The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-12-01
The Secret Service.

more than five per cent. of all the coun-
terfeiting done escapes detection.
"Counterfeiting, says he, ''as far as
bills and bonds are concerned is prac-
tically suppressed, and the chief work
now done is in coin. The Secret
Service of the Government is so eff
Gent that counterfeiters are turning
their attention from the counterfeiting
of National securities to that of State
securities, and now there are many
men on work of this kind
''But do the United States Secret
Service have anything to do with State
crime?n | asked.
mo, not directly" was the reply.
.'But as long as we can prevent it we
do not intend to have one of these
blessed States suffer, and we will aid
them whenever we can
"What of the future? Do you think
the Government will ever be able to
stop counterfeiting?' | asked.
''No, | suppose not" was the re-
ply. ''But it will be able to practically
prevent its successful operation. There
are many counterfeiters now in prison.
and these will in time again be let loose
upon the community. COunterfeiters
rarely reform after engaging in the
business. There seems to be a kind of
fascination about it which draws them
back into it. They usually spend
their time in prison in plotting new
crimes. They are generally bright, in
ttllectual fellows. and though they
know that ninety-fiye out of every hun
died of them are detected, they seem
always to think they will be among the
five who escape In prison they re-
view carefully their work and debate
how they will be able to avoid the fault
which caused their detection. At last
they think they have it, and come out
full of new ideas to plot against the
Government They try their new
scheme, but are again detected. In
their new counterfeit they have over
looked other things. There are other
defects which were not before noticed,
and soon we have them again. And
then there are their children. The
principles of hereditary descent seem
to hold good as to counterfeiting. OF
course, there are many exceptions.
Here we have q criminal whose ancestry
seems to have been perfectly pure and
honest. Here we have one whose an
cestry is one continuous chain of Jail
birds. But in general the rule holds
good. Bad parents produce bad chill
dren, and parents who are counter
feiters breed counterfeiters.
''Have you any eases where the crime
runs through several generations
Eyes, many. have now in my
mind family in Indiana who for three
generations have been practicing coun-
terfeiting. l believe the fourth will
follow in the footsteps of the preceding
ones. All along the line they have
been detected and punished, but they
plot and replot, and are no sooner out
of prison for one crime than they are
in again for another. They are bright
Intellectually, and could make a good
living in other ways, but villainy seems
bred in their bones, and it comes out in
the flesh generation after generation.
We have number of other cases where
the crime has existed in whole families
for two generations, and seems to be
fairly progressing towards third. 1t
often runs through a whole connection,
and fathers and sons, brothers and sis
tiers, are now in prison for not the same
but successive and different crimes.
st often happens that counterfeiting
is done hya person whose family has had
a good record as to morality, and where
no reason can be found for ii. | am
thinking now of case in point. A
IF fhn TO,
ents, well-to-do and perfectly honest,
is sent by them to school and studies
law A few months after his gradua-
ton from the law school, while he has
plenty of money and fair chance of
succeeding in his profession, he is az
rested for counterfeiting. He has not
only entered into the crime without
temptation, but he has drawn five of
his companions in with him. He did
not do itfor example or necessity. Why
did he do it? The Lord only knows
'SThen there are cases of men stand
ing high in the learned professions who
have been counterfeiters. There are
cases of men who could make 800 a
day in legitimate ways engaged in this
crime, where even though successful
they could not make nearly so much.
There are cases of all kinds so uneX-
plainable that it makes the mind dizzy
to think of them"
.'What means do you think to be the
best for the prevention of counterfeit
ing?"
.'There seems to be nothing better
than those now used. / would have
severe laws for the crime. / would
have good detective force and would
give each criminal fair trial If found
guilty would sentence him to the long
est term of Imprisonment that the law
would permit, and | would have him
serve his term. If he became sick he
might be sick in prison, and if he died,
j would let him die in prison. This
may seem cruel, but itwould be for the
best interests of society. Prisoners re-
leased on account of i'll health become
well very rapidly after getting out and
in many cases we soon have them in
again for repetition of the crime. We
always keep our eyes on a manwho has
once been found counterfeiting. and
You will be surprised when | tell you
that it costs the United States more to
watch old criminals who have been
caught counterfeiting than it does to
deetct new counterfeits."
ssDo you know of any cases of actual