Counterfeiters and horse thieves

Perry Township was the principal headquarters of a gang of counterfeiters and horse thieves. The two classes were in their efforts to rob and evade the law. JOHN Van Camp, was the ring leader of the counterfeiters.At his house he made the counterfeit and sold $100.00 of it to the gang for $25.00 of good money. They hardly ever passed this in the vicinity. Van Camp was a very suspicious character and kept himsel concealed as much as possible. One of the counterfeiters was put in the Peru jail. One cold winter night when the snow was several inches deep he broke out of jail. For some reason he left his boots in jail. He tore the lower part of his pants leggings off and wrapped them around his feet and in the dead of a cold winter night escaped to fulton county.Early next morning Hiram Butler went by Grogg's cabin and shouted out''John come out here, I'M on a coon track.'' Butler AND Grogg tracked the escaped counterfeiter to a cabin in Fulton Co. After searching the premises throughly they found him neatly concealed in bed, and when they turned the covers down he exclaimed:" BOYS , YOU'VE GOT ME'.This put an end to counterfeiting in this part of the country. Hiram Butler and JOHN GROGG were two sturdy pioneers whom the lawless feared. To them and a few others of the good old pioneers is due the credit of restoring law and order to the early settlers of Perry township.