Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-05-01
FACTS ABOUT COUNTERFEIT MONEY.


"Gath," the Chicago Tribune's correspon.
dent, has been interviewing an engraver on
the subject of counterfeit money. Said this
gentleman:
81 am one of the oldest engravers in the
country. There is an investigation one day
to be made into the currency of the country
which will startle you and your newspapers,
and all their readers. There is $40 bill.
Takeit-look at it. Dc you see anything mo-
table about it?" looked the bill over and
then the man all over, and saw nothing to ex.
cite remark in either. "There is nothing
particular about that bill," he said, Except
that it is a counterfeit" There are eighteen
distinct counterfei:s on the $40 bill, and, as
an engraver, I know that they represent eigh'
teen different counterfeiting gangs. .4.
People generally know nothing whatever
about the duplication of United States bonds,
and about the quantity Of counterfeit scrip
aAoat. Ifyou, as newspaper man, were to
60 to General Spinner, and to the heads OF the
Treasury, and ask how much counterfeit cur
rency was in circulation, they would probably
tell you 10 per cent, but l tell you as an en-
graver, that they have admitted to me that
there is 25 per cent, or one-quarter OF the
whole amount of the stamps current in this
country, which are fraudulent.
DO you know sir, that the postal currency
is renewed six times every year, That is the
case and see the possibilities for its increased
duplication and counterfeiting. We could
better afford to pay 30 per cent. premium, and
use gold, than have to deal as we do with lot
of paper which is beyond the control, to
great extent, of the Government officials.
The extravagantly high prices and the cor
ruption in our politics and life hinge upon the
currency. The duplication Of the United
States bonds will some day be found such an
alarming matter that it will bring the whole
country to its feet The crime began in the
treasury as far back as Chase's time. John
Covode and others in Congress made strenu.
GUS efforts to expose it; but they were gagged
by the gavel and the party majority An Of
fetal who at that time was connected with the
printing had in some way got grip upon the
Secretary, and could not be budged from his
place by any power in the country. His &C.
counts were short one year $4,000, and he
could not tell where the money had gone.
They kept after him, however, and on one
occasion he appeared before the examiners
with his arms full of bonds, and, throwing
them down, said: "There are your $63,0OOP'
Now, there was press used for printing at
that time, aud it ran repeatedly in the night.
The official himself was seen to emerge after
dark, on two occasions, with great tin box
in his hand, which he put into his buggy and
carried away. Now, how much duplication
of bonds do you suppose it required to make
$4,000 worth Of coupons, so as to equalize
that account?' Several hundred thousand,
1 suppose I" "No, sir, it took between $751;
100000 and $19O00,000 of bonds; and about
that time happened the first duplication" I
looked suddenly into the old gentleman's eyes,
and was in great doubt whether was speak
ing to an intelligent lunatic or great refor-
mer.