Arizona weekly enterprise., 1881-12-24
CHECK RAISERS.
Devices Used for Removing Ink ana
 for COncealing FOrgeries.

for COnceaIing FOrgeries.
 [From the New York Sum-
 "Check raising is getting to be one of the lost arts," said an old detective, "and as checks are prepared nowadays they are pretty safe. There are some of the crooked men, however, who know all the tricks of removing ink. was once curious enough to learn how it was that they could so successfully alter check. Different forgers used different methods. One successful stock forger used equal quantities of lGpis cdtdnli- na1'is, common salt, and rock alum, which he boiled for half an hour in white wine in a new pipkin, or he used fine sponge shaped like pencil, which he dipped in equal quantities of nitre and vitriol distilled. AS he passed this point over the ink 1t came right out. Some times equal quantities of sulphur and powdered saltpeter, both distilled, were used. For long time the police did not understand what use was made of a lit tie ball that now and then was found in the possession of a prisoner. This turned out to be made of alkali and sulphur and was used for removing ink. It Is hard to find an ink that will not disappear under one plan of treatment or another. knew check raiser who had a small laboratory. He kept bottles of acids of all sorts and case of camels-hair brushes. With small quantity of OK alic or muriatic acid, somewhat diluted, and camers-hair ci, he could paint out any number of ink spots. One oI two applications, followed by the use O. plotting pad, would restore the paper kgN r.I-s and an accurate knowledge of chemicals to use any of these plans so as not to in jure the texture of the paper or discolor il. If the paper Is injured 1t is not SC easy to write upon 1t again, but by the use of tinely-powdered bounce, rubbed in lightly with the finger and furnished with an ivory folder, the paper can be repaired. Common writing ink. how ever, is best removed by the use of oxy- genated muriatic acid.
 "But the new styles of check, with the amount cut through the paper with die, are hard to alter. Here Is check with a revenue stamp in old gold color in the center, and broad lines of red ink are drawn close up to the amount writ | ten in. There Is another broad line of red ink after the name of the payee. Up | in the left-hand corner, where the amount Is in figures, you will see that the figures are also cut through the pa- per. On the reverse side of the check, l just over these figures, is pasted pink strip which brings the cut figures out in such relief that they cannot be al- tered without detection. The only way to alter that check is to take out the first written word in the amount in the body of the check and the amount in the corner, and, after replacing them with the raised sum, to inlay piece of check paper in the place of the cut figures. This inlaying process requires great care, and only one or two men in this country are able to do it. The cut fig ures must be carefully cut out by 8 sharp. razor-li1e tool, and cut in such 8 way that the edges of the opening will be beveled. Then fresh bit of check paper must be shaped to the size of the opening and fitted in, with its edges also beveled. The edges must be held together with paste made of flour anc strained resin, and carefully pressed Some bounce rubbed over the lines vii conceal the patch, unless there is { strong light, ald then, with the same die that the bankerS use, raised ngure' can be inserted. The work is delicate and is not often attempted. as it involves the risk of running the check for tn, amount for which it is good. By thu way, the cutting of figures into the checl had curious origin. Alter a big forger, caused by raised check, some on, wrote letter to the Sum, suggestin. that the amount for which checks ar drawn should be cut through the paper The suggestion was at once adopted b. man who, we understand, made fort une from it."