The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-02-24
MAKING BAD MONEY
Some Curious Facts Given by an
Ex-Secret Service Chief.
Italians Predominate Among the For
eigncrs in This Country Who
Arc Engaged in Coun-
terfeiting.

4 teIACitAn6s
| A. L. Drummond, late chief of the
secret service division of the treasury
| department, was an efficient officer
and his report contains summary OF
operations which show that the di-
vision during the last year has not
been less active within its province and
has accomplished results no less de.
f, cided, important and valuable for the
| government than in previous years II
| is among the particular functions OF
the United States secret service to
trace, arrest and secure the conviction
OF counterfeiters and those who en-
bezzle and misapply the funds of ma
| tional banks
According to the statement of Mr..
Drulnmond, SAYS the Chicago Times,
there were, during 1892, 494 arrests for
manufacturing, possessing and passing
counterfeit money. 1t appears that
this species of crime is INDUCED in by
the native Americans to greater ex-
tent than ali the foreign-born popula-
ton, as 252 of the 494 persons arrested
claimed the United States as the place
Of their nativity Among the foreign
born counterfeiters the Italians were
by far the most numerous. The Chi
nese contributed but one arrest.
One of the curious features of the re-
port is the statement that fractional
paper currency, representing the value
Of S402, was counterfeited during the
year. Little spurious copper coin was
made; its amount was less than S64.
The greater difficulty in successfully
Stimulating coinage is indicated by
the fact that 1851 of counterfeit
gold, silver and copper coins was made
against $50, 10S counterfeit paper
money. Among the contraband prop
erty seized were limitations of the OBJ
legations, securities and coins of the
United States painted in oil and wa
ter colors, photographed, autographed.
printed on paper, and struck and
stamped in metal" The ex-chief ex-
presses the hope that, as the later
amendments to the laws prohibiting
such limitations, for advertising or
other purposes, become more generally
Mr.. Drummond recommends the
present congress to pass an amend
ment to existing laws preventing the
making or issuing of private scrip or
metal tokens in denominations of less
than S. in payment OF debts. The
amendment recommended prohibits
the issuing of said notes containing
the words pay in trade" ''in goods"
or lin merchandise" or any other eX-
preston intended to convey the mean
ing that. the value will be furnished
the holder in lieu of the lawful money
of the United States. The penalty is
fixed at $500, or six months imprison-
ment, or both. This bill was read
twice in the last congress and referred
to the judiciary committee. The cur
rency stringency last summer and au-
tunn brought into use considerable
quantity of such tokens, many of which
were prohibited under the law as it
now stands The proposed amendment
extends the scope of the statute.
The ex-chief makes another impor-
tant recommendation the statute
o. limitations which now bars the pros
ecution of national bank officers after
the lapse of three years from the time
Of alleged offenses committed be ex-
tended to five years. The present three
years limitation, his I'M estigation has
disclosed, is too short a period, as in a
number Of instances frauds on national
banks were found to have been COM
Elitted many years before discovery.
Mr.. Drummond sagaciously observes
that the longer the period the statute
of limita tons has to run the more diff
cult will it be for bank official to con-
ceal his crime.
The present congress is also asked to
amend the law requiring national bank
officers to stamp all counterfeit notes
Us such. There is law requiring this,
but as no penalty is named for the
failure to carry out its provision 1t is
not enforceable, although partially OBJ
served This amendment makes the
failure to brand such notes punishable
by a fine of $500. The retiring chief
also repeats the recommendation made
often to former congresses-that an
appropria ton be made as sanitary
measure, as well as to make counter |
feiting more difficult. for retiring from
worn and soiled notes. Mr.. |
asserts that his twenty-five |
years experience in hunting counter
feiters has taught him that anything |
which gives note soiled or worn ap- |
pearance is great and effecsiv, aell |
to the counterfeiter.