Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-03-14
THE SECRET SERVICE CORPS
OPERATIONS OF OFFICIALS WHO
HUNT CoUHTERFGITBRs.
A Book which Contains Ihe Histories
and Photographs OF $500 Grim
iuaIs-An sCdOtes and CuriOsfties,

A Washington correspondent of the
Boston T'fageLer visited the headquarters
of the Secret Service officials in the
United States treasury building. Mfr.
Knight, one of the officials, said: "The
operations of the corps of secret service
detectives extend all over the country.
There is not city or hamlet in the
United States which is not liable to
receive visit from one or more of the
forty men who are constantly on the
watch to suppress the oounterfeiting 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 iii 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 of
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, | can tell you that we
have not seen new issue of bad money
for over two years and half. In that
safe which you see there there are 81, ,000,
900 in counterfeit money and about
5000, 900 in bad coin This sample book,
in which you see pasted bank and ma
tional notes, with the word "bad"
punched out in each, contains $50, 900,
and we have here the histories and photo
graphs of $500 criminals, perhaps ten
per cent. of whom are women. William
Z. Brockway is the most notable person
in the collection. Heis called the "king
of counterfeiters, " and occupies the first
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 coun-
try. 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 a
twelve years sentence in the Illinois
State prison. Brockway was captured
some weeks ago on the charge of coun-
terfeiting some railroad bonds, samples
of which we have here in this Office, and
Smith is living with his family in Brook
lyn, N. Y. Smith engraved the
famous plate from which the
81, 900 seven-thirty bond of the issue
of 1865 was printed, and $93, 900 worth
of it were actually redeemed at the treas
ury department before it was discovered
to be counterfeit, The impression was
so good that the experts were unable to
determine whether the bonds were genuine
or counterfeit, and the matter was 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 800 note on different banks,
which are the finest known of these
series.
Several years ago a very shrewd dodge
was played by one of Smiths confeder-
ates on r. II. White & Co., of Boston.
A woman entered their store and looked
at some very expensive shawls. Finally
she made up her mind 10 take one, anC
rendered 81, 900 bill in payment. The
clerk took the money to the cashier, who
sent it to the bank to find out whether
it was genuine or not. The answer came
that the bill was good beyond the shadow
of q doubt. Then the clerk said tina
the shawl would be sent to the woman
address but she proceeded to get yer,
angry, and said that if they could no
take her money without question that sh
would go elsewhere, and she hounceC
out OF the store in great rage. Abou
an hour afterward she returned, and tol(
the clerk that she had visited severa
other large firms, but that sh
had been unable to find shaw
which suited her as we'll as tn
one she left in their establishment
She said she would take it with her, an(
rendered 81, 900 bill in payment. Th
shawl was valued at $500, and the woma
took it away with her, together wit
$500 in change. The bill first tendere'
, was genuine, the second was a counter
felt, and the firm was just 81, 900 out O
pocket. Smith engraved the plate fror
which this counterfeit note was printed
and it was so nearly perfect that only
, minute examination would have cause
detection. Smith also engraved the plat
!, from which the 81, 900 six per cent. bond
2 were printed, but we captured the entn
issue on Doyle in Chicago, amounting
! all to 1904, 900. A curious thing abol
! his arrest by our detectives was the fa'
that they took him, suspecting that
had the old counterfeit 500 bills in h
f possession, when, imagine their surpris
v they found new bond. 1t will be se'
eral years before we shall have to loo
after Mr. Doyle again.
Next to Smith, the best engraver
counterfeit money is Charles Ulrich, WI
h served term of nine years in one of OF
|, Northern prisons. He is now in Ge
t many. George White is another expe
: of note. He stands accredited with Il
: best counterfeit S5 bank note ever issue
:. and but few people are able to dete
: them. The counterfeit is on Il
, Merchants national bank of New Be-
f ford, Mass. Here is picture of Georl
v Albert Mason, noted counterfeiter wi
q came from England to this country al
d engaged in this business. He was a
g rested, tried, convicted and served nj
IT years in prison, but he is now at liber
d and has sued the government for 500, o.
{. for false imprisonment. His papers are
a the hands of British Minister West, bu
It wouldn't care to gamble that he will l
II cover anything NowI wish to call yo
k attention to two curious facts. Countt
a feiting runs in families, and without G
10 ception the men engaged in it are
is poor. For instance, take the Balla
Io family. Thomas Benjamin, George al
(. John, four brothers, all in our clutch'
!. together with an aunt. There is o
n brother out of Jail, but we are satisfi
le that he is an honest man. Thomas B;
20 lard is wonderful fellow. He is t
n only person. so far as we know, W
|. has succeeded in initiating the fiji
ia paper upon which the genui
-. o,,l bonde ora ,,r;ntad A ,,raeo