Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-28

five-cent piece that they would have de-
ceived very intelligent person IL handed TO
MIN IN quantity Of coin. Most of these
checks were sold in the vicinity of Birming-
ham, Ala, but some were found I'm WASH
II gton, and IL is likely that IL their career
had not been cut short they would have
reached other large communities The soda
water sellers were notified to send in all OF
these checks under penalty. and the agents
In Chicago seized the dies.
Counterfeit Detector..
There is, however, a quantity Of counter
felt money which is held in the large cities
OF the United States under special permit OF
the Secretary of the Treasury Ii is held by
about twenty-five men, and the limit 70 the
amount held by each is $500. These men are
bankers and teachers or professors in tine
art OF detecting counterfeit money. There "a
regular business, not only in detecting
counterfeits but I'm teaching others 10 de-
tect them. Several men in different parts of
the United States make living by this oe-
cupatlon and some of them travel from
place TO place filling engagements TO in
struct young bank clerks in the art In
cloentally these professors" work up BUSH
t;tss for detective agencies and get subscrip-
oohs ior counterfeit detectors," which are
published in several cities. All who hold
counterfeit money under permit from the
secretary of the Treasury are required TO
report TO the secret service bureau al least
orce month, and. IL In the neighborhood
oI secret service agent. to report to him i'm
person and show him the counterfeit money
20 demonstrate that nope has disappeared
an agent IN NEBRASKA not long ago ran
down man with a permit who had NOT re-
ported Tor two years. All but $40 of the
counterfeit money was found I'm his pos
a "a y. anu was taken from him. He claim
60 10 nave lost the $40. and no action was
taken against him. But he will never enjoy
the Secretarys confidence again.
fakfng Invoice Of Counterfeit stock.
Inc committee Of treasury clerks has had
iaii possession of that interesting store
room OF Chief Hazen for some time and
mas been checking up carefully all the mis-
eeiisneous seizures which are there. When
ever special agent makes a seizure he
forwards the articles seized 10 the h,,reau
at washington and with them goes an in
VOICE. The original invoices are put in the
hahos OF the treasury committee and are
compared with the goods in the hands of
the secret service custodian so as 10 make
sure that nothing has escaped. In wouId he
q pretty serious matter IL s5.Oo0.0e0 worth
OF counterfeit money. was turned loose ON
the country. When the COMMITTEES has
checked UP all the goods they are taken
70 the macerator in the basement of the
treasury building or to the big furnace at
the navy yard The one is used for the
destruction OF mutilated and worn-out
paper money and the other for the de-
struetion OF obsolete plates from the bu-
redu OF engraving and printing. These two
destructive agents render the secret service
seizures quite harmless Into the mace
rator when the next clean up'' is made
VIII 20 probably the pretty warrants is
sued by the state of Mississippi which
nave just been seized under Secretary Car
ilsies orders. These warrants were printed
IN tne same size as the notes issued by the
United states treasury and of the sHxne
general design. IT is sufficient 10 say thu
besides being of the same size as the trea,s
ury notes they are printed on bond
paper, which is very likely the distinctive
paper OF the government; that ON the left
OF the race is a vignette head, and on the
hight the figure 8 engraved against some
elaborate lathework. Around the border il
the same elaborate -4athewcrk that is found
on the national currency, and the reverse
OF the warrant Il ornamented with a stays
head and the figure : again, against a back
ground distinctly suggestive of the design
OF treasury note. The whole would easily
pass current for s. bill and doubtless
these warrants were Intended to go into
general circulation at the time they were
issued.
Executive Legislative Seals.
Mr.. Hagen rescued from the hands Of the
treasury committee and showed the repre-
sentative Of The Star a copy OF a very
beautiful engraving made in Chicago. 10
reproduced all of the executive and legis-
lative seals used at Washington. In the
| center was the. great seal. which is in the
custody of the State Department. How
the engrayer obtained a copy of this seal
| is not known. 1t is never affixed TO piece
| Of paper without an order signed by the
President OF the United States himself.
Grouped around this great seal were the
seals of the executive departments. the
Presidents seal and the seals of the Senate
and House of Representatives The work
was done in colors, end five tints were used.
Fortunately for the engraver. he had not is
sued a very large edition when the discovery
and seizures were made. II is against the law
to reproduce the executive seal. At the
time this page of seals was seized another
important seizure was made. The same en-
graver had produced q very elaborate design
containing the signatures OF the President
and his heads of departments, and of the
members of both houses Of Congress This
would have been entirely unoblectionable.
But. unfortunately. the engraver had at
tached to these lists. as attests of their
genuineness. fac SMILES Of the seals used
by the Senate and the House. This being
against the law. the plates and all the inn
prints from them were seized. and they
have been destroyed. IL the engraver had
come to Chief Haxen. he would have beea
warned, and he would have saved a heavy
expense. Engravers and printers are be-
ginning to learn the necessity for consulting
the secret service bureau before undertake
ing doubtful work. and hardly a week
passes that Mr.. Hazen does not receive
copies Of designs or approval The latest OF
these came a few days ago from a western
package of treasury notes encircled by ad-
vertising lettering. Mr.. Hazen notified the
man who submitted 1t that IL was unlawful.
The man wrote TO ask that IL be returned
TO him, saving that ne had become respon-
sible TO 1.-The artist for IT, But the secret
service chief Is not returning counterfeits.
and the western man will have TO settle