The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-22
"A C0untorfeltor's KIT.

plslt 10 the secret Service dlvlslOn, of
the Police Bureau at Washington, will
give all insight into the possibilities of the
science OF countcrfelting. The arrival here
OF The ingenious outfit of the recently ar
rested gang OF Countcrfcltcrs presents n
subject for the student Of human nature
aud lover OF the curious. Brockway's con-
lcsslon furnished the foregoing number of
the notes printed by him and his associutca
on tho different banks. flo has now sur
rendered OF each kind the following Pitts
Held National bank, l4S National Revere.
79; Second National Bank of Wilkcsbarre'
90; National Exchange OF Baltimore, 80.
None OF those counterfcited on the Pitts
burg National Bank Of Commerce are here
lhcy were printed on the new localized
fibre paper in use by the government and
this issue passed as readily among mcr
chants and bankcre as the purcst genuine.
lheY have exhausted that entire edition.
and those notes alc now outstanding in the
hands OF innocent holders. There was an
edition OF ono hundred more in proccss of
ii, n>>t tNoy had moi WIT fixed nm
on the name or TIC bonh sit was, however,
going to be another one in Maryland. They
had remcdicd tho defects OF all previous
issues as nearly as possible, and they there
would necessarily be more dangerous than
the last, and would doubtless have run
through several other larger editions Be-
fore the last contemplated issue was struck
of the offenders were apprchcndcd.
Ninoty.two notes were seized, bearing the
first carbon impression on localized fibre
paper, inserting the name of the bank and
its officers, the red scnl aud numbers and
thn urnnn. 4 inf nI nn1 hlopl,
said that not more than three or four coun-
terfets on the National Exchange bank of
Baltimore were tloatcd, not over twelve of
the Second National bank Of Wllkosbarrc.
but it is yet difficult TO tell exactly the fate
of each issue. a remarkable fact connect
cd Win thhc. '"nlirg Of all the foregoing
countcrfcits is that from their first issue to
the present day the national bank redcmp-
ton bureau OF the treasury department has
discovered but 90 of these countcrfelts
The plates for notes are four in number,
One is engraved and :hc other three are
elcctrotypcd by Brockway, who is a very
skilled workman in that line. 1t is perfect
plate except the panel which contains the
state cOat-of-arms, which is found on the
rlght-hand back Of a note OF tho 500 dc
nomination. This space is always left
blank by countcrfcitcrs until they decide on
what state and which bank they will issue
their next lot OF "quccr." Hence, on the
four plates alluded to, one has separate
coat OF arms for each state upon wch they
have made an Issue. The vignettc entitled
"Signlngthe Declaration of independence, "
also common to all notes of this denomina-
tion, ls plate of polished steel, and en-
grGvcd with the most faultlcss prcclslon.
1t Is the object of admiration by all men
skilled in the higher branches of that deli
cate handicrafL. There arc also three COP
per plates, one engraved and two electro
typed. These represent all tic characters
and designs on the face OF the note, except
ing the name and location of the Ne and
the signatures of its oflicnr3. , ;s.
sions, in the vcrnaoular OF the CO...
arc called "skelctons." The plate.
supply these omissions arc called "l;l .
Two only have been surrcndercd-on. on
steel for the Pittsburg bank, and the other
copper for the bank of Wllkcsbarrc. The
othors have probably been destroyed at the
moment Of some scare or Immediately after
use, as q means OF covering up their tracks
in case of discovery. The little rod seal
was thrown overheard by Brockway from
ferry-boat while crossing East river some
fivo or six months ago, he correctly think
ing at the time that he was being followed
by government detectives.
The production of fac-simlics of United
States bond plates is equal, if not superior,
to tho note. When tho "slover" Doyle
was arrcstcd In Chicago with $2OT, 600 in
his carpet.bag, upon showing them to the
brokers and bankers, they expressed them
selves willing to buy the whole lot, and for
long time public opinion was unanimous
In pronouncing the act of arrest one Of mis-
take, and cruelty and persecution if
persisted in. The difference is easily
seen when tho discrepancies are mi
nutcly pointed out in comparing the Or
iglnal and genuine, assisted by the glass.
The first things that attracted the cye upon
investigating this whole exhibition of me
chanlcal Ingenuity and patient labor are
two small engrossed dies In copper. They
will measure one and quarter by three
quarter inches, and are complete figures of
cycloid engravings. 1t Is from these small
dies that matrices were made by Brockway,