The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-06-06
BOGUS MONEY MAKERS.


uncle Sans engraVerS at the Bureau
of Engraving and Printing confess their
inability to distinguish from their own
work, has called public attention very
strongly 10 menace TO the country's
finances that is particularly new. Pho
tograpbic and photochromic processes
OF late invention have rendered it easy
for iorgers to reproduce any note or
certificate with absolute perfection so
far as the designs are concerned. As
for the paper to PRINT them upon, the
Government sells 1.-THE real stuff, of
Treasury manufacture-at a cheap rate
to any one who wants to buy. If you
don't believe it, you can easily obtain
from the Secret Service Bureau here a
full account of the manner in which,
not long ago, skilled operator took
large number of real ST bills, washed
them in chemical bath So as to re
move every trace of the printing, and
then used the plates he had prepared
to print on the same paper as many
$500 bills, the profit on each being
S4oo. That the counterfeit was efec
tive is sufficiently demonstrated by the
fact that in one day he passed four of
the $500 notes on one bank, not being
afraid to hand them right oyer the
counter to the receiving teller, who
took them without question. There
were one or two almost imperceptible
defects, which caused them to be de-
teCted: but that was because they were
engraved by mechanical process. In
photography there is no error, and that
IS the reason why the forger to day is
in position, for the first time, to make
areasury note or certificate on
Uncle Sans own paper that no man,
however expert, can tell from a real
| one. 1t is for this reason that the
| chief of the secret service urges, as a
last resort, that each denomination OF
United States paper money shall have
distinctive paper of its own, the Imi
tation Of which shall be for bldden
by legal enactment. Even thus the
safeguard IS very insecure one, and
the fact is recognized that the fight
against the torgers must be fought from
this time on upon more peri'ous ground
than ever hitherto
1t is an interesting thing, in view of
the recent Italian complication, to con
slider the fact that the Italians in this
country, according to the records of
the secret service, are so peculiarly
addicted to the crime of counterfeiting
that in 4 single year more people of
that nationality have been arrested
and convicted on this charge than of
all other nation@lities put together.
Most of those caught, too, were Sjcll-
ians-the tribe to which nearly all of
the lynched New Orleans prisoners
belonged. One feature characteristic
OF Italian counterfelting methods is a
widespread organization, seldom be-
trayed by traitors, which renders it
possible to issue the same forged
money simultaneously from points a
great ways apart-a scheme calculated
to occasion the Government detectives
much trouble IN their efforts to dis
cover the source of supply and track
the producer.
The counterfeiting of coins has by
no means kept pace in recent years
with the improvements which the for
gers of paper money have been able to
accomplish. Most of the coin counter
feIts are very clumsy, and it is only |
once in awhile that piece of metal
appears which occasions discomfort to |
the authorities. About the only dan |
gerous coin out at present IS a bogus |
silver dollar, which the secret service is
applying its energies to wiping out. 1t
degree the essential elements of ring, |
weight, and appearance. Ga the whole,
the counterfeitlng of coin would not |
appear to pay, inasmuCh as seven |
eights Of the makers OF imitation money |
captured are in the coin business. 1t
must be remembered. however, that |
this branch OF the profession attracts |
very many votaries whose knowledge |
and skill are not equal to reproducing
cash on paper. The latter is the edu
Gated branch. Most counteneits of
gold coins are merely alloys, each S. |
piece containing 81 worth OF the pre-
cIous metal or in some such proper
tions. There is no very remarkable |
one out at present.
One of the most remarkable coun
terfeiters that every lived-at present |
in jail, happily-is John Peter Nc
CARNEY, known as the "kng of kon-
takers, who has record of thirty five
industrious years employed in the busi-
ness. This ingenious old scoundrel
has figured as a capitalist during that
period, providing the money required
IN nearly every important combination
of forgers on this side of the water. AT |
one time he travelled and gave series
of lectures about GLOW to Detect
Counterfeit Money" most of the
change he gave at the box office be-
ing of his own exclusive manufacture.
But the most famous and successful of |
all forgers known to history are Charles
Smith and the celebrated Brockway,
who have been engaged in this eXcit
ing industry ever since boyhood,
though both are now old men. Their
skill in their chosen occupation has
never been equaled up to the present
time. For generation they kept the
Government authorities in a fret, the
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