Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-31

common. Ira Johnson procured the
release Of his father, brother and sister,
by surrendering a counterfeit $50 legal
tender plate. The well-known counter
feiter Mccartney procured the release
from prison Of Il. w. Pierce, Mrs.
Trout, and Eliza Munroe, by surrender
ing to the secret service department
counterfeit $50 legal tender note plate
engraved by Ben Boyd, and considered
very dangerous. A set Of plates for
printing 50-cent fractional currency
counterfeits was likewise suri endered
by Mrs Spike to secure the release Of
her husband.
Among the successful counterfeiters
appears the name Of T.. II. Rising, q
colored engraver, who made an excel
lent imitation Of the 50.cent fractional
currency note which was captured from
Atkins NJ Mount Vernon in 1866.
The petty and inefficient expedicnts
resorted to by thebureau of engraving
and printing for the prevention ofcoun-
terfeiting are seen in the materials cap
tured by the secret service departing
Excellent copies Of the famous red seal
of the department have been found, to-
gether with plate scratched 80 as to
print mn imitation of the fibre paper
upon which 80 many thousands Of dol
lars Of government money has been
wasted.
A general view OF the countcrfeitcrs'
operations shows that paper money
produced under the supervision Of the
government has not been more exempt
from imitation than that produced UNI
der private auspices. On the contrary,
the violation OF some Of the simplest
precautions, which has been consequent
upon the employment Of mere politici-
ans instead Of skilled workmcn to sup
crvise, has caused an extent Of counter
feitIng, ~ has already been shown, that
has never been equallcd since paper
money came into general use. The
danger Of issuing large quantities Of
notes printed from the same plates was
pointed out in this country thirty years
ago, and even long before that time in
England.
One fatal peculiarly Of American
currency is recalled to mind 10y the gen
orally poor engraving Of the conntorlclts.
Nothing but the prevalent practice Of
permitting dirty genuine money to cir.
culate could permit most Of the bud
money in use to have the slightest
chance OF imposing upon the public. II
the genuine notes were kept clean, and
never reissued when soiled, there would
be u better opportunity than there is
now Of examining suspected paper
money.
The detection Of counterfeit money il
IN most cases easy from tho careless.
ness Of counterloiters in not making the
bnd money resemble the good III minor
details, Of correotnumbering, and check
letters Every counterfeit bank note
discovered thus far on the government
notes, with the exception Of one--tho
50 note Of the PocasscL National Bank
Of Fall River, Mass. bears the name Of
+. Il. Spinner ~ treasurer of the United
States. Yet many of these countcrfcits
purport to he the issues Of dates subsc-
qucnt To MIR. Spinncr's resignation in
1875.
Oneol the easiest methods OF detect
ing countorfeits, therefore, is to keep ON
hand description of the genuine notes.
Tho comtcrfcits have in many cases
not only the wrong name for the United
States treasurer, but also the wrong
name for register. The way this hap
poncd WIS from the attempt 10 use one
general counterfeit plate for tho issues
Of many banks without taking time to
make the alterations SO M To have the
name of the register and treasurer cor
rect. Each series issued is under DIFF
ferent act of congress, or marked
method ofnumbering, 80 that compare
son with descriptive lists Of genuine
notes will detect almost amy counter
felt