The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-23
NEW CASH FOR OLD.
Redeeming Worn Out and Destroyed
Money at the Treasury.
Bills Eaten, Burned and Buried-How
Laundry-S3, 900 Under the Carpet,

Laundry-S3, 900 Under the Carpet.
From the Washington Star
Two hundred and sixty dollars came
into the redemption division of the treas
ury the other day in queer shape. The
sum in question was hardly more than a
mass of paper pulp. To identify the bills
composing it was almrst impossible.
However, the experts accomplished the
task after great deal of trouble. To
them it was nothing new They called it
a wash case" Such cases occur, and are
called to their attention at the rate of
about one a week all the year around.
You see, the way it happened was this
A man, who shall be nameleSs went to
he'd few nights ago and took his wad
of $3.50 in good bank notes with him. He
nut them in the breast pocket of his
nightshirt, considering that safer than
beneath the pillow. Next morning he
forgot all about the money. He went off
to business, and his wife sent his robe de
mutt to the laundry, together with other
family washables. In the course of the
day thought of the cash flashed across
the mind of the anonymous person afore-
said. He remarked, "Gosh!" and started
for home.
After pausing a moment to storm and
swear, he made a dash for the laundry.
OF course nobody had seen anything of
his $3.50. 1t was not to be expected. His
night shirt was already in the tuba
sort of revolving wooden cylinder full of
water, soap and several dozen unassorted
garments. That part of the ma
chinery which controlled the action
of this particular cylinder-one of many
of the same kind-was stopped, and the
robe de mutt was extracted. In the breast
pocket was the wad; but such a wad AS
has been said, it was mere mass of pa
pier mache. Those of The bills which
were in the best condition were split, the
faces being separated from the backs.
THE MONEY WAS RETURNED.
Inthis shape the money was received
at the redemption division, with letter
explaining the accident. It's condition
was quite as bad as that of a roll sent in
some time ago, which had been swal-
lowed and partly digested by goat But
it did not discourage the trained experts
of the treasury department They took
the wad apart piece by piece and put the
bills together again All that they re-
ouired was proof that the $3.50 was there
Somuch being accomplished, the entire
sum, in crisp new notes, was sent to the
loser by express. His delight may per-
haps be imagined.
There was big fire in Chicago only the
other day, and one mans trousers were
devoured by the flames. Although they
were the only pair he possessed, it would
not have mattered much, perhaps, if it
had not been for the fact that the rear
pocket of the garment contained a leather
wrllet full of bills. He forwarded the
wallet with its contents to Washington in
cigar box. The notes were reduced al
most to ashes, though they had retained
L.. -.
have been consumed by fire. But, while
perfectly black, even the numbers on
them could be made out, and the loser
will recover every cent.
This was not very bad case. Often an
envelope containing only a few charred
fragments will be all that is left of a sum
of money burned. In such instances the
most painstaking care is employed in
scrutinizing and putting together the
pieces, Frequently powerful magnify
ing glass is called into requisition. The
law used to require that at least three
fifthS of a note should be supplied in
order to secure its redemption at full
value. If less than that was offered il
was paid for in proportion. That is to
say, One-half of $40 bill would fetch IS.
But the regulations in this regard have
been amended and now full value is given
for the smallest fragment of piece of
paper money, if it is sufficient to show
the denomination. In such cases, how
ever, an affidavit is required certifying
that the whole of the rest of the bill has
been totally destroyed. But with bank
notes it is requisite that the name of the
bank shall be determined scrap with
a part of the signature of one of the
banks officers will suffice for this pur-
pose.
THE EXPERTS ARE WOMEN.
1t may be that the redemption division
gets cheated once in while. The experts
are human and therefore fallible But it
must be precious seldom that a swindle
gets past them. They are responsible for
every cent that goes through their hands,
and if any sum is paid out without proper
Justification they are bound to make it
good. incidentally, they must be clever
detectors of counterfeits. 1t is easily i'm
agined that dishonest persons might
partly destroy false paper money and send
1t in for redemption, trusting to its de-
facement to conceal defects of engraving,
etc. In fact, attempts of this sort have
been made.
The circumstance that the experts re-
ferred to are of the gentler sex is a
marked tribute to the cleVerneSS and keen
judgment of women. Through the hands
OF these ladies millions of dollars pass in
Ihe course of every year. But one case of
0louOuGSJS Ill bU6 ONCE mas ever occurred.
That was the famous instance of the en-
ploye who invented a scheme for making
ten notes out of nine This she would
accomplish by an ingenious system of
Patchwork. No such thing had ever been
thought of before, and for considera BILE
period she continued to earn from $50 to
$0Oa day by the operation without being
suspected. Perhaps she might have gone
on with it indefinitely if it had not been
mat she could not resist the temptation
make display of her wealth With
Such an income she could well afford to
Keep carriage, and she drove to the de-
Wrtment and home again every day. She
Wore diamonds and fine dresses-in short
e46l0lted such gorgeousness that the envy
u! ner fellow clerks was excited, Sus-
pIclon was aroused and an investigation
resulted in her arrest.
Feople try all sorts of plans for cheat
sus the redemption division. Hung in a
iiIaue on the wall of the treasurer's room
~ 800 bill composed of slices taken from
n.ue different notes. This piece of work
"4S done by bank clerk. 1t did not de-
CS'e Ior a moment, because the pieces
;.ogu ulnered in their tints, thus render
o +s 'ue composite nature of the document
on.ueIg II was a boy employed to sweep
Suoa New York bank who sent in a lot of
iiJqps OF paper money awhile ago He
b a.u Iuey represented $500 which had
s5o n eaten by mice, but examination
81 IiC avg That the amount was at least
inv S II anything. But the fact was that