The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-05-27
COUNTERFEIT BILLS.
A LARGE NUMBER FOUND IN
HOUSTON AND GALVESTON.
Treasury Experts in the City 10
Detect Counterfeit Bills
in Circulation.

tell YOU said Dr. N. W. johnson to a
LiGuI reporter there Is no less than S2O,-
600 of counterfeit money In circulation.
DR.. johnson, who made the above re-
mark, is in the city, accompanied by
Mr.. Thomas Rockwell, both Of them be-
ing agents Of the United States Treasury
and bank note detectors. 81 can assure
you, continued Mr.. johnson, that mer-
chants and bankers generally have very
slight knowledge Of detecting counter
feits, and consequently they offer good
field for the counterfeiters. Now, |
will give you an example of the ignor-
ance In this direction. For the last two
months have been In Galveston and
have seen about 5000 of counterfeit
money. about 5000 OF 1t in circulation,
and some Of 1t laid away by BANKS
Again, in Houston, picked up 90 $40
bills. one bank there took in eight
bills aggregating $50, which they did
not discover until showed them the
system OF detection. Here, just look at
these, and Doctor johnson pulled out a
wallet, containing thousands of dollars
In counterfeit and original money.
just look at that Treasury note for S2Oy
The reporter did so, and 1t was one OF
the 1875 series, signed by j. Allison and
Jno. &. New. II that original querrled
the expert.
III should take 1t without any
hesitation replied the reporter,
"well you would be considerably out OF
pocket by the transaction, this note was
executed by pen and INK alone, and.it Is
marvellous specimen of skillful PEN
manship.
Now here are some OF the $40 notes
found at Houston and | could place my
hand upon 10 or 10 more in that city. Ii
seems Ms If the counterfeiter had gone
right through this section OF the ooun-
try with them, we have not captured
the plate from which these are printed
vet. but | hope to do so shortly. |
strongly suspect 1t Ia to be found on the
Mexican frontier.
Here are some Of the notorious Ira
ders National bank of Chicago" and the
Doctor pulled out bundle OF green
backs that ut first sight no one would
doubt their genuineness. "There were
500. 600 of these bills issued as
soon as the National Traders bank was
reported, OF course they would not he
taken, what should the counterieiter do
but take salt of lemon and obliterate the
original name on the face
Of the bill and substitute
the name of the Farmers National Bank
OF Virginia. Here you see Is specimen
where this has been done. On scrutin-
Izing the bill closely 1t could be observed
where the change had been effected.
II IL OF no Use to try and detect a note by
the name OF the bank. by our system IL
matters not whether IL Is greenbaCks or
National currency TO know whether ii
be counterfeit or genuine. 1t Is the same
system that Is observed in the Treasury
department. We frequently lind gen
une bills laid over for counterfeit be-
cause they are mutilated, but by this
method one can tell alta glance whether
bill is counterfeit or genuine as long as
particle Is left. Now here is another
somewhat remarkable counterfeit. This
list 81 90 bill changed into II 500 by
by ngeniously FASTING slips OF paper ut
the back. This was given to an old far
mer at Fort Worth, and he was victim
lied to the extent Of 800. BY our method
all this is avoided and can
teach II in very short time. have
instructed in this country and Europe
iGO bank tellers and merchants, and they
to-day can tell the moment bill is
placed in their hands whether it is COun-
terieit or genuine" DR.. johnson then
gave an interesting description of the
means employed by the Government to
engrave the plates from which bills were
printed. In course OF his description he
said: 1.-The L. :. Government paid $780,
900 for Il machine which you would have
to see to partially understand and appre-
Giate. This is very elaborate and in
tricate machine that occupied eight
years Of constant study and labor to per-
feet. Ii is capable of millions OF com
blnatiOns producing certain figures
which go to make up the various denom-
national figures, and these combina-
tiOns once produced are like those in n
Kaleidoscope, once lost never recovered
by the operator. When certain figure
is thus produced II Is transferred to steel
plates and SO preserved, for, on the prin-
ciple first enunciated, let this original be
lost. not even the inventor could make
another similar. This work enters into
the construction and makeup of every
national bank note, treasury note, green
back or government bond, and this work
Is all of the same character and not COM
pllcated, nor is 1t difficult TO learn, when
properly illustrated by an expert. and,
therefore, cannot be forgotten. | quail
~ the public TO detect all such counter
fets rs are now in existence, and will
also offer the assurance they can detect
such counterfeits rs may hereafter ap-
pear. The counterfeit Is simply copy
or imitation of the genuine, which IL
easily detected by simply knowing the
genuine. The counterfeit ia detected rs
the cOunterfeiter does not depend on his
good work for his success, but the gene
raj ignorance Of the public. have often
marveled that matter Of such impor-
lance should be so sadly neglected, as
there are millions of counterfeit bills in
circulation that are lost by the people.
have been in this work since 1867, and
for years | have been in the Redemption
department, so that | know something
about these matters, and yet the system
Ia 80 simple that ! can make an expert
of you, and you will be as fully qualified
to detect counterfeit money as quickly
as ! can" DR.. johnson was as good AZ
his word, the reporter placed himself
under his instructions, and In about an
hour found he had only to glance at
bill to detect its genuineness or falsity
Instantly. DR.. johnson and Mr.. Rock
well carry with them specimens of
treasury work, ranging all the way from
dollar bill up TO II $4,000 bond, in ad-
dillon to large number of plates cap
tured by the government from counter
feiters.
Clubbing Boy.