Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-12-08
SHOWING THE QUEER"
An Interesting Chat With an Officer
of the Secret Service.

Washington. Dec. 2-The secretary
of the treasury has completed his re
port, which is ready for the public
and deals ably with financial questions
| Uncle Sam, like other men, needs
filthy lucre, and the all-important ques-
ton of the day now seems to be how
to raise the needful
While there is a scarcity of the genu-
inc article your uncle keeps his eyes
open for those who counterfeit the
coin of the realm, and there is ALWAYS
Il force of detectives at work in that
branch.
! The ''Socret service" is a bureau in
the treasury department, whose head
is an expert detective and whose sub
ordinates are unknown to the outside
world. But the ramifications of this
service reach out to the different cities
Of the union and explore the secluded
haCnts in quiet country towns.
Up in one of the numerous rooms
of the treasury department we find a
small chamber which is Il museum
i'll which are collected the tools, pic
lures and work of the counterfeiters.
On one side is a case of ugly pistols;
on the other, Il frame full of photos
OF famous showers of the queer" while
behind Il glass are numberless speci-
mems Of counterfeit or bad money in
tbillS and coins.
TO those whose curiosity is excited
by the queer exhibit the polite chief
clerk is always ready to give infor-
nation.
The annual report of the secretary
is just completed" he explained, but
there are many little things of interest
III the service outside of dry statis-
tics. For instance, it is not generally
known that it is against the law to
print, photograph, engrave or paint Il
fac-simile of IL United States note or
coin, but such is the case We have
there" he continued, pointing to
large placard bearing an engraving
representing Il 81 bill, :" Il picture which
was placed i'll Il window to advertise
some 81 shoes. This drawing was
seized by the officers. A photographer
had us an advertisement Il representa-
ton OF Il So note, and this also was
cOntiScated
This photograph of !; man, seated in
Ia chair and held by two others, is
the picture Of Il famous counterfeiter.
He was determined we should not
catch his face, SO you see he has Wrin-
kled it up SO us to be almost unrec-
o@nizabIe
"One of the easiest ways of counter
feiting is to change Il bill from one
denomination to another-say Il $40 bill
to Il 500 note, OF 500 to 5000 But
rs a rule large bills are not those most
often counterfeited, for the reason that
lit is much easier to pass Il 81 note
undetected than it is one for 81 900.
A small note passes unnoticed where
Il large one would be challenged.
"Of course the counterfeiters are
fine engrayers, and their work is sim
ply wonderful, still they never get off
as good specimen as that put out
by the government The lines in the
portraits are not near so fine.
when Il fellow has made false
money his first object is to give it an
old look, so it can more easily escape
detection. Some do this by rubbing
4 new note in the sweat from an over
heated horse, as this gives soiled,
oily look, and others us coffee or tea
to effect a stain.
I'VE have i'll the department here
4 lady who is remarkably gifted with
such Il delicate sense Of touch that it
is simply impossible to pass Il coun-
tcrfcit on her. One bad note which
had passed the sub-treasury in New
York, was detected and thrown out
While passing through her hands.
''Mutilating coins is a foolish habit
with some people and they do not seem
to realize that they are practically
withdrawing it from circulation. For
instance, the ten-cent pieces used by
ladies for bangles, or on which initials
are cut, can only be redeemed as bull
lion-they are money no longer, as
they no longer represent the coin of
the realm -