Iron County register., 1894-08-16
Counterfeits and ureen Goods.

SHOWING" the spurious money, was
clever piece of business on the part OF
the United States Government detec-
tives. The work of the counterfeiters
had also been done cleverly enough to
make the notes unusually dangerous ii
they had gone abroad.
Moreover, the revelations as to the
green goods game before the Lexow
committee, showed that the number OF
ostensibly respectable people who are
always ready to circulate spurious
money is large in this country, and
more especially in the rural commun-
tiles. If the representations of the
green goods swindlers were true, the
Union would De flooded with counter
felt bills. so greedy is the demand for
their professed supply. The trick is
to open correspondence with scoun-
drelly rural gudgeous by suggesting
that the operators can furnish notes
which haYe been printed from genu-
inc Treasury plate that had been lost
from the Treasury, and which, there
fore, are not liable to the laws against
counterfeiting.
OF course, this is flimsy pretence,
a sort of practical joke, through which
any fool ought to see; but the number
of people caught by it actually num-
bers thousands, many of them being OF
a degree of education above the aver
age. Their letters, as published in
the Sun not long ago, when we print
&c the records of a green goods gang
during a short period. were often in
telligent and showed business capaci-
ty in the writers. They also revealed
a widespread disposition to swindling.
if it could be practised without danger
of detection and punishment. In the
two years covered by these records
about thousand countrymen showed
their readiness to patronize the green
goods Industry, fearing only that they
might themselves be cheated in their
attempt to cheat other people. Enough
of them were disarmed of their sus'
picions to bring a great revenue to the
swindlers. Not one of the whole mum
ber had any scruples about swindline
on his own account. When they
bought the green goods. each of them
put up a considerable sum of money,
indicating that they were men of CAPT
tai. They seemed to be generally
farmers and tradesmen and merchant:
who were fairly prosperous, at least
and presumably they were men OF re
spectacle standing in the rural neigh
borhoods from which they wrote.
they thought they had chance tt
make more money, even BY dishones
means, they were keen to improve it
Usually they promised to be regular
patrons of the green goods industry i
their first order should be filled t.
their satisfaction. If they could ge
bad money for tenth of the cost o
good, and could circulate it withou
detection, they were anxious to use il
altogether. If showing counterfeit
proved profitable, they were ready tt
go into the rascally business as ;
steady occupation.
These men, as indicated by the rec
ords of the green goods gang, numbe
many thousands, and they are scatter
ed throughout the conntry districts, t.
which alone the cynical swindlers ap
pealed with their circulars. A hun
dred victims or guys discover the tricl
at the cost of large sums of good mon
ey, but the supply of possible dupe
does not fall off in consequence. thougl
the story of the swindling practica
joke is published often and far in tn
newspapers. The demand continue
to be great and eager.
1t is surprising, then, that anybod
should go into the business of actua
counterfeiting. involving so much Ia
Dor and expense and the risk of sever
punishment. A bundle of blank brow
paper can be made to supply the de
mand, and the business can be cor
Quoted at comparatively small cost
and, as experience has proved. wit
almost entire immunity. The guo
geons bite more eagerly because of tn
mystery of the green goods men. The
can be discovered and reached NOR
readily by these mems method of col
respondence than people can be secu'
ed to shove actual counterfeit money
A large amount of green goods can b
sold and distributed widely, while th
product of counterfeiters must be Gil
culated in small quantities, with grea
caution, and by few confederates, a
liable to arrest and punishment, an
almost certain to get their deserts a
dangerous criminals. The green good
hackers grow rich. The regular cour
terfeiters make comparatively sma
gains and usually end their careers
Jail.
Moreover, the green goods do 4
harm to the currency. and the onl