The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-09-18
COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

Interesting Facts Learned In a Visit to the
Secret Service Bureau-Noted and Skill
fuI EnEraVers Engaged in the Business
The Rogues' Gallery-Some OF the DIM
Culties Experienced by the Photographers
In Taking "a Picture.
On the third floor of the Treasury
Building is room 35. Il is the head
quarters of the Secret Service. A per-
son with an eye for the curious will see
much there that will interest and en-
terrain him. 1t is presided over by a
very bald and very benign old gentle
man who knows everything the in
quirer wants to know, and win tell the
most of it. Occasionally you may ask
a question which may cause him TO
shake his head and remark in a sly
that certain things connected with the
Office must not he told. When YOU
come to understand it you readily see
that this is correct. The business of
the Secret Service is to trace and arrest
the makers and "shOvers" of counter
felt money and revenue stamps. 1t
takes a ''smart" man to be n success
full counterfeiter. Offenders of this
class are very different from the or
binary run of law-breakers, such as
thieves and burglars. 1t usually takes
three or four to plan and manage
tirst-class scheme OF cOunterfciting, and
they are keen, cunning, shrewd, intelli-
gent me1, who if their talents were ex-
ercised in lawful channels would make
their mark in the world. They do as it
is, for that matter, but they make it on
the wrong side of the slate. They
fully realize their danger and the pun
ishment that awaits them if caught
Every avenue of detection is most care
fully guarded. In nearly every case
fha trfr1,ost gl~fIl 1f1furopeo nd y,1tfoDo-,
are requisite on the part Of the officers
of the law. OF necessity, the Secret
Service detectives are the most expert
that can be found. None others need
apply. Not infrequently months and
even years are spent upon n single case
before the rOgues are secured.
The amount of
COUNTERFEIT PAPER MONEY
now in circulation is said to be less than
at any time in the last twenty years
The most noted and skillful engravers
engaged in the business have been
caught and put where they can not do
any mischief for long period. Very
few new cOunterfeits have appeared
during the last two or three years, and
nearly all of them are so poorly execut-
ed as to be easily detectei. The danger
GUS counterleits are those which, even
20 the minutest detail, are so nearly an
exact reproduction of the genuine as to
deceive the most expert handlers of
money. Such have been produced,
circulated for years, and passing
through the hands of thousand bank
tellers They have even successfully
run the gauntlet of the sharp eyes at the
Treasury Department when presented
for redemption, and been promptly
honored. An iron case in room 30 now
20l nOn nf
terfeit bills of all denominations, from
81 to 81 900. Once every few years
this accumulation of money is de-
stroyed by burning. The last crema-
ton was in 1877, when 81 900, 600 was
permanently retired from circulation.
The amount now on hand has been
gathered up since that time. 1t will be
destroyed within month.
Counterfeiters generally give the
preference to bills OF the smaller de-
nominations. The care with which a
bill is scanned is in some degree pro-
portiOnate TO the number of dollars il
represents. In nine cases out of ten a
counterfeit 81, -, 50, or so will pass
unquestioned, while n 800, $500. or
81 900 bill equally well executed, or
perhaps better, will be carefully scruti-
nized and quite possibly detected. None
but the most skilled eugraverS attempt
the large bills, and the number OF them
in circulation is small. ANY bill less
than $50 rarely attracts in the ordinary
course of business, more than passing
glance. With little care and adroit-
ness n good counterfeit may without
difficulty be put in circulation in large
quantities. All business men handle
daily moro or less counterfeit money
and are none the wiser.
THE AMOUNT OF BASE COIN
in circulation has, Notwithstanding the
utmost diligence, increased, while the
spurious paper has decreased. The
flood of silver that has inundated tn,
country opened up an inviting field fo1
the coin counterfeiters, and they ar,
not tardy in occupying it. Their in
penuity has produced a combination O
base metals, the ring of which de
ceives the most practical ear. Witt
dies or molds coins are made which
when heavily wasl ed with silver, almoS
defy detection by the usual superficial
tests.
Silver coins Of all denominations ar,
successfully counterfeited. Even the
five-cent nickel does not escape bas'
imitation. To make a fair article o.
spurious coin requires far less skill thar
paper money. Often an engraver spend
from one to two years on a single set o
plates tor bank note, while but n few
days at most are required to produces
the apparatus for making coin.
THE ROGUEs' GALLERY
of the Secret Service embraces a mos
elaborate collection Of portraits Their
are over 5000 photographs of counter
felt makers and "shOvers." These per
sons are of all ages, from the child o
fourteen to the gray-headed sinner o
seventy. They represent every nation
nlity, even to the African and heather
Chinee. The latter, indeed, are mucl
more numerous than might be expected
Those thrifty pagans are perhaps TIN
most expert imitators in the world, an'
thew stand at the head of the class in IN,
deduction of base coin. They do no
ss,,ire to the higher walks of art-th'
engraving of plates for bank notes. Th
faiT sex has a large number of delegates
.,aidens aud matrOns, many of whom
- certainly old enough to know better
et-o,,rd women are often more successful
49, men in getting rid of counterfeit
10. ..o,r and there are few gangs tina
have one or more among thei
DO n1o - Hundreds of these portrait
nuinDo H. walls of the room. and tin
aon,ainder fill dozen large albums
T re.l.. STord 4 rare opportunity to ON
1hey s,s, wish to study character as
M y revealed a in the human lace divine