburg Herald says that private James Robinett, of the 1st West Virginia Infantry, having given information that certain parties were in correspondence with him in reference to counterfeit greenbacks which they wished him to purchase, was derailed from the regiment for the special purpose of seeing the correspondence through and arresting the correspondent for delivery to the United State Marshal of West Virginia. Operations commenced on Thursday by the arrest of Richard Johnson, in Lagrange, opposite Wellsburg, a cousin of the family of that name residing near Independence, Pennsylvania, who was also in company with the wife of John Deam, the man who was convicted some months ago of robbery at the latter village. The woman was taken into custody, and no evidence appearing to implicate her in any criminal transactions, she was allowed to go her way. Johnson made some little display of resistance when summoned to surrender, but on the display of a revolver, of which Robinett by accident fired one barrel, the ball passing dangerously near C. F. Scott, Esq., who chanced to be present, but concluded to come down, handing over a handsome revolver.
He was then taken to Wellsburg, and on being searched, there was found upon him a considerable amount of counterfeit fives on the Western Reserve Bank at Warren, Ohio, a lot of jimmies and other suspicious matters, but no bogus Government funds.
He was accordingly committed to Brooke county jail, by Esq. Marks, for further proceedings on a charge of having and passing counterfeit money.
P.S. We learn that other arrests, in addition to the one mentioned by the Herald, will shortly be made. Mr. Robinett is aware of the existence of quite a large gang of the scoundrels, and he has been commissioned to bring them to justice.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: March 1864