The record-union., 1892-07-14
GREEN GOODS" SWINDLBRS.
What the Treasury Department Says
About Them.
They do Not Sell Counterfeit Money,
But Simply Pretend to do So
Their Methods.

A. L. Drummond, Chief of the Secret
Service Division of the United States
Treasury Department, writes as follows
to banker of this city, exposing the
methods of that class of swindlers who
pretend to sell counterfeit or contraband
paper money. AS there are gullible peo-
pie who are constantly being swindled
by these frauds, the letter may serve to
put others on their guard. Says Chief
Drummond:
SIR: From the tenor of your letter l
am led TO infer that the party offering to
sell counterfeit money is of the numerous
class of swindlers known by the title of
"Boodlers." Such persons never deal in
II, but make a pretenSe of doing so on
purpose to inveigle dishonest persons
who would buy counterfeit money if they
couId-lnto parting with their good
money IN the hope Of getting counterfeit.
These swindlers are usually located in
large cities, but New York contains by
far the greater number.
They send circulars in imitation of let
ters ~ thousands all over the country,
inviting their correspondents to visit
New ork, naming the hotel at which
they should stop, and offering them great
inducements to purchase. Those who go
alter such bargains never obtain counter
felt money, and seldom return home
without leaving all of their good money in
the hands of these plausible but danger
Gus men.
III August, 1885, James t. Holland, of
Abilene, Tex, allured to the city OF New
York by circular similar to that for
Warded by you, met Tom Davis and
theodore, his brother. These men, while
pretending to sell Holland $4,000 Of So
called counterfeit money, but which were
genuine notes, cheated him of his good
money. Holland, at once discovering the
cheat, shot Tom Davis, killing him in
Stantly. A jury subsequently acquitted
Holland.
Another practice is to toll on their vic
TINS by sending a genuine one or two
dollar note, or parts of the same, and
representing them TO be specimens of the
counterfeit notes they have for sale.
Under the various names Of Green
Articles" SO cen Cigars" "Green
Leaves" ETC., tdey offer for sale counter
felt money WI ich they aver is printed on
plates stoleD rom the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing of the Government.
Not plate of any kind has ever been
stolen from that establishment.
Those who have counterfeit money for
sale do not write letters requesting
strangers to buy it. Even after the intro
ductlon of new man by one counter
telter to another, it takes long time to
establish such friendly relations as would
induce counterfeiter to trust a new
conner. Yet thousands of criminalIy
foolish people believe they can purchase
counterfeit money as they would butter
or cheese, and, in their attempts to OBJ
tain it, are robbed, and an honest public
sentiment says, Serves them right"
The crime Of which the "boodler'' is
guilty is covered by Section No. $3.50,
United States Revised Statutes, as
amended and approved March 2, 1889,
and the offender, upon conviction, is
liable to fine OF $500 and Imprisonment
for eighteen months. 1t is next to inn
possible to obtain legal evidence against
these swindlers; and were one of them
arrested and brought to trial, the testi-
mony of the main witness (he who lost
the money! would be weakened by the
fact that he would have been criminal
if he could.
This office is in daily receipt of
doodle" circulars, sent in from all
parts of the country, hence the necessity
OF putting this explanatory statement in
its present form.