The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-06-26
THF SECRET SERVICE CORPS.
Operations of ohicials who Hunt Counter
feiters.

United States treasury building. Mr
huight, one Of the officials, said: 9TH,
operations Of the corps of secret seryic,
detectives extend all over the country
There Is not o city or hamlet in thu
United States which is not liable TO re-
ceive visit from one or moro of thu
forty men who are constantly on thu
watch to suppress the counte:lei,ing Of
the coin and paper money. The move
ments of our officers are, of course, from
the very nature and danger of the work
in which they are engaged, kept in the
strictest secrecy. They wear no badge
nor do they even carry document show
ing that they are in any way connected
with the service. Oftentimes months
and months are taken in the detection ol
a single case, and when man has been
convicted of counterfeiting, or of passing
counterfeit money, he never is out from
under the reach Of our eyes. To show
how successful we have been in suppress.
ing counterfeits, 1 can tell you that we
have not seen new issue of bad money
for over two years and a half. In that
| safe which you see there there ars 81 900.
| QUO In counterfeit money and about
$22, 900 i'll bad coin. This sample book,
In which you see pasted bank aud nation.
al notes, with tho word "bad" punched
out in each contains $25,000, and we
have here tho histories and photographs
O; 2,5G1 criminals, perhaps ten per cent.
| or whom are women. William e,
Brockway is The most notable person in
| the collection. He is called the "kiup
of counterfeiters," and occupies the frat
place in this album. Next to him are
his two pals, Doyle, who passed the
money, and Charles F. Smith, the most
expert engraver of CROOKED" work in
the country. In all their operations
Brockway furnished the money, laid out
the plans, and was the brains of the
gang. Doyle passed the "stuff," and
Smith was the engraver. Doyle is now
serving twelve years sentence in the
Illinois State prison. Brockway was
captured some weeks ago on the charge
OF counterfeiting soma railroad bonds,
samples of which we have here in this
office, and Smith is living with his fami.
ly In Brooklyn, N. Y. Smith engraved
the famous plate from which the 81 900
seven.thirty bond of the issue of 1866
was printed, and 1000 worth of It were
actually redeemed at the treasury depart.
ment before it was discovered to be a
counterfeit. The impression was 80 good
that the experts were unable to deter.
mine whether the bonds were genuine or
counterfeit, and the matter vas only
decided when the government issue bear
Ing the duplicate numbers came back for
redemption. Smith also engraved what
Is known as the Hamilton $50 greenback,
and the 500 note on different bapks.
which are the finest known of these
series.
Several years ago very shrewd dodge
was played by one of Smiths confeder.
ates on r. II. White g. Co., of Boston.
A woman entered their stole and looked
at some very expensive shawls. Finally
she made up her mind to take one, and
rendered 81 900 bill in payment. The
clerk took the money to the cashier, who
sent 1t to the bank to find out whether It
was genuine or not. The answer came
that the bill was good beyond the shadow
of doubt. Then the clerk said that
the shawl would bs sent 10 the woman's
address, but she proceeded to get very
angry, ami said that If they could not
take her money without question that
che would 60 elsewhere, and she founced
out Of the store In great rage. About an
hour atterward she returned, and told the
clerk that she had visited several other
large firms, but that she had been unable
to find shawl which suited her as we'll
as the one she left in their establishment
She said she would take it with her, and
rendered a 81 900 bill in payment. The
shawl was valued at 5000, and the woman
took 1t away with her, together with
$500 In change. The bill first rendered
was genuine, the second was counter.
felt, and the firm was just $1,000 out of
pocket. Smith engraved the plate from
which this counterfeit note was printed.
and 1t was 30 nearly perfect that only q
minute examination would nave CAUSED
detection. Smith also engraved the plate
from which the $1,000 six per cent.
bonds were printed, but we captured the
entire issue On Doyie iH Chicago.
efuount;ng in aii to S2O4,000. A curious
thing about his arrest by our detectives
was the fact that they took him, suspect.
ing that he had the old counterfeit 500
bills Ia his possession, when, imagine
their surprise, they found q new bond,
It will be several years before we shall
have to look after Mr.. Doyle again.
Next to Smith, the best engrayer Of
counterfeit money is Charles Ulrich, who
ser"ad term of nine yesrs in one OF our
N ,thern prisons. He 10 now in Germa.
ny. George White is another export Of
note. He stands accredited with the
best counterfeit $5 bank note ever issued
and but few people are able to detect
them. The counterfeit Is on the Mer.
chants national bank of New Bedford.
Mass. Here is q picture OF George
Albert Mason, G noted counterfeitor, who
came from England to this country and
engaged in this business. He was ar.
rested, tried. convicted and served nine
years In prison, but he is now at liberty
and has sued the government for $50 900
for false imprisonment. His papers are
In the hands of British Minister West,
but wouldn't care to gamble that he
will recover anything. Now wieh to
call your attention to two curious facta.
Counterfeiting runs in families, and
without exception the men engaged in Il
are all poor. For instance, take the
Ballard family. Thomas, BENJAMIN.
George and John, four brothers, all in
our clutches, together with an aunt.
There Is o1e brother out of jaii. but we
are satisfed that he is an hosast man.
Thomas Ballard 10 wonderful fellow.
He is the only person, so far as we know
who has succeeded In initiating the fiber
paper upon which the genuine notes and
bonds are printed. At present he "a
serving thirty years. sentence as a re-:
ward for bis discovery. He 10 chemist
of no ordinary attainments, and he In.
vented process by which he was able to