The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-08-27
GIGANTIC RASCALITY.
AN ATTEMPT TO COUNTERFEIT
MONEY BY THE 100000.
Bogus Brazilian Bank Notes by tho Bal
Found in st. Louis-DisappOinted De-
tectives- a Saloon-A
Wild Texan Assorted Sins.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 27.-The largest case Of
counterfeiting in the history of American
crime has lately been brought to light in st.
Louis. A bundle of "cony" representing
$3.50, 900 has been found, and the secret
service agents are working to run to earth
the criminals, part of whose product has
already been captured. The counterfeit
money was seized, but despite the utmost
work but one arrest has been made.
Last May the Brazilian minister at Wash
ington was informed that gigantic scheme
to introduce counterfeit money into Brazil
was on foot He was informed that genuine
plates used In making Brazilian bank notes
had fallen into the hands of improper per-
sons, and that preparations were being made
to emit food Of spurious currency. The
minister at once laid the matter before the
American authorities, and work was begun on
the case. The headquarters of the conspiracy
was located N St Louis, and it took good
work to accomplish even this much. The au-
thorities were COW need that while the false
money was being made here, a great con-
spiracy to circulate it existed in Brazil, and
have displayed anxiety to get the names of
the Brazilian conspirators Partial success
has crowned their efforts. Lucien White
was taken in custody when the bogus money
was seized
When the arrest was made ami the "cony"
captured, the detectives were greatly disap-
pointed because the bills were only half
printed The captured stuff was in sheets
of bills of the denomination of 200 milreiS,
purporting to be issued by the national
treasury, but they were all fronts without
nj "
tisements, also in Portuguese, made the bills
look like dodgers being gotten up for some
enterprising retail merchant of Rio Janeira.
The advertisements seemed to take
away all the criminal intent from them.
They are printed on excellent bank
note paper. The bank note part OF the bills
is an exoellent piece of work. 1t was an ex-
act reproduction OF the original made by
the American Bank Note company. fact
only explicable on the theory that the notes
were printed from the original plates
Later it was discovered that in New Or
leans sheets were found which had the hacks
printed with the back OF the Brazilian note.
This made the whole scheme manifest, and
bore out the information in the hands of the
authorities here, which was that the chief
conspiratorS have not trusted their subor-
dinates fully, and had the backs printed in
New Orleans and the fronts in St LCNi-.
When they were ready Tor work the sheets
were to he split In two, and the backs and
fronts joined together into a bogus bank
note. Little remained to be done to COM
plete the fraud The signatures have not
been added, nor does the current series Of
numbers appear upon TIE bills The notes
are parti-c1lored, and the colOrs are laid in
with absolute exactne s There remains
some arrests to be made in st Louis and
| New Orleans when the names of the
| Brazilian members of the gang will be Sc
| curel and case made uut