Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-24
THE SECRET SERVICE.
ers- psedern Srnre Science

HOW UfsckS sam StttSncs tvuh.oH,
ers- Ipsedern Srisne q Science.
a nceBt huAiber bfS Applston's Joa1nct
gives interesting details of q visit to the
Secret Service Division of the United
States Treasury. The numerous counter
felts that followed the change of our cur
reucy from specie to paper during the war,
lead to various efforts to detect the illegiti-
mate ainfstionists,n which eliminated ID
1865 in the organization of this secret Diyf
sion where no outsider can enter without
special permission CT the Secretary or the
Division chief. As at present organized,
the force consists of the chief, Col. III. Y.
whitley; chief assistant, T. D. Nettleship;
and large number of schief operatives
and aassistant operatives"
distributed all over the country--one, ut
least, in each Judi isl district-aDd all re-
porting regularly to headquarters. The
chief of division is the executive officer,
and guides and directs his subordinates: but
the Solicitor of the Treasury must approve
the acts of the chief to render them valid.
Its agents are operating on the Canada bor-
der to prevent smuggling and In Florida
and Key West in the endeavor 10 stop the
importation of cigars and tobacco from
Havana without paying duty.
In the successful detection and cOnvic-
ton of counterfeiters, which is the special
ty of the division, 1t is absolutely necessary,
says Col. Whitley, to use counterfeiters
against their confederates. Long expert
eUce has demonstrated the fact that spy
In the camp, as q defective confederate, Is
more to be feared by an organized band Of
criminals than all the other machinery OF
detection combined; and It is well nigh i'm
possible TO detect leading eounterfeiters,
and when detected, procure their conviction
without the use, as an entering wedge, oil
men furnished with the same crime in 8 less
er degree, as none others can 30 fully have
the confidence of the great criminal.
The criminal who has bad q dozen
illegal transaetions with his confederate en-
tiers upon the thirteenth with the same good
faith which characterized the previous
twelve, and finds himself within the meshes
of the law through the detection of the par
ty with whom he has been dealing. /! is
true that great many people find ohjec-
tionable points in this mode of procedure,
and therefore are opposed to it; but to them
Col. Whitley pertinently puts the question:
"Is this effective mode of detection wrong
done to the criminal, or right done to So
ciety?n In the experience of the very best
detectives of the present day, modern crime
| has become science, with which, it requires
the keenest intelligence and the most subtle
| Ingenuity to cope successfully. Politics,
religion, art, and all the appliances of steam,
the telegraph and chemistry, are pressed
into its service; nothing is too sacred, or too
vile for its purposes. The detection OF a
confederate strikes CONSERVATION into the
ranks of crime, and opens the door for its
| final determination. No better proof is re-
quired of the effectiveness of this system
| than the fact that counterfeiting on large
scale, as carried on extensively three or four
years ago, is Today virtually at an end; the
counterfeiting now going on being confined
to the comparatively small operations of
| ssboodle- carriers" and second rate ''coBy-
men," the former meaning the sellers of the
! smaller counterfeits and the latter signify
| ing bank note counterfeiter. A "koni-
ackern is synonymous with "cony-man,'
while an experienced rogue is termed a
| settler" r7 -+r.-1s
To illustrate the mods of detection. In
| 1870 the Eas ern cities were suddenly hoed-
ed with an almost perfect counterfeit $40
note on the New York Shoe and Leather
Bank. The chef Of the secret service dis.
patched one of his operatives to communi-
| cate with notable "koniacker," surmising
that this party knew something about it.
| TIE dealer was an sold settler" and fought
shy for awhile, but after careful maneuver-
ing 1t leaked out that, although not engaged
in the business, he knew friend from
whom he could procure the counterfeits
| that the detective seemed anxious to buy
The following day he sold the detective one
$40 note st half price; next he sold him $1OC
at 40c; subsequently $500 at soc, and SC
the game was continued until the disguised
detective had so completely gained the con,
fideuce of bis go-between that the latter Of
fered to introduce him to the manufacturer
of the s'cony." According to appointment
therefore, the three met in bar-room, and
the following week the detective purchased
three thousand dollars of the counterfeits
at eighteen cents on the dollar, from Bill
Quincy direct, which were to be delivered
on the following evening, at the Tenth
street ferry, on the East river. At the sp
pointed hour the detective was on hand
and among the tbrong waiting the ferry boa
were piain-looking p.rson and Slightly
intoxicated mechanic smoking clay pipe
There is nothing to rouse Gurney's suspi
cions, but in another moment he is seized
and handcufed by the parson and m'chan
ic. On the next day the go-between also
is arrested. Thus was captured one Of th'
ooldest and luckiest counterfeiters of oul
era, he having prospered at the business fol
some fifteen years, slthough wasting hi
winnings at the gaming table. He Otter
issued half q million dollars of a single
counterfeit, and in one case "placsd" on
$75O,00O. Connected with this case is th
sad fate of an ex- Mayor Of Allegheny City
who now languishes in the Western Penn
sylvania State Prison, located in the yer,
town of which he was once chief msgis
trate.
! About two years ago Fred Biebusch, O
st. Louis, whose bold operations flooded
and alarmed the whole West, was ARRESTED
in very much the same manner. Amonl
the documents captured with him was th
following ''order::"
ELLSWORTH, KANSAS, August 10, 18eS.-Ml
| Fred. Biebusch, - st. Louis, No.: Dear Sir
| II call and see you with sufficient guarantee
can get supply of your valuable compound
| Please answer and oblige G. d. BERLIN,
ellsworth City, Kansas"
The following was in an envelope, directed Z
and to be sent to one John Parker, Hamilton
Hancock county, Illinois: