The Slug-Makers of Tacoma
Four men accused of manufacturing bogus coins for slot machines prepare for a federal legal showdown.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The four alleged counterfeiters who were arrested here on Saturday by Secret Service agents will be arraigned on the charge before the United States commissioner tomorrow morning. United States District Attorney Frye will prosecute the case, while the defendants will be represented by Attorney Leo of this city. While it is generally known that Stickney and the other three men arrested with him have been manufacturing slugs with which to 'work' monopolist Baldie’s machines, it is not known whether they have infringed upon Uncle Sam's exclusive privilege of coining money. It is believed that Stickney and his companions will admit the manufacturing of the slugs, but their attorney will fight the charge of counterfeiting to the end.
“It is generally known that Stickney and the other three men arrested with him have been manufacturing slugs with which to 'work' monopolist Baldie’s machines.”
The transition from physical slug-manufacturers to digital hacking is a common thread in Pacific Northwest tech history. This case highlights a late-Victorian attempt to regulate what we might now call 'hardware exploits' against local monopolies.
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