The Massachusetts Spy

Last Tuesday James Budd and Lemuel Gustine were apprehended and committed to gaol in this town, on suspicion of being concerned in counterfeiting and passing New-York and Jersey paper money.

About a week before, they, with some others, came from Nantucket in a sloop, and anchored in Mackerel Cove, a little within our Light House, where these two left her and came to this town, and agreed with an engraver to cut them a plate for the escutcheon or border of a forty shilling bill, for which purpose they cut out the printed part of the bill, and gave the engraver the other part cut into two or three pieces.

But before the engraver had quite finished the plate, he accidentally saw a New York bill, which Budd had passed to another man, by which he discovered the real business he was about, and immediately informed Judge Hazard of the affair.

After Budd and Gustine were examined, the sloop was brought into this harbour, and being searched, upwards of fifty pounds of York and Jersey money was found, including a small sum Budd and Gustine had about them.

They confessed but little on the examination: But it might be easily perceived that one Wills of Connecticut, one Smith of New-York, and a number of others were concerned in this affair.