counterfeiter, bank robber & a champion liar
[AI-Generated Summary] In this episode of The Passing Parade, storyteller John Nesbitt profiles three "interesting rascals" whose criminal or mischievous exploits left a mark on American history. The first, a master engraver named Alfred Midas, successfully counterfeited near-perfect $10$ bills but was caught after his own vanity led him to print personal calling cards with the same intricate, detectable lacework. Next is "Soap Box" Hardy, a bank robber labeled the "unluckiest thief" because his successful heists and escapes were repeatedly thwarted by freak accidents, such as a chance encounter with a drunk or an accidental gunshot from a detective. Finally, Nesbitt tells the story of Andy Jones, a veteran newspaperman who spent fifteen years fraudulently soliciting funeral funds for himself to finance drinking sprees, only to die in poverty when his colleagues finally refused to believe the "old gag" one last time. These stories illustrate how even minor criminals can influence society, noting specifically how Hardy's simple robbery method led banks to adopt higher counters and specialized metal grills.