The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19
MUCH COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
Why DOES NOT THE SECRET SERVICE
BUREAU PUr 4 STOP TOIT
sixty Auu'on. of spar'oa. B.nh Note. ss'a


fishes periodical accounts OF the amount Of
United States aud national bank notes in crcu-
lation. 10y which 1t appears TINT the aggregateof
both. Of all denominations. rs about S6GG,00O,-
600. But who can tell how great is the amount
Of this sort Of money in circulation that Is
Day by day the list Of banks
whose notes have been countcrfeited increases.
The moderate estimate Of ten per cent. would
make the amount of counterfeit money in cir
culation over 100000 600 Tho question for the
that isto investigate John Shcrman's
Secret Service Department is why this alarming
spread Of countcrieiting has not been stopped.
Is the whole power ot tho Government unequal
to the capture Of tho counterfeit plato Of tho
First National Bank of Tamaqua and the Mcr-
chants National Bank Of Chicago 50 notes ?
The plato from which counterfeit $50 notes on
the Third National Bank Of Buffalo. Central
National Bank Of New York. National Broadway
BAN, Of Now York Tradcsmpn's National Bank
OF Now York and Union National Bank 81 Now
York are printed Is vet in the hands Of the
couutcrfpiters. and no one knows how many
millions they may PRINT and circulate vt this
dangerous counteri'it-so dangerous. indeed,
thnt experts are constantly deceived.
Tie same inquiry il made with reference to
the dangerous counterfeit on tho siOO notes Of
at lcust seven national banks. How much ire
doenIhlr pnp"r money is hourly added To the
currency Nv these means Unfortunately there
are no regular reports, hut there is constant
demand Tor pay Tor me secret service DEPART
mcnt. which tx presumed TO be engaged IN pre-
venting countcrlcIting.
Tho enormous temptations offered by tho
issue of such largo quantities OF money printed
from one sct NJ plates have resulted ia the pro-
durtlon gt tue muet sktlful couDteri.is eyer
many eases the bad money can only b" detected
from the good by skilled experts Only. The
record Of the counterfeit plates sslled and de-
mnrkahlr variety of tho fractional currency
issues. Almost as soon as tho Bureau of En-
craving and Printing issued new H-ccnt note
were tho forhilding physioGnomics of Mr..
spinner Mr.. :. NJ. Clark and others in tho
n terror ~ tho count rfct RS: the bad notes
soon appeared in such numbers rs To compel
the issue OF some new dies gn,
CRAVING aud Printing had much TO do with this
result. The work was coarse and easily cpnied.
But in somo eases. dangerous countcriets
have been traced To- the dishonesty Of Trcaslry
officials. Thus. an cngravrr in the bureau was
detected engraving 1910 COUPON Tor Jerry
Cowrdcn. ihc notorious cuuntefi'Wer. Two oi
the printers in thu lur"aU furnished copies 81
tho original compound interest TrcnSnry note
plato To- the celebrated count"rl"Ucr, Hall. ana
also an iutpr a-ion OF the original plate Of tho
$50 legal tender note. This, Of course, WIS the
most dangerous method " producing had
most respects. identified with the good.
One OF the n"sf ~ki!iul AMI extensive coun-
terlciicts was Ben Boyd. now serving a term Of
Imprisonment Among his dangerous produc-
lions WIS a counterfeit OF ia. $50 l'en tender
tender. one OF thn Slul legal tender ana me
famous counterfeit on tire Traders National
Bank ~ Cnwngo, After the market had he.n
Hooded with tho last named. Boyd changed tho
plate 10 tho First National Bank Of canton. the
First National Bank ct Aurora. and the FIRST
National Bauk ul Paxton. all lu Illinois.
Another successful counterleter WIS Ulrch
who engraved the SluO national currency pi NJ
used 10 counterfeit the notes OF the OHIO VA
tlonal Bank. and aiterwarl changed It o. the
First National Bank of Boston and the Central
National Bank oi New York city. Some Of tii"
work on these notes was eVcci lent. part rrlariy
tho NiEntttr us tho signing ot the Declaration Of
lni"penlynr,. tlrirh also engraved goun-
rency. which WAS captured from him. II is sup
posed that TIE lure plate WAS never finished.
Tom Ballard WIS another dangerous counter
lrltrr. aud his name figures nSpiruously IN
the Secret Service records. He Was caught in
the net 81 countcriciting tho s. note Of the
British Bank ct North America.
Irvine White was another skillful workman.
and one Of the most dangerous couuteriets on
the 80 national currency notes y cr,n,Iit.i TO
National Bank. Highland Htnk ot N"whnreh.
First National Bank Of Northampton. Mas. (;
iarI. ',C! unsiie,an N "i'onai isnnk ~ NV Y1rk.
and Third National Bank Of Providence. u. l.
His arrangements inr doing thiS were most
ingenious. although tu'y might hay" boon an
Z guuurd ne the natural result Of max inr Tho
original note, SO nearly ak" tnai ihry could ue
Mics Osle. who was captured m 1871, was
al-luu industrious worker. lie made "ouu-
trrist ol tine $40 national currency. aud uHdr u
answer for tho Richmond National Bank ot
Iul ana. ana Lafayette Nu'lofu Bank 20 In
dlaua lie mai" fair counterfeit of III" 80
cent Irrational currency note. engraved hv mo
Burtnu % Enrryiu; ami Printing. con whi 30
100 pcar,l III portrait ~ samuel Dexter, S."'re-
lurKh lill two years. but WIS let ont on bail for
surrcndHring snm" counterfeit plates that the
e. rnmcnt thought dangerous.
This r'l"asc of ctunirrirlt"r~ for tho surren-
der OF plates has not been uncommon. Ira
| IoH4sln ur9cur"d ne release Il hi7 father
brother. AMI slst"r hy surtcndn RI NJ "a counter
iolt $50 LEGAL t"nder plate. The wrll-known
countrrieit"r MCCARTNEY procured ihe release
] from Prison of J.. W. ll"rc". MT. ltOut.
| amt Elm Munroe. by surrcnd"rins 10 tho
Secret Service Department a counterfeit s5u
/ legal tender note plate engraved boy Ben Boyd,
/ ami CONS dcrrd very dangerous. set Of plates
! for printing hu-~'nt fractional currency coun-
| t"rieIt- was likewise surr"ndered by Mrs. spike
! 10 secure the rol"usr Of her husband.
| Among tn successful countrriritrr5 appears
the name Of p. II. Il sing. colored engraycr,
| who made an excellent imitation 81 the 3O
/ turrd from Atkins AT Mount Vernon ia 1861
| tn" u"ty and indifferent eNp"dicnis r'soried
! To- 10y tho Bureau Of Engraving and Printing for
| the prevention Of contributing are seen IN tho
| trials captured 10y the Secret service DE.
| partricnt. ENcrll mt copies Of the famous red
| senl ~ the department have been found. To-
| gcther with pinto scratched 80 rs 10 print m
/ imitation OF tn nhre pnprr upon winch so many
/ been wasted.
Agenrral view 81 the counterfeters' operations
/ shows mat paper money produced under the
| supervise IN Of the Government has NOT been
! more exempt from imitation than that pro-
! duccd under private auspi' :. On tuo contrary
! tue violation of some OF the simplest prcrau'
| tons which has been consequent upon thf
! employment of mere politicians instcnd O
| skilled wOrkmen To supervise, has caused NJ
extent Of couutrticitiug ~ las already b'"l
shown, that has never been cQualled since
| unner money came into general use The
danger OF issuing large quantities OF note
| printed from Ill same plates WHS pointed out II
! thI- country thirty years ago, aud even long be-
! fore thut time in England
one fatal regularity Of American currency i
| recalled to mlud 10y the generally poor eugraV
| ing of IN" cOuut'ririts, Nothing out the prrNa
| lent prH,ti'e of perm tting dirty genuine none,
10 rircuiato could permit most of the bad money
ia use ip have mo slightest chance Of imposing
upOn the public. Ii the genuine notes wrr'
Kent clean, and never reissued when soll"d
| there WQuld he u better opportunity thnn there
il now of examining suspected paper money.
The detection OF counterfeit money IL in mos
cases ep-y from the carolrssurss Oi counter
frltrrs In not max ing the bad money Resemble
the good in minor "details ot rurrn't uumherin.
and cheek lctt'rs Every counterfeit bnnk not
Discovered thus far on the Government notes
with the exception uf onr-the 81 note OF th
Pocnssot National Bank Of Fail River, Mus~.-
bears the name Of +, f. spinner ms rreasur"ro
the United States. ut many Of these counter
icits puruort To be tn" issues Of dates subsa
qu"nt 10 Mr., Spnners resignation IN 1919.
| ono of the eHs st methods OF detecting cOun
teririts. therefore, il - keep on hand de
! srriptlOn Of the genuine notes, Ihe counter
| frits have in many cHScs mol only tho Wrun
| mama for tha United STATES Treasurer. hut all