The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-01-02
TRIED 70 FLEECE UNCLE sam
A Willy FARMERS SCHEME TO
z GET DAMAGED BILLS RE-
DEEMED. i.7
SfR Hn'Hr
some VERY INTERESTING !Ig|I:lR' oMANCEs
SH5fN
From the Big Washington Redemption
Bureau-The Government Willing
to Refund Spoiled Money and
Other Items, ie'-

T-jflug.
,uslnssrs
The redemption division of the treas
ury is forever productive of new ro-
mances. Hardly week. passes that
something odd and novel; does not turn
up there. Spoiled money, which people
are naturally anxious to, have replaced,
brings to light many phases Of human
nature, both comic and tragic. Only
last week one of these romances reached
its denouement. 1t had been running
along for more than two years, for it
was as far back as September, 1898, that
New York dealer in old coins and cur
rency sent to the treasury heiequivalent
of $25. 1t was in rather queer shape,
consisting of the right hand halves of
one $40 and two $50 bills. 1t was evil
dent that the original notes had been de-
liberately cut in two with knife or
pair of scissors, Of, course the half
notes were redeemed, the treasury re-
turning $25 in crisp, new bills to the New
York dealer. Under the law spoiled
note is redeemable at full value if as
much as three-ffths of it are presented.
If the fragment is less than three ffths
and more than tw o-tifths of the whole
One-half of the face is paid for it, Less
than, two-ffths of n bill is worth moth
ing, unless it can be proved that the bal
ance has been destroyed. Such proof
must consist in thoroughly credible
story supported by the affidavit of the
loser and by testimony of reputable citi-
zens DIS to his character. Even with
such precautions the government is some
times cheated without doubt; but,
though fraud of this kind is frequently
attempted it is almost certain to be found
out and punished.
HALVES WE'RE PLACED ON FILE.
Ordinarily the spoiled money that has
been redeemed is promptly destroyed by
boiling and grinding it to a pulp. But in
any case that looks suspicious the frag-
ments are filed away and preserved to
cover the possibility that something may
turn up later to shed light on the puzzle.
That is what was done with the halves
of $50 received from the New York
dealer. They were put on a shelf for
reference, and for the time being the
matter dropped out of sight. Two years
elapsed and they were practically for
gotten, until the other day a fresh con-
signment, consisting of the left hand
halves of one SO and two $50 bills
reached the treasury. They came all
the way from Kansas, and the eXplana-
ton covering them was clear and sue
cinct enough.
A well-to-do former in Kansas present
ed at his town bank the three half notes
described which bore marks of burn
ing along the edges toward the middle
0, each bill He explained that he had
i.een engaged III burning brush in a field.
He had taken off his waistcoat and hung
it on a fence. 1t fell down, and in his abb
sence from the spot, the fire, spreading
through the grass, partly burned the
waistcoat and the money i'll the pocket.
The cashier of the bank, being a notary
public, wrote out an affidavit reciting
these circumstances, which the farmer
signed and swore to. The affidavit was
then forwarded to Washington with the
claim for the full value of the damaged
bills-S50. On the face of it the story
was entirely credible and well calculated
to accomplish its purpose, but there was
a contingency on which the farmer could
hardly have reckoned. What cause had
he to imagine that the other halves of
those same notes might be on a shelf in
the redemption division of the treasury?
Mr.. Relyea. the chief, went to the files
and put his hand on them in a moment.
The halves sent in by the New York
dealer and those received from the Kan
sas farmer had belonged to the same
bills. The artless agriculturalist had
caught himself in his own trap.
CAUGHT ~ THE ACT.
The matter was OH e put into the hands
of the United States district attorney for
Kansas. That official began an investiga-
ton, but hesitated to prosecute the sup
posed guilty man because the latter was
an old settler, large property owner and
bore an unimpeached character. Never
theless the treasury insisted on pushing
the case and a warrant was issued for
the farmers arrest on the charge of trying
to defraud the government. Mr.. Relyea
was notified that he would be required
to appear with the halved notes and the
original affidavit, which were expected to
furnish complete evidence of perjury on
the part of the accused. Last week, how
ever, he received a telegram from the dis
trict attorney stating that the farmer had
pleaded guilty.
The story seemed to end at this point,
but very interesting part of it remains
as yet wholly enveloped in mystery. How
did it happen that the unfortunate person
in Kansas became possessed OF those
gests itself. The irrepressihle,y activity of
the green goods propaganda is well
known. IT is safe to say that no we'll
to-do farmer in the United States has
failed to receive inviting circulars offering
counterfeit money printed from stolen
government plates and of so excellent a
quality as to be beyond detection by eX-
perts. Of course, the green goods people
have no connterfeits to sell; all they want
is to get hold of the unsuspecting Mr..
Hayseed and fleece him. A favorte
method of theirs is to cut a good note in
two and send half of it as a sample of
their goods to the intended victim. 1t
may beNthat the Kansas farmer nibbled
at such bait. hut he refused to bite, re-
tanning the divided cash that had been
forwarded to him. The green goods men
in New York disposed of the halves which
they had retained by selling them to the
dealer aforesaid. while the farmer he'd
on to his for some time before he could
dech. yhat TO do with them. Probably
if he had not cone by them in this du-
bious way he would have presented them
for redemption in a legitimate fashion.
AS it was. if he had done SO no questions
would have been asked, and he would
have come ont Just $25 ahead of the green
goods enterprise. q
A MYSTERY UNSOLVED.
So here is mystery accounted for easily
tbo tboorv ~ no pOr-