Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02

- ~, IL must De that he is a gentleman
OF leisure and travels from CITY 10 CITY.
Little hope is entertained Of e,-e- -, ,,.t,i,-,
MN, ana IL Is likely that he will ALWAYS
remain mystery.
Noteworthy Haul.
One important capture made by the
treasury hawkshaws during the last wear
was that of man named Smith and a
Woman ne hVed with. who were engaged
IN counterfeiting notes on the Bank Of
England They used Photography for the
purpose, going over the lines afterwara
with zen and ink Nineteen OF the notss
supposed to be all they had made. we're
seized at the same time. together with tba
glass negative employed and other an
paratus. The securities Initiated were FOR
70 each. Ahother forgery for f2O on the
same great financial institution was picked
up recently. Only one specimen was S.
cured, and, lnasmuch as it was executed
entirely in pen and ink, it may, PERHAPS.
have been the work of the Ingenious artist
above referred TO.
The Bank of England depends for pro-
lection against counterfeiters entirely on its
paper, which has a peculiar water mark.
Though this paper is much more easily
initiated than the fiber paper used by Uncle
Sam, the manufacture of an imitation would
require a small factory and much machin-
cry. such a manufacture could hardly lie
carried on secretly. That eminent expert,
Mr. Pete Mccartney, used to wash ali the
INK on OF 81 United States notes, so as to
procure the real fiber paper for printing
400 notes upon. One might wonder why
TINS simple process has not been applied
10 sank of England securities, inasmuch as
thelr design Is nothing but plain black let
terlhg ana could be readily initiated. But
~ may be that the British paper being SO
INN, would not bear acids and take a re-
print afterward.
During the last year a new issue has an
pedreu OF the dangerous twO-dollar silver
certihcate with The head of Hancock which
Iist saw the light in 1880. At that time it
alarmed the treasury considerably. 1t vas
the most successful counterfeit that had
turned up IN many years. An expert might
detect II, but no ordinary person would
suspect It's want of genuneness. The gen
eral eHect was admirable. Its worst de-
feet was that in one place on the ma rgin
the word Two" was spelled ssOwt" This
has been corrected in the new edition. The
ceS,IS Service would feel very happy if it
Whlch VIII be danger to the national
hands.
Unfortunately, to get hold OF them is a
problem so difhcult as to puzzle even such
skilled detectives are employed by the
government. To capture a man in the act
rot accomplish much. He does not know
who manufactures them, but is only ac-
qualnted with the dealer from whom he
bought them at 90 cents on the dollar which
is the customary price. If he ''soueals on
the dealer, the latter. who is likely TO be
some Keeper of a saloon or hotel denies
me sne enarge. which is difficult to prove. He
manufacturer. who has all evidences OF
his fraudulent industry safely buried Fvi-
oence tnat VIII convict is hard to get. To
nothing of importance, so long as the en-
graved plates remain extant
Done by Photography.
one OF the most recent commercials an
pearing within the last year, was OF a IS
note on a bank in Springfield Ohio. 1t was
produced by photography. supplemented by
eoiofs apphed with a brush. One specimen
captured had the back printed upside down.
The general appearance was good, but IL
would not bear scrutiny. Photographic
processes. on the whole, have disappointed
the criminal imitators They have attained
such perfection in recent years that the
treasury was much afraid that their en-
ployment would imperil the safety OF the
currency. But they cannot be made to re-
produce steel engraving successfully. Best
of all protection is the mechanical lathe
work. which cannot be initiated The effect
OF hber paper has been fairly well copied
| by printing from steel plates, irregular
eurhques representing the hairs upon plain
white paper.
In 81, 500 worth of false notes and certid-
Gates captured during the last year S402 was
fractional paper currency OF the old style.
This currency is not initiated nowadays.
but the bogus pieces referred to were an
Client counterfeits, boarded since the days
when the little shinplasters were in general
circulation and were counterfeited on a
great scale Their very shabbiness gives
them a more genuine look. II is on this &C
count that the forger stains the paper
money Of his own manufacture with oil.
soaks them in various decoctions. crumples
and tears them. Thus they get the appear
! ance of respectable age and obtain the
credit Of long circulation. while at the same
time II is rendered more difficult to per-
ceive their defects.
The use OF limitations OF United States
/ without criminal
/ vertising purposes is still prevalent. not
outstanding the efforts Of the government
/ to put a stop TO II Shopkeepers and manu-
facturers know that devices of this kind at
tract attention. During the last year nearly
81 100000 worth of such limitations OF the
national currency has been confiscated.
The specimens thus secured run all the way
! from greenbacks issued by cheap eating
houses TO supposititious wallets. with bills
sticking out at the ends. which are scat
tered along the street. People pick them
up, find that they are made of paper, and
read the advertisements inside. The fat
currency issued by business colleges used
to make an immense amount Of trouble.
much OF it being worked OF uron unsus-
pecting immigrants. Most of this has been
gathered in and destroyed.
The secret service declares that there is
a popular mania for initiating the currency.
Tin tags are made after the pattern OF
silver quarters calendars are ornamented
with pictures of s. silver certificates. and
clusters OF coins are employed for paper
weights. Coin c0unterfeiterS have adopted
the dodge Of always having few of these
coin clusters on hand. II they are sur
prised at their work they refer to the clus-
tiers and explain that they are simply en-
gagged in making them. United States pos
tage stamps are reproduced in the same
fashion for advertisements. Only the other
day steel engraved plate for printing
Guatemala stamps was seized. Until quite
recently forgers of foreign stamps could
not be prosecuted In this country. but
new law has been made to cover them.
The treasury is very anxious 70 get
through Congress a legal enactment for
bidding the payment OF employees in scrip
or metal tokens issued by manufacturing
and other concerns which employ labor on
a large scale and compel their workmen TO
accept such alleged money. which is only
good at the company's store. The late
financial strinGency has largely increased
the volume Of such currency, which. as IL
is reckoned, subtracts from Is TO 30 per
cent from the income of the wage Garner.
RENE BACHE.