Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-04

The Flint Atts0pe ~ C0aneorSelai1g-
Mil1ions Sent Through The Nail.

sAss~~s Soos AwrOU8o 80 1oAas
The postal note has haA recently rather novel
experience. II has fallen Q victim to the clever
arts Of the counterfeissr. This b the rst attempt
o. the Kind made during the four years the postal
noee mas been in use. The Post-On1ce ofncials.
however, have very small opinion Of the clever.
ness OF this EFFORT 1t was the work Of q young
man In the Sixth AUDITORS once, where the &C
counts Of the postmastes are examined Postal
notes come In as vouchers The young man dis
covered that on TWO OF the notes the paying post
master had failed to stamp the date. He thought
he saw chance OF making something for himself
He changed the date Of the notes so as to bring
them within the three months allowed by law for
postouce and the other at one Of the branch onces
IN tne hurry the notes were paid. But when the
Ssss came 70 punch the notes he scovered that
cnese particular notes had already been punched.
A. once he knew fraud had been committed.
Wltnln rev hours after the notes had been pre-.
but traced to the guilty person. The notes them
selves showed that they had come from the audi
torS ONCE, and 50 It required bu. short time for
He was ~ p'are t.s nanas upon the guilty person
TINS little episode in the history Of the postal
aid the 70 S ASK D Ece
VINO also has charge OF the issue Of these notes.
whether there was danger OF the postal note fall
Inc doctor was emph 'iicaiiy Of the opinion tina,
there was not the slightest danger. "The postal
note, ne ADDED, "has been In circulation for over
lour years: II WIS designed you remember, 70
take the place Of fractional c1rrency. Tn re was
needed some medium for transmitting through
the mails small amounts OF money. The postal
note supplies such medium For cents you
can send any sum less than S. For cents you
can send money order for any similar amount.
me only difference IS that the latter is sent to
specified person. and the former Is PAL to bearer.
The postal note was not intended to take the place
OF the money order 1t Is q supplement 70 the
money order system"
"The postal noJe, then, can be paid TO the wrong
INDIVIDUAL" observed the reporter.
"Yes, asSented the doctor, "but our experience
shows that this does not often occur. You know
that the person to whom 1t Is paid IL required 70
sign his name In the presence OF the postmaster,
should the latter for any reason demand IL The
structon OF the postal notes any more than It was
for the fractional currency. But the fact is that
losses seldom occur and the reports to our ONCE
show that complaints OF losses are not above the
normal percentage. II there was any systematic
OF persistent theft OF postal notes the percentages
Of losses would soon show It."
'Tne popularity Of the postal note" continued
action OF business; that it involves no delay and
passes for money anywhere. 1t is handsomely en-
graved and surrounded by many OF the devices
which protects the national currency notes from
c0unterfeting. The postal note. In my opinion, Is
entirely secure from the arts OF the counterfeiter
as this case SHOWS"
"Wnat amount Of money was sent through the
malls by this medium last Year," inquired the re-
porter.
~ can give you that and also the amounts In
round numbers OF the preceding years." responded
the DOCTOR 81 have table here which also shows
the average amount OF each nOie."
the table refeTred TO by the doctor Is as follows