The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
WOMEN co UNTERFEIrERs.
Every Gang Ever Arrested Had ut Lease
One Female Member
From the WaShinofon Post.

y nc "ushtHp'oHf ~.
Women have a weakness for counterfeitin M.
was a woman. she was an English woman.
named Barbara Spencer. and was put to death
in 1921 for making false shillirgs. She was
stranEled and burned Mt the stake. Curiously
enSSnGh; her ETd acs co ons 8, were ,sr acquitted; -.
female countarfeiters ever known in this coun-
try. She belonged 10 n family of noted for
more than thirty years in Chicago. and was
arrested there many times. On one Of these
her person. The Government officials were
completely; at a loss to know how she had OBJ
Chemical SO Solution had been t 1sed io wash .hat me
faces Of the notes and make them perfectly
bills and changing them into large denomina-
tions. The Government authorities released
her in return for this valuable intorn alton and
ever. they had her Swallowed by detectives- and
finally caught her with S15 900 worth Of coun.
upon seven different indictments for counter.
feiting. and was sentenced, to eight years in
State prison, where SIZE .lnully died.
One OF the cleverest tricks ever played ON
,JnGle Sam was invented by a woman who lived
In Psiladelphia: Her plan was to take $40
sides, and then refill them with some base
Weigh exactly the right amount w insy sS seG Snd
finished. This she accomplished by drilling
after filling the hole, covered it wit" a little hi
OF the extracted gold. In this way she made
81; So on every 1 eagle and about sie on every
vice say that this is the safest device ever in
vented for cheating the Treasury.
Counterfeiting Is very apt to run In fanli-
lies. This. of course, is natural. as a father
brings up mis- son or daughter TO follow his pro-
are often led into this sort OF crime by mar
rylng men who carry II on as a business. But
se@f't their h i band hos 1 to make S'T false m monsy.
This 10 what happened when Ben Boyd mar
ried Mary Alderman OF Indiana. Her father
was one OF the most successful counterfeiters
of his day. and his daughter had a thorough
acquaintance with the art, Mrs. Boyd care
trade. and he became one of the most famous
forgers of the age.
They carried on the business with such a high
degree OF skill that they were not captured for
years. and. when at last the secret service
Hawkshaws did run them down. not a single
sheir possession. When their house was searched
$4,000 in good money was found, This small
lated during all their years Of crime or course,
the officers could not touch II. Afterwnrd
snd shsS 'y wess sent %s' i se'T Triso to 'G Thsy ' tStS
claimed to be converted while in State prison,
and after their RELEASE settled in Chicago.
where they apparently lived an honest life.
A case that annoyed tho secret service very
much was that Of a woman who employed .
selected a valuable sh ,wl: To pay for this she
handed the clerk /. United States Treasury
pesrsd, SiiG0T RETURNING n no9N for for % se%eral NT mI" "an@;I
Wnen M came back she asked him why he had
kept her waiting, and he confessed that Z . HAD
taken the bill TO a bank near 10y to be sure that
IL was good. She pretended TO he very angry
and said that she would not buy the shawl on
any account. and walked out of the shop. A
little later IN the day she returned, and said
that as she could not find any other shawl that
suited her as we'll In the other shops. she had
decided TO take II in spite Of the insult offered
her. She gave him the 81 900 bill, and getting
the shawl and. the change. left the shop. Tho
owner ~ the shop afterward dicOvercd that tho
note he finally accepted was n counterfeit. Tho
nrst PHI ma been good. but on her return she
gave him tho false one. which was a wonderfully
clever imitation, The secret service was
much Iglt1ted, about this and several others u
the thsy !h SHSs s,SGd bills which turned M "n'
lTacIcaliy every gang OF counrcrielters ever
aIr"stea mas had women associates. In the
once OF the secret service in Washington there
Is a ,hrRe frame. four feet square, tillci with
I nod pmovogrsphs OF women who have either
nlhus OF passed false money. Men almost always
employ their wives or daughters for the purpose
u showing" their countcrfeitA