The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-22
JOHN IN A NEW ROLE.
Extensive Bank Note Fcrgery-spurfCus Paper
nnd COunterfeitins Apparatus seized,

nne CoSnterfcitins Apparatus seized. '0r
From the San Francisco Bulletin, July 1s.
The record of arrests at the City Prison, yes
terday afternoon, contained the following
entry:-"Ah Tuck and All Tam, forgery, ar
rested by Crowley & Ellis" The prisoners are
charged with causing to be printed in this city
a counterfeit bank note of the denomination of
s. on the Chartered Bank of India Australia,
and China" In making the arrest the litho-
graphic stones and apparatus for printing and
notes to the amount of $35, 900 were secured by
the police. The enterprise, although conceived
and executed bya Chinaman, is one of the most
remarkable in the counterfeiting line which
ever occurred in the country.
The bank the paper of which was to be
counterfeited, has IFS principal house in Lon
don, with branches in Australia, Hong-Kong,
and other cities in India and China. It's notes,
of course, are made in England, the process
being very complicated. In the two upper
corners of the fve.dollar note are the figures
"$5r on q dark background, which is executed
by machinery before being transferred by the
lithographer to the stone. But few litho-
graphers have the necessary apparatus for the
execution of this kind of work. About two
months ago Captain Ellis, of the detective
establishment of George H. Baker, of this city.
While there Mr.. Baker called his attention to a
small specimen of very fine work executed
by HIM for a Chilaman. 1t consisted of
a figure on dark ground, but with
out the preface of the 3. Mr.. Baker,
at that time, was uniformed as to the
use the design was to be put to. Captain Ellis
became suspicious that there was something
wrong, and, on consultation with Chief Crowley,
it was determined that the case should be closely
watched Mr. Baker kept the officers promptly
informed of each new incident as it was de-
Yeloped The work had been ordered by All
Tuck. Being greatly pleased with the work SO
far as it had progressed he directed that the s
be added to the design, stating that he was trad
ing in q superior article of tea from China, and
he desired to use the design as q trademark for
all tpa of that ouolitv From to
other All Tuck advanced with his enterprise
and finally ordered a complete lithograph of q
five-dollar note.
In explanation of this project, he stated that
his father was a stockholder in the bank and
director of the Hong Kong branch, aud he de-
sired to show him that California could execute
better work of this character than the artists of
England. The lithograph was completed ac-
cording TO order, and a large quantity of the
notes were printed. small portion of them
were given to All Tuck and the remainder were
retained by Mr.. Baker. The note reads:-
Hong -Kong-The Chartered Bank of India,
Australia, and China promises to pay the
bearer, on demand at the Office here five dollars,
or its equivalent in the currency of the island,
value received. BY order of the Board of
Directors
Soon after the two officers became satisfied of
the character of the transaction which they
were watching, they communicated the facts to
Mr.. Ralston, of the California Bank, and he
communicated by telegraph with the London
bank.
1t was the design of the San Francisco officers
to let All Tuck sail with his $35 900 in notes and
the two photographic stones, for future use, and
send detective on the same steamer to make
the arrest, after more full development of the
scheme, and perhaps the discovery of other ac-
complies. But VIXEN the London bank was in
formed that large issue of the spurious notes
had already been printed they became excited,
and sent on despatch by cable urging the i'm
mediate arrest of the counterfeiters and seizure
of the notes and counterfeiting apparatus. In
accordance with this desire the arrest was made
last Saturday. All Tam was arrested as an ac-
complice of Ah Tuck, and, so far as is known,
he is the only accomplice in the city. The
arresting officers found in the possession of the
prisoners the signatures of the officers of the
bank who sign the notes and the necessary
material for printing notes by wholesale in
China. 1t has been ascertained that All Tuck
went at first to the Eastern States to carry
out his designs, but he was unable to obtain
| the same facilities there as here. He re.
| turned to this city nine months ago, and
| has since that time been assiduously engaged in
! attending to the details of his business. Among
other difficulties which he encountered was thai
| of procuring the right kind of paper. Ameri
can bank-note paper would not do, and one OF
| two kinds first tried were found to shrink in
size. He at last procured quantity of the right
! kind from England. Of the $35, 900 which had
been printed Mr. Baker had delivered abou
$1,000 to All Tuck. Some experiments had beer
tried with few of them by smoking and hand
! ling, to give them an old appearance, as though
they had been repeatedly handled.