The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-10-17
J rorrsg.o. 81 me Ba.k 81 France.


EorEegzc8 ON the bank Of ERauce.
ems riosaea easusara
7 xRfs, Sepsei1ber 81 One OF the most
eases Of ban K .note forger v llcn
has come before the public for man " q y ear
mast Ia now being tried nc the Assizes oil the
Seine and as the iorEerfes have been COM
nlitted on the Bank OF France. whose notes
pass through, eyerybodyss hands, foreign as
well as French, the details OF TIE STAIR: VII!
be found both useful and interesting 10 All
readers. ~, $3.50 ~: s
From the year 1872 the Bank OF France,
notwithstanding the active surveillance 1t
exercises over the circulation OF Its notes
and the special police 1t employs for that
nurnosc, perceived that false notes had
found their way into its Golfers. In vain
did the bank, as well as the police authors
ties, send out their sharpest detectives in
search OF the forgers; no traces OF them
could be obtained. In vain did the bank
publish in the newspapers the various de-
fective signs by which the counterfeit pa
per might be- detected; ON the contrary,
these indications only aided the torgers,
who at once recti6ed the defects, and event
ually attained such a degree OF perfection
that the bank clerks themselves were almost
bafled. &. -,
The forgeries, which were begun in 1872,
were only IN the first instance applied TO
the 20-franc notes, Of which the bank re-
ceiyed no fewer than 2,546, or a total amount
OF 50. 920 francs. Alarmed ut this state OF
things, the bank ceased the circulation OF
2O.franc notes. The forgers then took to
making 50.Yranc notes, and got rid OF about
$4,000 francs worth. They afterward fabrl-
Gated 100 franc notes TO the amount OF l5o,-
600 francs, but before they had time to pass
off all OF them they were caught.
The iorgeries bad now gone on success
fully for nearly six years, when one AFTER
noon Young man named CASTOR Jobet was
arrested at the Magasins du Louvre in the
act OF rendering counterfeit notes. Jobet,
who was only eighteen years old. was most
fashlonably dressed; he had driven up IN a
cab to purchase some gloves ana nechtles,
but the cashier was too sharp for him. he
detected the forged paper, and Jooet was
at once handed over to the ponce, VINO
found large sum OF money ana ron OF
counterfeit notes on bis person. JoDet gave
the address OF his grandmother in the Rue
du Bac as his lodging, hoping thereby to
save his accomplces; but the detectives
ferreted out the cabman whe had driven
the Young man about to various places, and,
thanks to his information, they discovered
that Jobet really lived at Neuilly, just out
side Paris, with his mother. On making q
sudden descent on the house the police sue
ceeded in capturing the whole gang, which
comprised nine persons, nearly all members
or two families connected with one another.
The chief of the gang was Joseph Bar
reau, whose mistress, Josephine Jobet, was
the sister Of the first individual arrested.
On the premises were found five hundred
counterfeit notes OF various amounts and
e3O0 sterling in gold, the proceeds OF false
notes already passed oil. One OF the persons
arrested, Mile. Philomene Barreau, was
only sixteen years old; she had just OBJ
tanned the first prize for the piano at the
Conservative, but as it was evident that
the poor girl was an entire stranger to the
doines of her family she was released and
allowed to return to her musical studies.
The inquiry which followed resulted in the
disclosure OF some romantic details in con-
nection with the existence OF the two fam-
lies.
Joseph Barreau, the head OF the gang, is
twenty. eight years OF age. He is very
good painter, and taught himself the art Of
engraving, ia which he has shown himself
to be such consummate but such sorry
master. He is also an excellent musician.
In short, be appears to be endowed with
most exceptional artistic talents, with which,
but for his perverse nature, he might have
made fortune. OF 4 dreamy, passionate,
unbridled character, Barreau, who had
made the acquaintance OF his mistress at an
early age, resorted to forgery to satisfy her
expensive tastes; but previously he had
tried his luck at the gamlng-table, and had
visited most OF the vitLeS GeauJ with jose
phinc Jobet. After fighting as soldier
during the war, he joined the ranks Of the
Commune, and when the insurrection was
quelled he escaped abroad. He went first
OF all 10 Hamburg, where he lost the little
money he possessed at the tapiS Uert.
His passion for gambling appears to be
His father passed most OF his
time over rouge-et-noir, and Joseph Barreau
himself was born in one Of the towns be-
yond the Rhine where trente-et-quardnte
fourished. While abroad he formed the
of certain Conrad DOM
browski, Polish musician, to whom he
disclosed his projects, and who advanced
him the funds necessary 10 begin work.
Barreau did not issue his first forged notes
till after long and patient study. He en-
graved on stone, and made his own blue
ink. He forced his young brother, Jean
Marie, who afterward turned musician.
to become an apprentice to an en-
graver and printer, in order to make
use of him later us q colleague. The
mother and father Of bis mistress were
employed to change the notes in Paris; a
girl named Hermance Moisson was specially
charged to do the same in the provinces; in
short, he recruited quite personnel, chiefly
from his own family and that OF his mis-
tress, to carry on his forging schemes.
The prisoners at the bar are eight IN
number-four men and four women. They
are all fashionably dressed. DomDrowski
alleges that he knew nothing about the
forgery, and says he received the notes in
payment for the money he had advanced
Barreau, believing the said notes to be
genuine. 1t is calculated that Joseph Bar
reau made about 100000 francs out Of his
forgeries during the six years.
IMPROVEMENT IN REAL EsTATE.-The Chi