Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
COUNTERFEIT AND ALTERED NOME.

The redemption OF national bank notes and
L. S. legal tenders by the Treasury department
is often the medium of communication to the
public that a new counterfeit of note is ex-
tant; and more often the place where alterations
OF notes come to their final grief. Counterfeit
notes are very frequently found in the mutilated
currency that comes in from banks and indt-
v1dua]S in search OF good money. Cases where
notes have been altered with fraudulent intent
almost every day. 1t is notorious that the work
Of counterfeit1ng is carried on as trade-or
perhaps profession. 1t is not well known that
men make business
OF ALTERING NOTES
and cutting off pieces of them, and patching
them together to make more notes than the
originals. The number of notes that have been
dealt with in this manner, shows that regular
profession in this line exists. The old practice
of cutting ten or twelve notes into ten strips
and making therefrOm one more than the origi-
nal number, has been discontinued. 1t got to be
too ancient trick. and one too readily detected
The work of the latter day artists in altering
notes is somewhat more elaborate. One way is
RAISE THE FIGURES ON THE NOTES.
The bodies of nearly all the notes are identical.
The operator will take one dollar bill and
two dollar bill He will cut the figures de-
noting the denominations of the tWo-being
note to render it redeemable at less than its full
yalue-and carefully cut out the figures of the
one and substitute the figure two therefor, He
thus has two dollar bill for his one and his origi-
nal two dollar bill probably, because not more
than one-tenth OF it has been destroyed This is
very cunning way of doctoring notes. AS people
generally count money by picking up the right
notes is in the ordinary course of business not
very easy. All the counters in the redemption
division are excellent detectives OF crooked
age of notes from a bank to count. She made
out one dollar more than the figures on the
package denoted. She counted them over again
She told Mr.. Davtdge, the chief of the division.
That officer counted the package and found
raised" two-dollar note-thus accounting for
the dollar sa over. The bank sending in the pack
lar, and did not count 1t as more. The figures
used In raising the notes of higher denomina-
tions are generally taken from the old fraction
ad currency, as they are Identical or very nearly
ANOTHER WAY OF CHANGING NOTES
is 70 manipulate ten-dollar and hundred
note by splitting off the body Of the former
Then by pasting it on the ten and changing
around there comes from the $110 the sum OF
OF working things has been but recently devel-
oped. The first notes received at the redemption
bureau that had been thus doctored came in
this week.
ANOTHER KIND OF WORK
is evidently done by one man or firm. The
notes operated upon are tens of the issue of
1869. All the notes are treated in the same
way. The come In from belt from st. Louis to
Memphis, and are evidently systematically
worked. The notes are cut from one corner to
the other diagonally In 1gzag manner. 1t has
been impossible to discover exactly how any
thing Is made out of this operation, but it is
evident that, from the manner of cutting, the
operator somehow succeeds in getting enough
pieces to make new note. The men working
up this scheme are evidently doing large busf-
ness, as many notes cut diagonally z1gzag are
received by Mr. Davidge's division.
THE ALTERATION OF 0. 8. NOTES
is carried on all over the country, but the West
is the section where 1t is most extensively In
practice. The altered notes are disposed of to
certain extent in the same way that counter.
felt notes are "shoved." The great field of
operation for the altered note industry is, how
ever, among banks just started. The Officers
and clerks OF new banking institutions are some
what green and naturally anxious to receive de-
postts. The man with the altered notes goes in
and makes a deposit, and day or two after
draws 1t cut again. OF course he does not get the
same money that he puts In, and the bank has
to forward the original deposit after discovery
OF its character 20 Washington to be redeemed
as mut1lated currency, for what It is worth
under the regulations The same bank seldom
sets bitten twice. Every once in while there
VIII De evidences tnat the work OF altering notes
IS on the increase. but again It will become eVi-
dent that there Is Q hull In the business.