The Jersey City news., 1892-05-21
RELICS OF old crime.
Counterfeiters' Plates Hid
den In the Wall of a
Tumble-doWn
Shanty.
FOR STATE BANK NOTES.
Wrapped in a HERALD of August
80, 1S56-Queer Find
of Workmen.
FOR STATE BANK NOTES.

While tearing down the old three story
frame shanty No. 253 Newark avenue a
few days ago, John Bnrgner. foreman of a
gang of Contractor Van Keuren's men,
found considerable portion OF the out
fit of some Wholesale counterfeiters who
probably were operating in this vicinity
nearly forty years ago.
On the second floor. suspended by nail
in the side of one of the upright beams
and nailed In between the weather board
ing and plastered laths, he discovered a
package containing some twenty-odd cop
per plates in sections, with
nickel facing. and bearing signatures,
words and devices that characterized
the five and ten dollar bank notes issued
by the States of New York, Connecticut
and New Hampshire before the National
banking system came into vogue. The
plates were wrapped in a faded copy of
the New York Herald OF the date OF
August 20, 1855.
1t never occurred to Mr.. Burgner to
turn these plates over to the police. He
was about to throw them into the general
pile OF debris that was being carted away
to the dumps when it suddenly occurred
something as old junk copper.
THE PLATES.
/ found Burgner this morning working
at Kensington avenue. He took me to
his home, at Westervelt and Grand
streets, and exhibited the plates. The old
yellow copy OF the Herald IN winch an ne
found them is all in little pieces. The
plates are about a thirty-second of an
inch in thickness, and the engraved
words and devices are marvels 9. skill.
In one corner they bear the small imprint
of the "Govill Manufacturing Company
extra" There are but two the full size
OF the old bank note. One OF these sim
plate "Will pay TEN DOLLARS on De.
mand TO Bearer" With the ex-
ception of the shaded capi-
tai letters the rest Is III
graceful script The word "Oswego"
also in shaded capitals appears upon this
plate. The other full size plate contains
the words Buffalo" and Estate of New
dig shaded four line plea x. With
the exception of a few long narrow
plates the whole length of the
original note the rest of the plates are
about two inches square. One of the mar
row slips is engraved as follows:-"W1ll
pay TEN DOLLARS on Demand to
bearer" With the exception of the
-
in script corresponding with that
on the full plate above described.
The words Wolfporough, New
Hampshire" also appear on this. narrow
slip. The two inch square plates are
simply engraved with the big letter *, ("
"TEN DOLLAR" FIVE" "NEW
HAVEN" "CONNECTlCUT," "Cash, !"
and the like t4 IN
A FORGOTTEN STORY.
l could fad no one this morning who
appeared to know anything of the early
history of the old building. The site at
present belongs to Il Mr.. Hildebrandt, of
Hoboken, who is about to erect
new tenement house upon it..
For the past twenty-three years the
storeroom on the first floor has been oc-
cupied by J. Guterl MS meat and gro
Gerry store. Mr.. Guterl recently moved
to the opposite side of Newark avenue.
One of his grown sons said this morning
he could not recall the name CT
the occupant of the house before
his father moved In, but he was sure that
the former occupant was a carpenter
The workmen who tore down the build
ing say the wall in the vicinity Of the find
bore no traces whatever OF having been
tampered with.