The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-08-20

concerning the Secret Service and its work
and to exhibit and explain to them the con.
tents of his curiosity shop" A large case in
this room contains about 81, 100000 of captured
counterfeit money of all kinds. This is the
accumulation of some eight years. In 1877 a
million dollars of the stuff was burned, and
thus permanently retired from circulation.
THE RoGUEs' GALLERY.
There is very extensive rogues' gallery in
this room. Framed groups decorate the walls
and several large albums are filed with photo.
graphs of offenders. The collection contains
over 5000 of these portraits. They represent
persons of all ages, from the child of ID to the
veteran of 20 who has grown gray in crime.
They are of every nationality, even to the
African and the Heather Chinee" The
MongoIians are, indeed, much more numerous
than might be expected. These thrifty pagans
are, perhaps, the most expert imitat0rs in the
world. They stand at the head of the class in
the production Of counterfeit coin. They never
try making bank notes, being content to tread
the humber paths of the profession. The fair
sex hasa large number of delegates-maidens
and matrons many of whom are old enough to
know better than to be found in sach company.
Shrewd women are often more successful than
men in passing counterfeit money, and there
are few well-regulated gangs" which do not
have one or more of them among their men,
bers. These portraits afford good opportunity
for the study of character, in its depraved
forms, as revealed in the human face. They
include some Of the highest types of inteili-
gence, with all the intermediate grades down to
the lowest phases of coarseness and brutality.
DON'T WANT THEIR PICTURES TAKEN.
Often mnch difficulty is experienced in So
curing a satisfactory interview between the
rogue and the photographer. The consent of
the subject to be photographed is quite essen
tial as a factor in the case. When, like the
proverbial woman, he says he " won't and that's
the end ont" there is likely to be trouble In
one of the albums there is the picture of a
tough-lOoking citizen, who was held PROSTATE
upon the floor by four men while the artist was
endeayoring to DO his duty. Three men, partly
concealed by screen, tried to keep his body
and legs quiet, while the fourth planted his
knees upon the obStTeperous subjects head
which he held with the face toward the camera
Next to this spirited picture is one which was
the result of the first effort with the same party.
He took his seat in the chair, apparently quiet
and submissive but at the instant the operator
opened his {" battery" he turned his head quickly
around the effect being an excellent view of
his back hair. Then the attendants passed the
force bill, under a suspension of the rules, with
the result as already stated. This kind of
friction is not unusual. Sometimes the artist
is bafled by the facial contortions of the un-
willing subject. By "making faces" he gets
the bulge on them in way that no law or ex-
ercise OF physical force can prevent But there
Is stratcgic way to get around even this. His
obduracy is subdued by dose Of chloroforni,
or his picture is taken while he ia aseep. As
between him and the United States Govern
ment the odds are too great, and he is COM
PEELED, in some way, to yield.
THE SHOWERS"
But few of these persons are the actual
makers of counterfeit money. The great ma.
jority of them are Showers" Their part in
the scheme is to get the money" into circula-
ton after it is made. To do this successfully
much caution is often necessary. 1t would be
extremely hazardous for one or two persons to
undertake the starting of a large amount upon
its travels Detection could scarcely be avoided.
The "queer" is distributed among a number
Of persons, and if the counterfeit be good one
they are often able TO work OFF the issue with
but little difficulty or danger. 1t is a common
trick to avert suspicion by employing various
methods TO give the bills the appearance of age
and much handling. Sometimes they are inn
merscd in weak coffee to give them dark
brownish tint. Oil is used to produce the effect
of finger marks. By this means the fiber OF
the paper is also softcned and the bills may be
crumpled, which assists in giving them the
appearance of age These processes also aid
in eoncealng any defects that may exist in
the engraving or printing. A bill thus "doc-
tored" may generally be passed upon unsus-
pecting persons, in the ordinary course of busi-
ness, without difficulty. The same bill,
IF NEW AND CRISP,
might excite suspicion, particularly if the per-
son was seen to have a number of them ia his
possession. In the case of counterfeit coin it is
customary to remove, by simple methods, the
bright luster of "newness" and give it the
appearance Of having been handled. Years ago
there were wretched attempts to make bogus
coin. lead being the principal material used
They rarely deceived O person Of ordinary care,
and such coins arc now seldom seen. Scientific
improvement in this branch of industry has