The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-29
A BIG FORGERY RING.
Exposure of Wholesale Chinese
Certificate Frauds.
TODD. OF WASHINGTON, LEADER,
Max Katasauer and Others Arrested In
san Francf>co-Excelience OF
the Counrerfeits.

San Francisco, March 1-For some time
gang or white men and Chinese, scat
tered all along the Pacific coast and hav-
ing connections In several Eastern cities.
have been doing a systematic business
IN fraudulent certificates of Chinese reg
istratSn. Special agents OF the treasury
department finally aScertained that the
bogus certificates were being printed in
this city and in Philadelphia They
finally located the workshop OF the ccun-
terfesters who were doing the work here.
II was In a building on Clay street. Tney
planned to raid the place late last night,
and expected TO arrest az least five men
Some one. presumably some official in
the customs service here. managed 70
warn the counterfeiters, and when the
place was raided no one was caught. The
officers captured over 900 blank regisfra-
ton certificates, however. and the par
aphernalia that the counterfeiters have
used.
Secret Service Agent Thomas stated to-
day that the leader OF the gang Is man
named Todd. an exclusions officer IN the
Puget sound district, and that other MEN,
bers OF the gang In Oregon and Washing
ton are known.
The collectors agents have discovered
that the Headquarters of the forgers are
In this city, and that they have establish
ed agencies al important points on the
Coast, az well as in the principal Eastern
cities Todd has a number of ASSOCIATES
who have laid their plans carefully with
reference 10 selling the forged certificates
throughout the country al a uniform
price. The rate on Chinese laborers was
$50. and on others 500.
Robert Burns. jr.. says that II. l.. Foss.
the freight clerk on the Oceanic dock. who
has hitherto been charged with smuggling
md he's Of shn nv
leaders of the forgers, and that Foss and
a co-forger. the notorious EXCLUSIONS OFF,
Ger Ciprico, had their plans perfected to
begin issuing certificates today. pho
tographer, formerly in the employ OF tne
government, is suspected TO be one OF the
most skillful members OF the gang. which
embraces men named Wichman. Green
void. Davis, Bates, Harvey and Dever-
eaux.
There Is a probability that a great deal
OF the work has been done in Victoria,
and that the plates from which the certif-
Gates were printed are now there though
the signatures and photographs for iden-
LITIGATION have been made here. The pen
man is from Victoria, and is an expert OF
rare skill.
In laying plans to entrap the agents OF
the foreigners. the collectors hired several
Chinese engaged in business in China
town to act as decoys. The member OF
the band who came from oregon TO help
sell the forged instruments stumbled upon
one of the departments Chinese decoys
almost at the outset OF his negotiations,
and II was through this blunder that the
forgers betrayed themselves. For days
and weeks the Investigations have been
pushed. and every detectives report has
shown that the plans OF the operators
were far-reaching. their ramiffcations be-
ing so great as to involve several men
= "a Il.
community. Some OF the first evidences
OF the far-reaching plans of the operators
came from New Mexico In December, at
which time II was discovered that some
of the forged certificates had been offered
for sale a Santa Fe. Soon thereafter the
certificates were found in oregon. Wash
tngton and British Columbia.
The paper on which the certificates are
printed is made with great care. though
apparently only an ordinary imitation of
parchment. As fact, however. its COM
ponents are such as TO show peculiar
changes under chemical tests. The forged
certificates are printed on paper that also
shows the same reaction. This fact
strengthens the suppositlon that the lead
ears Of the scheme knew the inner secrets
OF either the department that manufac-
tlres government supplies, or of the rev
enue department, which knows some
trade secrets
The men arrested were found at 765 Clay
street. in Chinatown. the headquarters OF
the gang. They are F. y. Ciprico, II. l..
Foss J. d Sullivan. Max katasauer and
Moses Greenwaid. Katasauer was ar
rested in a saloon tonight He is said
10 he relative OF Banker Seligman, OF
New York Greenwald is a cousin of
Louis Creenwald one of the Emerald
opium smuggling gang. Ciprico has an
Once in Welis Farg0's building, which was
one Of the headquarters OF The gang. OF
the other men nothing is known.