Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-03
COUNTERFEIT COIN.
A CHINESE LAuNDRYnAN CHARGED
WITH PASSING SOME OPT,
But Very Likely he was an Innocent Victim
Himself-soms Information Gathered
and Developments Expected.

Charles Hop Sing, the Chinaman who
keeps laundry on Broad street between
Eighth and Ninth streets, was before the
Police Court yesterday morning charged
with passing counterfeit money on
Henry Abrams. The colored lawyer
Randolph appeared as counsel for the
accused. The offence being violation
of the Federal statute Justice Richard
son sent the accusedto the United States
Court room, on Twelfth street, where
he was taken before Commissioner Wall,
by whom the case was continued until
Thursday.
On Saturday night, as stated in Sun
days Dispatch, Mr.. Ellis Abrams sent
his son Henry out with fiye-dollar note
TO have il changed. Henry went to the
establishment OF the Celestial near by
and obtained the change in silver. Mr..
Abrams at once detected that one OF the
dollar pieces was counterfeit and sent
il back, but Hop Sing denied having
given it to Henry and refused to make 1t
good whereupon Abrams had him ar
rested.
A great many OF these counterfeit
dollars have been put in circulation here
during the last few weeks. They are
fac simHcs of the genuine silver dol
lar The difference can best be detected
by comparing their weight The coun-
terfeit. while good in other respects, is
very much lighter.
1t is thought that a man came here
about the time of the Fair with two
thousand OF these dollars, and that he at
once began his evil work of circulating
them. 1t is further believed that be, as
a 1use, is now employed as a farmland
in one Of the near by sOuth-side counties,
where he is gradually placing his stuff on
the market. A Government detective is
at work on the case and thinks he has
traces of his man. More of these dollars
have been circulated in Manchester, it IS
said, than in Richmond.
These "silver" dollars are stamped
1885, "1S75," "1S73," and many
other years.
1t is believed that they were made in
plaster-of-paris moulds. BY looking at
the pieces with good magnifying
glasses many flaws are seen in them and
they yield ready response to the acid
test
This detective, who is a special agent
of the Treasury Department, has been
here for some days working mp the case,
or at least trying to, has collected n num-
Der of the spurious coins. and has also
gathered great deal OF information with
regard to the means used to put the
counterfeits in circulation. In his own
mind he has pretty well come to the con
clusion that he knows the gang that did
the work. He is of course very retlcent
about the matter, and it is not likely that
he expects to find the offenders in Rich
mond now, but If he can get the eyl-
| dence on them here without doubt he
can cause their arrest in their present
whereabouts. A man named Gleeson,
| known to the governmental authorities as
/ a former successful operator, is supposed
to have been at the head of the gang.
aud if 80 Richmond is not the first place
that he has visited in pursuance OF work
OF this character.
A WOMAN IN THE CASE.
Some of the police officers who have
been assisting in the investigation OF this
matter have received information which
inclines them to believe that one Of the
most successful persons who were en-
gaged in disposing Of the counterfeit'
was a woman. She, like the man OF
men, went into various stores and bought
articles for small amounts, getting gooo
coin III change.
Il is certain fact that large amounts Of
this so-called money remains with oul
people az Il sOuUenir OF Christmas week
So imposed upon have some merchants
been by parties coming to them and say
ing Here l got this from you please
give me good money for it, that they
are not paying out any silver dollars al
all. All that they get they place in bank
While it is barely possible that the par
ties might have commenced operations
here as far back as Fair week, 1t is no
likely, if so, that they then put much OF
the spurious coin out. A week before
Christmas, however, it was noted tha
there were counterfit silver dollars ailoa
here.
The great business in them must have
been done on Friday the 23d and Satur
day the oath of December, for on th'
Tuesday following when the banks re
opened for business nearly every larg'
depositor brought some OF the stuff an'
offered it, and no little of it was actuall,
received before the fraud was detected