Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-26
THE . QUEER FRATERNITY.

CHEEKY L0T-BRoCKwAY AND oTHERs-TRIcKs
OF THE GANG-wHERE AND HOW THEY OPER-
ATE-How THEY ARE BAFFLED-FALLING OFF
IN coUNTERFEITTNG-THK WORK OF THE b.
REAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.
These counterfeiters are queer people" said
Mr. George W. CASTELAR,, superintendent ofthe en-
craving division of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, the other day to the STAR reporter.
Mr.. CASTELAR, was seated at his desk in a sombre
wing of the new building for the Engraving and
Printing Bureau. and his remark was brought
out by leading question from The STAR man.
Yes" continued the superintendent, ''these
counterfeiters are queer people. They are a
study. l have studied them, and pronounce
cheek to be their leading characteristic Look
here, this, picking up an envelope from the
table in front of hints letter from f. W.
Spencer, alias Brockway. He is a pre-eminent
man of the queer He, you will remember,
was In
THE BIG CHICAGO BOND BUSINESS
of some months ago. Now, he writes to me-
giving his address in New York, and asks that
will assist him in the preparation of check
for the use of national banks, which he has in
vented or rather gotten up. and which he thinks
it is impossible to counterfeit. and will, there
experience, should say that he has gotten up
a check which he alone could counterfeit. But
he wants me to assist him. He says that he
would like me, among other things, to do some
lathe work for him upon this check. He makes
this request naiyely and evidently with the full
assurance that will comply. He offers to put
forward first-class security that he will pay for
all work that do for him. OF course, | will
not comply with his request. But it shows the
cheek of the cOunterfeiter."
''Is there any band of sympathy among
cOunterfe:ters?" the STAR man asked.
c.: There is. There is a Free Masonry
among the more expert counterfeiters. 1t does
not extend however. to the inferior men of the
craft. The experts will always help one another.
when in trouble, to the very extent of their
means. And do not think that the exper.
counterfeiter is without influence. He is up
one day and may be down the next. When he
Is flush he spends his money freely. He makes
friends thereby, and ia shrewd enough to make
influential friends. If the time comes that he
is up for his crime he has friends at court. His
free use OF money has made them. He even has
friends inside the court and sometimes on the
bench. 1t is owing to this Shrewd game of the
counterfeter that there are comparatively so
few convictions where he is given to the law
The cOunterfeiter is no mans fool"
ONLY ONE COLORED CoUNTERFEITER
STAR: ''Is counterfeiting confined to the white
race?'
c.: "With one exception believe it is; that
Is where there Is any skill in the counterfeiter
The only colored engraver known is Patrick
Peasin. With this exception, I believe. coun-
terleitlng Is strictly confined to the whites.'
STAR: Have you ever had any cases where en-
ployes of your bureau have developed into
cOunterfeiters?
DEPARTMENT CoUNTERFEITER.
c.: "Only one. Charley Smith, an employe
OF this bureau, got up a counterfeit coupon on
o. s. bonds. He made his counterfeit while in
employ here and was being paid by the govern
ment. He never did anything with it, however
He was caught before he could enter upon active
operations and realize. He was turned over to
the authorities, but do not think that ANYTHING
was ever done with him. There was circun-
stantial evidence against him, but the deed
could not be nailed to his door sufficiently to
satisfy the law. There was at that time entirely
too much latitude given counterteiters by the
officers OF the secret service who had charge
OF the preparation of evidence against them
Now it is different. Mr. Brooks chief of the
secret service, gives them no quarter whatever
Tie is down on them. When he gets case, if
there can possibly be conviction it is certain to
follow.
DEFINITION OF CONTEMPLATING.
'Toths policy attribute much of the diminu-
the improvements in engraving by making the
work of eounterfeting more difficult have had
much to do with the falling off Of counterfets.
Owing to the intricate lathe and other work
now employed in United States notes. it is al
most All impossibity for good counterfeit to
be put aoat in sections where people are IA
lniiiar with all the denominations. The old
United States lega-tenders were cOunterfeited
in all their denominations. AS many as seven
couhterfeits on one denomination made their
appearance. Here are specimens in this book
These cOunterfeits were equally as good as the
genuine. OF the new issue of legal-ten,lers out
OF nine denominations only two have in any
way been successfully counterfeited.'
STAR: Are all of the counterfeits of the first
issue OF legal-tenders out of existence?"
superintendent c.: Not by any means. They
continue to come in freely"
STAR: I'm what sections of the countrv is
counterfeit money most prevalent"
u: I'm the more sparsely settled portions of
the country; especially in the west and in GER
tain portions OF the south. There money be-
ing less famiiar-the larger notes particu-
larly-there is greater field for the counter
feiter. and he avails himself of it. 1t is evident
that the people OF such sections are very readily
imposed upon, owing to the lack of familiarity
with the notes"
STAR: I'm what city do you think there Is
the least counterfeit money afOat:"
U. I'm Washington, most certainly The GOV
eminent employees are paid off by the Treasury
mere, and the money is Of course genuine. The
city people are accustomed to the genuine note,
and are therefore the more capable of Judging
OF the counterfeit. Again. when man in
Washington gets note that is somewhat worn.
his first inclination is to take it to the Treasury
and have it redeemed in crisp greenback. Bv
that means alone is there afforded the best of
opportunities for the detection Of counterfeit
notes 1t is one of the tricks of the counter
feiter to put out his work in a worn and evil
IDENTIFY much used form. He will crumple
note, smoke it, and stain it with tobacco Juice
or otherwise, to show that it has passed cur
rent for some time, and must therefore be
good note. AS SOON as one Of these notes is
taken to the Treasury for redemption it's spu-
rious character is discovered ON the spot The
note is not only not redeemed, but is stamped
as counterfeit, and handed back to the owner
1t cannot be passed again with such mark
upon it. So it is retired from circulation That
is one OF the principal reasons why there is so
little counterfeit money in circulation in Wash
ingtOn."
STAR: "But why is such not the case in other
cities?'
C.: ut is In more limited measure the case
in cities where there are sub-treasuries, because
the same method of stamping bad money and
handing it back to the man presenting it is pur-
sued. But where there are no sub-treasuries
there Is trouble. A man goes into a bank and
nufS in a had hill no lorly foIs u ,