In 1765 a man who went by the name of Gill Belcher migrated from Hebron, Connecticut, to the town of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and set up as a silversmith. He bought an interesting piece of property called “Bung Hill” and on the side of the solid stone face was a cave with a huge shelter like entrance with a passage to a 30 foot lean to room.  Belcher lived with his family in a small house at the base of the stony mountain. He made the cave his workshop and hiding place while he made counterfeit coins, most likely copper shillings hot dipped in silver and stamping them at his shop. He also made fake paper money. It is said that smoke from a fire in the cave eventually gave him away, but he was also pretty obvious passing fake money in New York and in October of 1772 he and 3 other men were arrested and taken to Albany to be prosecuted.  They were sentenced to hang but the day before it was due to happen, the men escaped their cells and held themselves up in the jail threatening to blow it up, that failed and the men hung. 

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