The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-01
rnrFrs FROM GOLD COIN.
How Uncle Sam Has Been Robbed by In
xcnious Italians and Poles.

How Uncle Sam Has been Robbed by In
gcnious Italians and Poles.
The United States suD-treasury OIL
Gals of this city are greatly annoyed ut
present by the amount of light weight
gold coin that is coming into their cof
fers. The gold Is all short IN value, and
though there is no apparent difference IN
the size Of the various pieces or their
weight TO the Impractical observer,
many of them have been reduced one
third of their value.
The officials do not hesitate 70 accuse
persons of robbing the government by
reducing the weight of the coin, and the
government has even gone SO far as to
take steps to stop the robbery. Assistant
Treasurer Roberts said that many of the
3 gold pieces were fifty cents snort. and
some of the SO pieces were worth only
80. 25. The 81 coins did not suffer much.
because it would hardly pay TO bother
with them.
In every case that his attention had
been called to the face of ths coin bad
not been worn or mutilated. the figures
and designs presented lines as sharp as
new ones, and the milling hadnt been
disturbed. These coins We're, however.
all short from twenty-five to fifty cents
in value. These facts have caused the
officials 10 think that there are persons
at work in the city who are making q
regular business Of defraud;ng the gov
eminent.
The gold in these cases mas been re-
moved from the coin by means Of a
chemical process, which does not appear
to affect the general appearance Of the
money.
An old treasury official, in speaking Of
the fraud, gave me some interesting
facts concerning this species Of robbery.
There are half n dozen ways Of getting
gold of coins said he, but the two
most in vogue are those where acid l.
used, and In the sweating process The
latter is most in vogue among Polish
Jews and Italians, who make "A regular
business Of II.
"In the first place they secure stout
canvas bag and fiji it about half full Of
gold coins. The top Of the bag Is tied
and then the coins arc shaken together
| for hours at time. The friction Of one
| coin rubbing against the other wears of
| considerable gold. aud II is deposited a.
the bottom of the bag. Each time goo
worth OF gold coin Is treated 20 the
| sweating process the Italian viii prob
ably secure so worth Of dust. The
coins when taken out look somewhat old
| as If they had been IN circulation .
| long tims-but they viii always be &C
cepted by persons not used 20 handling
| money.
| ITO person familiar with the rrauds.
however, il Is always easy - detec; =
coin that has been treTted 70 a sweat.
The Italian will always take new eosn
for tho purpose, and Il aI@fson Will only
| stop 70 think hs can also Qgtecs a hight
coin. The gold does not wear Of -
rapidly as Is generally supposed II orsii'
nary circulation. Therefore when q per.
son finds coin which from - 5<ts i
only two or three years old. that has q
very wcrn appearance, Il has undcu bisd
ly been treated 70 q 'sasai. I bssg
coins win always be found short weight
aud people wsil gave money x tsey
watch TIE date aid coalition e 80
pieces they receive.
"The process Of removing geld bT ar
an.d bath ia now resortsd 70 NOR gez
orally than The OH sweating system. ~
& Is harder 70 dstoct the sslo-,sye "a ths
eosns. On 'sxeated' coin tie figures az.
milling arc worn, waiis o1 iss othsu
the designs are not - al istured. r,
detect slsort&ge IN Ire LATTER eoia seq.
them. New YORK Herald.