Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-11
Extraordinary Counterfeiting on the Turk
ish Bank

/ NuuuAEfltllAnE on the ImFk-
ish Bank
The New York Herald gives the following &c.
count of the seizure in that city Of over S4OO..
900 of bogus money, together with the plates
DC, and the arrest Of Madame Sevesti, the dis
tributress of the counterfeit bills, at Syria, Tu.-
key. 1t is one of the most extraordinary coun-
terieiting operations in the criminal records
The Herald says;
The money is all Turkish bills, and large
amount of 1t has been successfully passed IN
COnstantin0ple by woman, who f70m all the
particulars that VIC have been enabled to learn.
was the prime mover in the operation, and the
principal or chief Of a gang who aided her in its
circulation.
1t aPpelIs that the woman, whose name is
Mrs. Sevesti, MOldavian, came TO this country
about year ago, and put up at the st. Nicho-
las Hotel under the assumed name Of Madame
Garfiner. IL is not known if she was aceonpa-
MED here by any person, but after a short stay
at the above hotel she changed her quarters TO
private boarding house in the upper part Of
the city. Early last spring she called upon Mr.
VIM i. ) Harrison, printer, doing business
at 81 Duane street, and desired to know what
he would print certain amount Of labels for.
and obtain the plates, &c, necessary for the
printing Mr Harrison informed her Of his
price, when she left but in few days after
she again called, and. ordered four dozen OF
electrotype plates to be made, representing a
very curious looking label, which appears to
have been copy ola Turkish bill. with various
Arabic letters IN the centre and around the
edges. Mr.. Harrison thought them TO be a Ia
bel for some Chinese invention, and did not for
one moment hesitate TO accept the Job. lie ac-
cOFdinely agreed to have the plates manufac-
tured at the earliest moment An arrangement
was then made that Mr.. Harrison should print
100000 copies at one dollar a thousand. and
that they should be done within certain Civ
en- time The WORK was accordingly finished,
and all delivered, with the exception of about
one-quarter Of the bills, which. together with
the plates, were left in Mr.. Harrison care. ua-
til they should be called for by Mrs. Savesti.-
Nothing further was heard Of this woman by
Mr.. Harrison until yesterday, when. about two
O'Clock in the afternoon, he was surprised by
the entrance ofabjdy Of men who were no less
than Sergeant Barney, Acting Sergeant Thos.
Sampson, and officers Busted, Blackwell, Hill
lard, Horigsn, Meals, Fowler, Armstrong and
Freeman, OF the Mayors squad, with a warrant
70 seize all found in the place.
Madame Sevesti, 1t appears, as soon as she
procured the bills, had three large trunks manu-
factured with false bottoms, and in 4 short time
sailed in 4 steamer for Europe. There she pro-
cured apassage IN the steamer Agia Sofia which
runs between Liverpool and COnstantinople,
and landed at Syria On leaving the steamer
she appeared very anxious about her luggage,
and requested an Englishman, who was attach
ed 10 the Steam COmpany's office. 10 aceompa.
ny her to the Custom House, hoping that by
his assistance she might have the examination
got through more readily and with less rigor.-
She also expressed anxiety lest her dresses and
other articles of toilet should be rumpled Tae
director of the Custom House, Abdallah Hiliet
Bey, assured her, with the greatest courtesy,
that nothing should be injured, but that her
trunks must be opened. This was done, and
the very first locked at was found to have
false bottom. On this the Director had
all the rest Of the baggage removed into the
inner rooms and requested the lady u follow
him there.
A further searsh was then made, and two
other trunks were found to be made in the
same manner, and 10 have carefully packed
IN them forged notes Of twenty piaslres, TO
the total amount OF 1900. 900 piastres, made up
in packages Of 1000 each The lady herself
was afterWardssearched, and there were found,
carefully sewed up in her under garments,
20 900 piastres more Of the same notes. TIE
lady and her baggage were Immediately sent of
to the Ministry of Police, and on her way
thither she betrayed the utmost alarm and agits.
ton. On being inteuogated by the Minister |
she gave her name as s. that Of one |
of the first families in the East She stated |
that she was native Of Moldayia, and was a |
married woman. She was afterward removed |
TO the prison for women and carefully watched. |
and on the following day was taken to the /
Porte and examined by the Grand Vizier him |
self It is believed she Is only the agent of |
band of forgers who have made Syria their /
headquarters.
te fact Of her arrest caused great sensa-
ton for time IN Syria, and steps were imme-
diately taken by the Minister OF Police and the /
Ottoman government to ferret out, if possible.
where the bills were obtained and printed
The Ottoman government accordingly wrote 10
the Turkish Minister at London. stating the ar
rest Of Mrs- Sevesti, with large quantity Of
Gaines" or paper money and that she had,
during Judicial proceeding made before the
Minister OF Police, stated that she had caused
the Gaines to be printed by the above named
printer IN this city. The Turkish Minister at
London accordingly wrote TO the Consul for
he Ottoman porte in this city, J. Honsiord
Smith, Esq, which letter arrived on Wednes-
LAY, by the Arago, giving his suspicion that
here was yet large quantity OF the counterfeit
money to be found on Harrison's premises.
The officers, on searching Harrison's place,
about 100000 of the counterfeit
money, which they found upon the shelves in
he oiiice- All the plates were recovered, and,
together with the prisoners, conveyed before the
Mayor
Mr.. Harrison, when arrested, seemed very
H. I