Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-02-05
Counterfeit Money.

As THERE is large quantity OF coun-
terfeit money now In circulation, we
thought that the following description Of
how the stuff is made and circulated
would not prove uninteresting ~at
Almost oil counterfeit engraving Is done
exclusively by hand, while much Of the
genuine Is executed with the finest and
most costly machinery The latter IL ne.
cessarily much the most perfect, and by
experts easily told. In al large bank note
engraving establishments there are many
workmen, each one being engaged on
some particular part one for the print
cd letters, another for the scrip, an
other for landscapes, and 80 on,
each perfect IN his individual part,
while counterfeit notes are engraved by
one OF two persons, and, therefore, arc
not AZ well done a. the genuine, Gcner-
ally, counterfeiters select, as a place Tor
doing their work, retreat as far from
large cities as possible, but accessible TO
railroad station and, TO avoid arouDing
suspicion, always have some other busi-
ness with H. The man who does the en-
craving and painting rarely leaves home,
but his brother" who Is peddler,'
travels most Of the time.
The plates are engraved and the notes
printed about the same as In any genuine
establishment The travelling brother
takes the money, done up In packages OF
one, two, three and Eve thousand dollars
each, and goes off 10 large cities, where
II Is given to Others who cell II TO the
ones who do the passing. We almost for
got.to,say that the bills, after being printed,
are slightly dampened by rubbing over
them sponge saturated with tobacco
juice, and then ironed. This process takes
away their new appearance, and makes
them look as If they had been q long time
In circulation. 90. it-.Ii't- 7Et -
The men who pass the stuff, generally
start out In parties Of three. The one who
does the passing has a pocketbook well
filed with genuine bills of large demon.
nation, and mixed in with them Is single
one Of the counterfeits He also has one
other counterfeit, which he folds up and
tightly congresses into small wad not
much larger than q grain Of corn. This
he places on the inside OF his left hand, in
the joint of the little finger next to the
palm, at the same time closing the finger,
so that tho bill cannot be seen, and, In
case of being arrested, no can readily
throw this bill away without being de.
tected.
The second man remains two squares
behind the first one, and has IN his pos
session only alb out a dozen bills, which he
supplies whom wanted 70 the "shover."
The third party, who Is styled "the bank"
keeps entirely out of sight long distance
off, and has the wholesale department of
the concern. These men have their signs.
tokens of recognition, etc, by which they
can commune with each other at n long
distance. For instance, IL the middle
mai has reason to believe that the "shov-
er" Is watched, he carries his handker-
chief In his lett hand II the first one
wants new supply of the stuff he crosses
over the street, a sign that the other is to
follow, and by pre-arrangementt they meet
at some unfrequented place, where new
supply is given. I'D,
Most OF the money Is passed In small
shops, where II is reasonable to suppose
that tho persons are not very good judges
Of currency. Tho men thus working to.
gether manage to get rid Of about $500 In
q day of bills, and of about $50 per day
when at work with the fractional cur
rency. Cincinnati Times