The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-01-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Rogue's Gallery-Queer Men and
Queer MOney-Ths Interstate
Commerce Commissioner.

There is little dark room hidden
away somewhere in the depths of the
gloomy old Treasury Building, that to
me was one of the most interesting
spots I have yet visited in Washington.
1t is called the Rogue's Gallery, and is
devoted to specimens of the counter.
feiter's art, and to photographs of the
more distinguished of the disciples of
that art. Here were all sorts of faces,
hardened, desperate looking men, and
handsome, well dressed women, most
of them, go the custodian of this queer
collection said with apparent relish,
serving terms in various penitentiaries
throughout the country. This custo.
dian, by the way, is quite a character
in himself; have forgotten whether
it was twenty or twenty-five years he
told me he has been in charge there |;
be is fat. jolly looking old gentleman
with smooth face, and speaks Of his
pets in terms of admiration and affec.
ton. "There," he said, pointing to a
twenty and fifty dollar bill, "are the
best specimens of penmanship in this
country; there are not half dozen
Il IN in the. United States that could
have made them" And indeed they
were miracles of art. Nine hundred
and ninety nine men out of q thousand
in the ordinary course of business,
would have accepted them without
question, yet there was not a mark up.
on them but was put there with pen
and ink. One would think that such
master of penmanship could make
more money in an honest way than by
making counterfeit twenty dollar bills.
In the same case was a thousand dollar
bill that my informant told me, had
been successfully passed upon large
dry goods establishment in Boston, by
lady, who purchased a two-hundred
dollar shawl and received eight hum
dred dollars in change. Upon my in
quiry whether she was now serving
time, he said no she had not yet been
tried, that there were difficulties in
the way of her being tried, the moot
serious difficulty being that she had
not yet been arrested. 1 would weary
you by writing of the many queer
things in this room, the faces that
were drawn into all imaginable shapes
in order that the photograph might
not furnish any evidence against the
original in case he should ever be con-
fronted with it, the hundreds and hun.
dreds of counterfeit ten, twenty, and
fifty dollar notes, on almost every Ma.
tional Bank in the country, and some
that never had any existence, but ]
will be merciful and not.
The term of Interstate Commerce
Commissioner Bragg, will expire this
month. He has made most accepta.
bic Commissioner. but the question is
will a republican Senate confirm him
to the exclusion of some good republi.
can, who would be appointed by Presi
dent Harrison. If the appointment il
to be made by republican President
I think all Kansas would say that NJ
better man could be found for the posi-
ton than Hon. 8. o. Thacher of Law
renee. His merits need no rehearsine
at my hands, because they are known
to all Kansas, and he would be ar
honor to the State and to the office.
think there would be no republican
voice in Kansas that would say "no'
to this proposition.
KANSAS.
Washington, Jan. Z, 1889.