Telegram-herald., 1890-06-30
WASHINGTON ECHOES
The Secret Service and It's Almost
Perfect Work.
EI-CHIEF BELLS UsIQCE BOOK
A History or ali Coantsrfsit Notes
hnS~a--story of GasGaaA Kasso
aad "A ifr-Ths Caaaing work
Of Aifet and John Osie.

WAsHIsisros, June 2S.-The rTesl-
dent has rot yet appointed a successor
70 John ;. Bell as Chef of the Secret
Service. and there Is good deal OF
speculation al oat rega ,ding the mat
ter. Although the Chief receives a
salary OF only $500 year. his place
Is u very important one, as 70 ms care
Is cOnfded tremendous interests 10
watch. The Secret Service IS charged
with the prevention and detection OF
al frauds against the currency OF the
United States. Whenever there Is a
new counterfeit put on the market the
Secret Service officers make II their
business % run down and prosecute the
makers OF the "queer." and some OF
TIE captures which they have made
and the arrests which have followed
WOuld make Tomances as thrilling and
as entertaining as any which the most
noted writer OF fiction ever penned, be-
sides having the advantage OF being
absolutely true.
The headquarters of the Secret Ser
vice are on the top floor of the Treas
ury Department. The office con-
sists of the Chief, chief clerk, a few
other clerks ana u messenger or two.
There are about fifty detectives con-
srantly IN the field, and who are To-
Gated IN all parts Of the country. They
are ever on the watch, and il IS due 10
their vigilance and fearlessnsss that
the trade of the counterieIter Is made
80 precarious. Nearly every visitor to
Washington IS taken to the Secret
Service division TO see the curiosities
which ara congregeted III the
museum" a small room adjoining
the private Office OF the Chief, ana IN
which are deposited knives, pistols,
molds and other tools of the counter
feiter, together with large collection
Of photographs of some Of the most
noted scoundrels in the country. Here
may be seen specimens of every kind
OF counterfeit money, from the base
lO-cent piece TO the spurious $1,000
note or bond. There are pictures Of
men and women, white and black,
men of all nationalities, for in crime
geographical distinctions are wiped out
and race - obliterated.
II Is the boast Of the secret service Of
ficers hat while a counterfeit may be
in circulation for some time and cause
a great deal OF trouble to the govern
ment officials, bankers and innocent
people generally, eventually the coun-
tarfeiter Is run down and the plates
from which the note is made are cap
tured. 80 perfect IS the science of the
detection of criminals in these days. II
Is a fact that very few of the plates OF
counterfeit notes are still IN existence
and most of the men who az varlOu:
times lave been engaged IN the trade
have served long terms OF lmprisOn
ment, for counterfelting Is punished
without mercy by the courts
shortly before Chief Bell resigned nc
had prepared from the data IN his of
fee q history OF all the counterfeit notei
known to be in existence. The book
as you may imagine, Is most interest
ing one and if IL should be published i
would without doubt have large sale
Mr.. Bell allowed me to look the matter
over and I give you an example OF II
pages:
One dollar silver certificate. act o
August d 1885; portrait OF Martin.
washington. This counterfeit mrs
made it, appearance July !, lSSS, u
New York. and was put upon the mar
ket by GactaDa Russo and his VIII
Rosa. II was printed from plates rlad
tv the ph0tO-gravure process AbOu
the last week OF October, 1887, Russ
and bis wife were liberated from tn
Cambridge. Mass, jail, where they haC
been confined for Counterfetng, au'
in November of that year they went q
London. Eng. There they met LouI
OlOndo. a photographer and engravel
whom they induced % photograph an
engrave plates for . silver certificate
and the above 81 certificate. The,
went to Paris and N December, lSs1
commenced work. They purchased boN
wood. tne same as IS used IN the man
ufacture OF rules. and a printing pres
for 500 francs and the necessary pape
and INK. I'm four months the plate
were completed and they had prlnte
$50 GOO worth of the certificates The
then returned 70 the dealer the pres
on the ground Shat It did not work an
was not satisfactory, snd tney receive
back All the money they had pa,
for It less go francs Tor Il
use. Russo then told h
wife % take the money 20 LOndo
where he and his companion would IOi
her. She refused ON the ground tha
they had not treated her fairy. oi0ud
ADVISED Russo to xiii his wife # she di
not comply, and NJ last the woman cor
sented. She purchased several yards ,
e-neham with which sne mad SKI
containing several pockets ln winch sn
carried the So 000 o. London. She n.
s. fearful 0f beng arrested ia passln
from France 60 London and meeting !
many customs officers, that upon ID
arrival n london sne refused 20 carr
the money To AnlerlCa and toi0 her Ie
low cUnsD rators that they must loo
aftar che money themselves. Toe part
stunned cnIr a short time IN Lonlol
ard one niEht Russo. while the VII
slsrt ra'crotorned her. took the ea
r,,rs from her ears. the rings from b.
fr-ers. ncr watch and cham ami We.
HfHr money she hadand ran away lea
fnr her without a cent. Russo an
oicndo arrived n America ia Jun
rsss. and immediately commenced
ust the queer on the market Dur1
tha asst week = June Mrs. Russo A
rived r View YORK finding her nusoar
she threatened t0 expose nlm Enie
Sic vas gwen q share OF the proceed
a trueo was patched uD and the zal
went so work m earnest, eur they hs
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