The record-union., 1895-03-29
Two Men Caught in the Act of
Forging Certificates.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE GANG 10
GATED AT SAN FRANCISCO
a Drummer Held Up and Robbed In
the Foothills Near MarysvilIe-Fatal
Shooting ARRAY at Bakersffeld-Un-
requited Love the Cause of a Sui
eide at Vallejo.
snecial 70 the REcoRp-UNrow.

-
SAN FRANCISCO, March 2S.-For some
time it has been known than an organ
lied gang of white men and Chinese,
scattered all along the Pacific Coast, and
having connections in several Eastern
cities, have been doing q systematic bus
mess in fraudulent certificates of Chi
nese registration. Secret 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
counterfeiters who were doing the work
here. 1t was in a building on Clay street.
They planned to raid the place late last
night, and expected to arrest at least five
men. Some one, presumably some otfi-
Cial ID the custom service here, managed
TO warn the counterteiIers, and when the
place was raided no one was caught. The
officers captured over 5000 blank regis
tratiou certificates, however, and the
paraphernalia that the counterfeiters had
used. Secret Service Agent Thomas
stated to-day that The leader of the gang
is a man named Todd, exclusions OmCer
in the Puget Sound district, and that
other members Of the gang in Oregon
and Washington are known.
Federal officers tonight caught two
men in the act OF forging Chinese regis
tTation certificates and arrested them.
Vhev are employees Of the Oceanic Steam
ship Company and are named Folz and
Caprice. The Government officials claim
TO have unearlhed gigantic conspiracy
to forge Chinese certificates. The Col
lectors' agents have discovered that the
headquarters Of the IOrgers are in the
city, and that they have established agen-
Cles at important points on the coast, as
we'll as in the principal Eastern cities.
Todd has q number of associates who
have laid their plans carefully with
reference to selling the forged certificates
throughout the country at = uniform
price. The rate on Chinese IabOrerS " as
so aud on others 500.
Robert Burns, Jr., says that II. L.
FUss, the freight clerk on the Oceanic
dock, who has hitherto been charged
with smuggling and other Otfenses, Is Ons
OF the rIuEleaders OF the lOrgers, and that
Toss anu cO-iOrger, the notorious OIil-
Ger CIprlcO had their plans perfected to
begin issuing certificates to-day. 4
photographer formerly IN the service Of
the Government Is suspected to Ue one OF
the most SkIIllul mem Ders OF the gang
which embraces men named NIChman,
GreeuWald, Davis, Bates, Harvey ana
DeyeTeauN. There Is q probability that a
great deal OF the work has been done IN
Victoria, and that the plates from which
the certificates we're printed are now there,
though the signatures and photographs
1Cr Identification have been made here
The penmau Is from Victoria, and is an
expert Of rare skill.
In laying plans to entrap the agents
Of the IOIEerS, the Collector has intro
Cuced several Chinese engaged IN busi-
ness IN Chinatown TO act as decoys. The
member OF the band who came from
oregon 10 help sell the forged Instru-
meuts stumbled upon one OF the Depart
meut's Chinese decOys almost at the out
set Of ms negotiations, aud II was through
TINS blunder that the IOrgers betrayed
themselves. For days and weeks the III
yestiEatIOus have been pushed and every
detectives report has shown that the
plans OF the operators We're far-reaching,
their ramluCauOnS being so great as TO
involve several men who formerly held
places OF honor in this community.
Some OF :ne 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 Tor sale at
Santa Re. soon thereafter the certificates
We're found in Oregon, W Washington and
British Columbia. The paper on which
the certificates are printed Is made with
great care, though apparently only an or
ulnary imitation OF parchment. As q
IaCJ, however, Its cOmpOneuts are such as
TO show peculiar changes under chemical
tests. The forged certificates are printed
on paper that also shows the same resc-
ton. This fact strengthens the SUPPOSE
ton that the leaders OF the scheme know
the inner secrets Of either OF the depart
meuJ that manufacture Government sun
plies, or Of the revenue department,
winch knows the same trade secrets.