Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-06-05
CHECK RAIsERs.
Devices Used for Removing Ink and
for COncealing 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. 1 was
once curious enough to learn how it was
that they could so successfully alter a
check. Different forgers used different
methods. One successful stock forger
used equal quantities of lapis cal0aai-
saorss, common salt, and rock alum,
which he boiled for half an hour in white
wine in new pipkin, or he used a fine
sponge shaped like pencil, which he
vitriol distilled. As he passed this point
over the ink it 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 lit
tie ball that now and then was found In
the possession of 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.
I knew check raiser who had small
laboratory. He kept bottles of acids of
all sorts and a case of camePs-hair
brushes. With small quantity of OK
alic or muriatic acid, somewhat diluted,
and camel's-hair pencil he could paint
out any number of ink spots. One or
two applications, followed by the use Of
a blotting pad, would restore the paper
to primitive purity. It requires skill
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
it. IF the paper is injured it is not SO
easy to write upon it again, but by the
use of finely powdered pounce, 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.
Just over these figures, is pasted pink
strip which brings the cut figures out
-, c,,oL ro1ioF fbof 4hou oorpof no II
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 a
sharp. razor-ike tool, and cut in such a
way that the edges of the opening will
be beveled. Then a fresh bit of check
paper must be shaped to the size of the
opening and fitted in, with it's edges
also beveled. The edges must be held
together with a paste made of flour and
strained resin, and carefully pressed.
Some pounce rubbed over the lines will
conceal the patch, unless there is a
strong light, and then, with the same
die that the bankers use, raised figures
can be inserted. The work is delicate,
and is not often attempted, as it involves
the risk of running the check for the
amount for which it is good. By the
way, the cutting of figures into the check
had curious origin. After a big forgery
caused by raised check, some one
wrote a letter to the Sun, suggesting
that the amount for which checks are
drawn should be cut through the paper.
The suggestion was at once adopted by
a man who, we understand, made fort
une from it. p"