The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-03-14
THE SECRET SERVICE CORPS
OPERATIONS OF OFFICIALS WHO
HUNT CoUNTERFEITERs.
A Book which Contains the Histories
and Photographs of $500 Crim-
inaIs-AnccdOies and CuriOsities.


A Washington correspondent of the
Boston Trdgeler visited the headquarters
of the Secret Service officials in the
United States treasury building. Mr..
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 counterfeiting 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 a document show
ing that they are in any way connected
with the service. Oftentimes months
and months are taken in the detection of
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, l 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,-
600 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 dad"
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
e. Brockway is the most notable person
in the collection. He is 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
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 $33, 600 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 500 note on different banks,
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 & Co., of Boston.
A woman entered their store 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 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 a doubt Then the clerk said that
the shawl would be sent to the woman's
address, but she proceeded to get very
angry, and said that if they could not
take her money without question that she
would 90 elsewhere, and she iounced
out OF the store in great rage. About
an hour aftcrward she returned, and told
the clerk that she had visited several
other large firms, but that she
had been unable to find a 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 81, 900 bill in payment. The
shawl was valued at 5000, and the woman
took it away with her, together with
$500 in change. The bill first rendered
was genuine, the second was counter
felt, and the firm was just 81 900 out of
pocket. Smith engraved the plate from
which this counterfeit note was printed,
and it was so nearly perfect that only
minute examination would have caused
detection. Smith also engraved the plate
from which the 81, 900 six per cent bonds
were printed, but we captured the entire
issue on Doyle in Chicago, amounting in
all to 1904, 900. A curious thing about
his arrest by our detectives was the fact
that they took him, suspecting that he
had the old counterfeit 500 bills in his
possession, when, imagine their surprise,
they found new bond. 1t will be sew
eral years before we shall have to look
after Mr.. Doyle again.
Next to Smith, the best engraver of
counterfeit money is Charles Ulrch, who
served term of nine years in one of our
Northern prisons. He is now in Ger
many. George White is another expert
of note. lie stands accredited with the
best counterfeit s. bank note ever issued
and but few people are able to detect
them. The counterfeit Is on the
Merchants national bank of New Bed
ford, Mass. Here is picture of George
Albert Mason, noted counterfeter 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, 000
for false imprisonment. His papers are in
the hands of British Minister West, but
wouldn't care to gamble that he will re