The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-09
C0UNTERIFEITING. /
EXPOSING THE METHODS ol
SHOWERS OF THE QUEERp.
Bow the Spurious Money fs Manufac|
tured, Distributed and Detected
- Facts Drawn from q Long
Secret Service Experience.

. - n
Facts Drawn rom = hon
secret service E1perlen0ce. ''es '0ls,
----------------- ------
ssTheres ia an immense amount a.
counterfeit money IN general circulaH
tion. . said a limited States Treasury ex
pert to an Atlanta Constitution reporter
..and recent estimate by the secret e sss ;es
than $40, 900, ,000.
UHow did 40 mnch connferfeit eve
not int c;-o,1o.;anas 10
"In the first place the counterfeiter]
are thoroughly organized. New Yori
City has for long time been headquar
ters for the profession in the United
States, and their agents are scattered al
over the country. These agents are 81
shrewd, sharp business men, aud Wher
they "do" a place the first step Isl to gel
the names Of all paople in that place I'd
whom they think it worth while I'd
write. They keep s. special loek kout foi
people-.in straiphtened circumstances
people with moItoaoes hanoin 3 AVA,
Them. and people unable to meet somd
recuiiar demand for ready cash. Thai
list Is sent on to New York. and mani
and skillful are the plans to guard then
mail. The letter usually passes throuab
three or four hands before Il reacheS
headouarters; Then; q circular letter e
sent to each person named on the list. II
usually reads simply:
a1 80. &,
a1e VI ..,, sa tans Iss ~
nish Il at thirty cents ON the dollar. or E.
more at twenty-five, fifteen or ten cent4 de-
pending on the amount
Now. the agent takes care to make lid
list yery com Mate and nv 5nf, means ii
on his list are GOOD subjects orfile coi,iI.
terfe;ter Rnt ajI are yvyittbSe.n1 70 and ~
sst;m 70 4 tbat trentu ,sr = -, cont
addressed renly 10 eths m circular @ Ietter.| %
when the answers reachs New Work. .tbevI
ara read by counterfeit experts They|
say that; f]3ere s. ma lnld man; n SNe1!
York VIII plances AZ those letters anal
slassifes them almost at a glance. lust sss|
he would separate q package Of bank
notes if fiyes, ,sand tens, and twentieswefe|
all mixed together, The letters are
marked N. e., g. G.,or o. 4. The
first means that it won't pay to answer
It may be from sheriff, or detective, on
it may be simply doubtful, but those|
letters are tossed into the waste ibaaket.
The g. .G people are in earnest 1t the!
time, but they are not prudent or reliable
Some of those are answered, some not
and those that are answered are inyariss
bly, duped. You have seen these adyer.|
tisements for shoes, or Investment COM
panies. printed somewhat in inf
tation Of q greenback. The colns|
terfeiters answer the letter, and
the dupe goes down to the express Office
for his @. o. d. package. A roll Of
these advertisements, neatly folded and
carefully wrapped, is handed to the fel-]
low. He pays the money and hnrrieg|
of. Not one in a hundred will ever
saw anything about it, and the counter
feiters pocket the money. The sc. * 9
letters will do to trust. The letter is am
swered and he is informed that on q GER
tain day, at q certain time, an, agent 6jIi
call upon him personally and make a.
I" deal. y OF .. dicker. y with him. At the
appointed time and place provided the
|, agent continues to think the man is acte
leg in good faith--a square deal is made
the agent takes genuine money for ;coanSs Z
terfeit." f
/" What about those agentsa 8.
They are mighty sharp people, and
include all classes. Those traFclingg
agents take some profession which they
use as q blind-obt btain, for example, q
real position with well-known house.
or travel for q fictitious house, or pretend
to represent good houses when they 90:
not" - SO
And making counterfeits ~
Making as they do, such enormous
profits, they can afford to pay Tor the
most elegant WORK kmanship. The hness'
engravers and printers are secured and
it is admitted fol example that the coun.s
terfeit $5 note on the Traders Nationak
Bank, Of Chicago, which made its ap-
pearance about two years ago IN the
West Ia greatly superior IN point OF !