New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-15
CLEVER CoUNTERFEITlNG SCHEME.

CLEVER CONTEMPLATING SCHEME,
Capture of Spurious Currency Plates and
Several Thousand Dollars Worth OF
Unfinished NOtes-PIot 10 Flood the
Country with New Fifty Cent Stamps
/ The Best Counterfeit Ever IssHed.
The New York Herald Of Tuesday reports
| this:
| Information was received at the office of
| che United States Secret Service Division,
| in this city, last week, in regard to the
| operations OF a large gang of counterfeiters
at st. Louis, Missouri IG was stated that
an adroit plot had been arranged there for
flooding the country with spurious counter
felt fifty cent currency notes, of a descrip-
ton difficult to detect from the genuine
stamps. 1t. was also announced that the
plates had been partially engraved and
printed from, and had been forwarded
North in order to be completed. This course,
it was explained, was taken for the pur-
pose Of escaping the strict spirit of the law
affecting cOunterfeiterS. Fears were enter
tanned by the Treasury that the plot, if not
frustrated in the bud, would be of incalcu-
liable injury to bankers and business men,
and accordingly the most strenuous efforts
were ordered for the discovery of the
offenders. Colonel Whitley chief of the Sc
Cret service, detailed several of his most
skillful detectives to the work Of unearth-
ing the counterfeters. They accomplished
the best part of their undertaking yes
terday i'll the capture of the cOun-
terfeit plates together with about twenty
thousand dollars worth of half finished
stamps. These were found in a large box
addressed to B Still, which was waiting de-
livery at Westc0tt's express office in Brook
Lyme The box had remained there several
days. and it was supposed that the person
to whom it was consigned had become
frightened, and was afraid to claim it. The
plates which formed part Of its contents
were two in number, one being the diverse |
side OF the fifty cent notes, and the aother
containing the red seal on the face, en- |
grayed on copper 1t was supposed that |
the intention was to have the remainder of !
the engraving on the reverse side completed |
here. The plates and the stamp which had |
been printed from them. were pronounced |
the best of the kind ever executed, and so
near like the genuine dies as to deceive or
binary experts. Beneath the plates in the
box was found the following singular letter,
which is copied verbatim from the original:
tell G to do his part of the work Win
try and get everything ready by the time
Col. II. G. Whitney CITES pitched over
board: AS soon G Greeley and b BROWN
gets elected we can make our Jack Whit
ney and all of the old flies will be dis
charged. think Sam Fel1ner or old bill
Woods-will git Col Whitney phase, and if
Gather of them CITES it we will be all o. X.
right side up. be very ceaurtul till see
you, if we don't git new crew after the
election think it will be healthey for us to
go to Canada. 1 scene old Dock the other
day he is hartley but afraid to let me have
that press SO you will have to git one made
old slate is dead he has not been we'll since
Col w give Pet and freed such a turbel
ruff deal fred thinks he will be all right
when takes the chair for four years and
Nc is frightened half to death don't think
ne will be any account while old whitney
s in Office don't think l be over sill after |
;he farir. j. A. STILL.
The box and contents were removed to
Colonel Whitely's office to be forwarded to
he Treasury Department.