Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12

hauonai bahks 1hev were marvels OF ac-
curate imitation, the proofs in the scrap
book show, the elaborate involutions evolu-
tons and eonvolutions of the geometric lathe
work on the backs being reproduced with
amazing exactness with the patient BURN.
only one set OF plates was required. the name
OF the bank and the signatures of the officers
being changed as often as reports OF new
counterfeit rendered such alteration desirable.
10 make 1t was but DAYS work and again and
again the country was flooded with bogus cur
rency OF fresh bank. against which no warn
Ing had been published In this way hundreds
or thousands OF dollars were marketed.
AT length a Jealous woman whom Ulrch had
deserted gave him away. and he WAS sentenced
In 1865 to twelve years in the penitentiary at
Columbus. Ohio. At the end of eight years he
was pardoned ont and the story goes that a
wonderful bracelet of gold, engraved by his
deft fingers for a lady who had influence with
lhe governor OF the state. secured for him
lair advocate whose plea for mercy won his re-
lease subsequently he fell back into crime
anu was caught, but sentence was suspended in
consideration OF his turning states evidence.
WHERE PLATES ARE HIDDEN.
On another page of this remarkable scrap
book are proofs OF the front and back of a
counterfeit compound interest note for 500 of
the issue of 1869 1t had big circulation in
us time. 1he prints are SO blurred and indis-
tnct that one asks, = n matter of course, the
Reason why. IL Is because the plates were
buried under ground and became rusted.
Earth Is the iavorite hiding place of the coun-
terIeiter. He never heeps his plates near him
unless they are IN process OF manufacture.
Dulidlng may be searched. but a spade will make
concealment that is beyond the power OF no.
lice to discover. Usually the plates are wrapped
III oilcioth or covered with wax TO prevent cor
roslon tale Is tod of engraved steel plates
for perhaps the most dangerous counterfeit
ever made note for Sl00, which are at pres
ent buried beneath the tracks OF the Long
Island railway. The road built over the
cache where the forgers hid their property. As
Tor the rusted plates previously referred TO.
they were captured from the famous New York
gang. of which Hank Holmes was the pro
moter. lie escaped punishment through the
poNtical influence behind Linn. When lie
appeared IN court he was surrounded by
satellites III diamond breast pins; money flowed
like water and the important criminal got
away.
WHY THE PROMOTER ESCAPES.
The promoter" of a counterfeiting gang is
rarely, in fact almost never. made to suffer.
10 make-it clear just why this is some ex-
PLANTATION must be given of the manner in
which enterprises OF this sort are organized.
Ine engraver himself who produces the fer
genes Is never known 10 the persons who circu-
late them The latter. who are called show
ers, have no acquaintance with any one il the
affair usually They receive word that at tain
place business is to be done in their line. No
specinc communication Is made 10 them the
subject beyond the giving of 4 direction. The
shower goes to the place indicated, il may be in
the OacA cellar OF "A tenement house, anda pack
age OF stun Is handed out to him through a
small opening In the door. Ia return he hands
over the requisite amount OF cash in good
money. He sees nobody. and. If he is caught
passing the counterfeits he knows nothing.
Surprising that he steers the police 10 the
cellar where he got them, the iisbursing
agency has vanished Even the disbursing
agent Is presumably not acquainted with the
engraver or with the promoter. He gets the
coney from an intermediary. If he should
squeal on the intermediary the latter denies
the charge and there is no evidence against
HIM. for 1t is certain that he will have nothing
OF compromising nature in his possession.
The only person who has knowledge OF the en-
graver Is the promoter. who pays him for his
work and attends to circulating the Doodle
Even aided by the testimony of the engraver it
Is difficult for the law to convict the promoter,
woo keeps no terminating evidence about him
In the shape OF plates or counterfeits He is
nearly always man Of great ostensible re-
spectabillty, enjoying excellent repute in the
community where he lives. Yet it is he who main
tains the industry OF counterfeiting. initiating
the schemes. employing skilled workmen and
putting up the capital. Those who meet pun
ishment are merely his tools.
ALTERING THE FIGURES.
Among the most interesting of the curiosities
in the scrap book is series of bank notes raised
from small denominations to big ones by the
process of FASTING large numbers over little
Ones Fer example. there is 81 bill which has
been transformed into a fifty by an alteration of
the figures after this manner. 1t was laborious,
but 1t undoubtedly paid. The person who did
these particular bills invented the notion him
sell. He was an individual of wide knowledge
and some learning, known popularity as One
eyed Thompson" and 1t was a saying of his
that the better a man WIS educated the bigger
scoundrel he could be. A better Illustration of
his own proposition thln himself could scarcely
have been found. 1t was he who riginally de-
vl-ed the method of chopping up ten :l0 bills
and FASTING the pieces to- ether so as to make
eleven OF them. The first explo ,ire box known
to nave been sent BIZ one ltrsol to another
was dispatched by him to a fellow citizen in
New York whom he disliked named bury.
He was an inventor Of the first water.
PETER NJ CARNEY AS A TRANSFORMER.
1t was in this business OF transforming small
bills into good-sized ones that the celebrated
John Peter Mccartney began his criminal
career. He was pedding goods through Hi
nois. being then youth of eighteen; when il
occurred TO him to multiply his dollars by
scrapinS ont zones" and FASTING ''fives' aad
items over them. eat from the notes of broken
banks. OF which there We're plenty out west in
those Geys. Tie Indianapolis grocer to whom
lie handed his first altered piece of money
s:grt,cG him by looking at j. and Wing: II
don know about that. However. the trades
man only meant TO express doubt rs to his
ability TO supply change. which was presently
counted on: of the cash drawer. Mccartney,
who mad already studied engraving somewhat.
took instruction subsequently frCn the coun-
terfeiter Ben Boyd, and soon began TO make
plates on his own hook. From that time
which was before the war. he MAS active in the
profession. and it not very long ere he
came to be called King of the Ka.liackers"
On koniack street. Montreal. was a famous
headquarters for old-time counterfeiters
whence the name.
MCARTNEYs INDUSTRY
in his peculiar line well nigh incredible
For many years he not only produced a vast
quantity of the 'stuf'-i. e.. bogus money
but was most industrious in circulatiag it, He
had small directory full of pseudonyms and
from time TO time appeared III the most extra
or binary variety OF roles. From season to sea-
son ne practiced medicine. served as a CONNER
cisl traveller. YVES an artist, a gentleman of ele-
giant leisure. cattle or mule droyer a miner
a stable keeper, agent OF the secret service,
n treasury expert, and so forth al minimum
When hard pressed by detectives he would
sometimes take refuge i'll Washington. tue place
OF az places where the sleuth hounds of the
government would be least likely to look for
him-namely. under their noses.
On one occasion he delivered q series of lee
lures on ..Coanterfeits and How to Detec.
Them" giving bogus money OF his own manu-
fac ture as change at the box Office. Thouyh
tel apain and again he nrOcurel hi.