The Portland daily press., 1895-04-11
BAD STAMPS.
Spurious Two Cent Postage Stamps
Issued by Counterfeiters.
FLOODED THE COUNTRY FROM
NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO.


Officials Find a Package of Ten Thou
| sand of the Counterfeits in an Express
Office.
Chicago, ILL.,, April 10. 0.--United States
Secret Service operatives in Chicago and
| Washington have unearthed probably
the most important swindle ever perpe-
| trated upon this government. Its magni-
tude, after two days Investigation, can
only be guessed at, but it is believed
thar thousands upon thousands of dollars
have been secured by gang of skilled
counterfeiters who have reproduced with
skill and accuracy the pink two-cent
stamp of commerce. AS a result the
entire issue of these stamps must be re-
called and retired.
Whether the counterfeiters have accom-
plces in dishonest postmasters, or
whether they are in league with some
one nearer the throne, is not known, but
it is certain Uncle Sam has been carry
ing millions OF letters from which he has
not received not one cent of revenue 1t
is thought the country is flooded from
New York to San Francisco with these
spurious stamps.
I Chicago, apparently, has been the head
quarters OF the gang. and its product
has been shipped to distributing agents
through the express companies. Exactly
how the information reached the govern
ment officials is still mystery, but they
evidently had correct information. Capt.
Stuart of the postala inspectors depart
ment, and Capt. Porter of the United
States secret service bureau, called at the
Wells-Fargo office yesterday afternoon
After short conference with Barney
Wygant they were taken to the store
room. They scare he'd through the pile of
packages for half an hour, and they
Oblong package, looking like big roll
of music 1t contained 10000 counterfeit
stamps.
81 must decline to say to whom th g
package was addressed or from whom it
came" said Mr.. Wygant today, and he
would answer no questions.
1t was impossible to induce Inspector
Stuart or Capt. Porter to say word re-
garding the case. Alter getting possession
of the package from the express Office
they set half dozen men at work.
Inspector Stuart started for homo at
midnight. All he would say was that he
was sorry the cat was out of the bag.
Capt.Porter was equally non-committal
and regretful. No one in the post Office
knew anything of the case.
The two cent stamp is so easy to coun-
terfeit, and the detection of spurious
ones SO unlikely, that now the discovery
is made it is thought the work may have
been going on for years. The money
possibilities are enormous. wnen the fact
is taken into consideration that more
than 7G0,0 600 letters 60 through the
Chicago post office every day. WitE the
assistance of dishonest postmasters in
small towns the product could be eaily
disposed Iof, and there would be no
trouble i'll marketing the counttrfets in
all loIs in stores and Offices
The package of counterfeit stamps
seized yesterday by the officials was
addressed to Nathan Herzog. cigar
dealer in the rotunda Of the Cham DER of
Commerce. They were shipped byssex-
press from Buffalo by the Canadian
Novelty anG Supply Company of Hamll-
ton, Ont.
When messenger brought the package
Mr.. Herzog examined it and finding the
stamps were counterfeit, refused to re-
eeiye them. He then telephoned the
United States Marshal ard Post Office
Inspector Stuart.
y Four packages similar to the one
Herzog refused to receive, were delivered
by the express messenger, the persons
to whom they were addressed paying 1or
them without raising any objections.
Mr.. Herzog said today: 81 dispose of
about s1oo worth of stamps daily, my
customers being the tenants of the
Cham ber Of Commerce. buy the stamps
of Wholesale dealers and firms who do
a small business. They get surplus of
Stamps and l buy them at a small dis
count. | saw an advertisement in
Chicago newspaper a week ago last Sun
day reading as follows: We have s115,
United States two cent stamps which we
cannot use here. Will send them by ex-
press COD, privilege examination, for
500.
This was signed by the Canadian
Novelty Company of Hamilton, Ont. I
answered the advertisement, writing
that would take all the stamps they
had at that figure. In reply l received a
letter saying that they would not let me
have more than $500 worth month.
They sdded they would make the first
shipment Friday. via Buffalo, so rs to
save the expense of sending the stamps
across the line.
An express messenger brought in the
package Yesterday. ] found the color
light and | suspected from the general
appearance that they were not genuine
and l told the messenger of my belief,
The messenger replied that ] need not
be afraid. as he delivered four similar
packages within an hour and had re-.
ceived pay without hesitation. AS the
Hamilton concern had said only $500
worth could be supplied each month |
knew that the stamps were counterfeit.
and notified the postal officials who OBJ
tanned possession OF the PACKAGE
Capt. Porter now has 2s, 750 of the
bogus stamps in his possession. The
packages secured by the other four
Chicagoans having been secured. Can't.
Porter refuses to disclose the names of
the other conslgnees, as all are innocent
OF any wrong. 90
None of the spurio us Stamps Discovered in
the New York Office
\ New York, April s1o.-Careful inquiry
IN New York indicates that the postage
stamp counterfeiters have not been oper-
ating in this section to any great extent
at least, no one could be found yester-
day who knew anything about the mat
ter. More than a million letters are sent
out daily from the post office here.
Postmaster Dayton said: We have
not discovered any of the spurious
stamps as yet, but we would not he like
ly to do so any way, as we cancel letters
nI1,, ~, Of h rat tG 0f III. U(lO II