Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-02-10
FLOOD OF BAD BILLS.
How Counterfeit Five-DOllar Notes
May be Very Easily De-
teCted.


New York. Jan. 3O.-]Special.l- lex
anime your So and So bills is the order
that has gone quietly to all the cashiers
of the retail dry goods stores. The
country is flooded with counterfeits in
these denominations, and from the facts
brought out by the recent arrests of
counterfeiters in different parts of the
country, it is deluged with bills of the
different figures as we'll.
There are specific directions given to
the cashiers of stores and to the receiv-
ing tellers of banks that aid them in de-
tecting bad money. They can do so at
a glance when foreWarned. But in the
latest cases of counterfeiting the bad
bills are so cleverly executed that the
commoner, though he may be on the
lookout for them. will be deceived.
The day that fourteen Italian counter
feiters were arrested in New York spe-
cial notes were taken of the bad bills
and few interesting points ascertained
that may help to tell when bad bill is
presented.
The 50 Grant Bill.
Bogus So bills are by far the most
numerous Of any at just this time. 1t
is thought that, previous to the arrest
of the Italian gang, they, or their pals,
full in Showing the queer" as getting
rid of bad money is called in professional
talk.
This bad IS is an imitation so clever
that only experts could have discovered
it in the first place. 1t has been passing
for years, it is thought, as the plate is
so we'll worn that it must have been
printed over and over again many times.
Upon the bill is a portrait of Gen.
Grant. The picture of the general u IS
good but is bare in spots. Good Dllls
always have a clear-cut face upon them.
But the main thing is the shirt bosom.
Grant wore his shirts open in front.
little, in the old-fashioned way, leaving
no doubt where the shirt opened. In
the counterfeit the shirt bosom is plain,
as plain IS a piece OF muslin. Ibis is
point which, being known, is OF the
greatest assistance in detecting the bogus
bills, though the portrait is SO tiny that
a close inspection is necessary even then.
Another point in this bill is the heavi-
ness of the treasury numbers. They
are far to firm in the counterfeit, and
are almost a jet black in color. The
panel upon which the numbers are print
ed should be a white scroll with curled
corner In the bad bill it is a panel of
irregularly ruled lines. There are sew
eral other differences as guides to de-
lection, but these are sufficient to aid the
layman in his search for the good only.
The So of Window.
There are several counterfeit So bills go
ing the rounds. One has a portrait of Win
dom upon it. The true face of Window
is full and vigorous, but in the bad bill
the cheeks are fallen and the chin does
not have the right appearance. There
are other points about this bill.
For one, the note is signed by w. S.
Rosecrans. But in the counterfeit the
name is spelled "Roscerans." And on
the back Of the bill the word Customs.
is spelled "Costums." And Treasurer,
upon the face is spelled Treasured"
There are also other misspelled words.
Oddly enough. when counterfeit bill
is presented to the average man his first
look is at the color of the bill and the
signature. Color and signature are
rarely at fault. They. are easy to imi-
tate But it is in the minute detail
work of a bill, in the spelling, in the
copying of the excellent likeness, in the
periods, scrolls and dashes that the
counterfeiters err. 1t is said that there
was never any bill SO perfect that it did
not have glazing errors in it's minutiae.
There is $50 counterfeit upon the
market. There have been several found,
and it is thought many more are in cir
culation. This 500 counterfeit has pict
ure of the battle of Lexington upon it.
The quickest way to detect this bill is
by this picture.
There is figure of woman STOPPING
over a wounded soldier. In the original
this woman has a sweet, grieved, SYM
pathetic look, the face of a Madonna.
In the bad bill she is frightened and
wears an expression of fear, as though
about to flee from the scene
This is one of the most dangerous
counterfeits in existence, as there is lit
tie else besides the poorness of the fig
in no fn MI
in it's detection. If a person is hand
ling money he should examine the pict-
ure upon a genuine $50 note, and SO be
quick to see the change for the worse
in the counterfeit.
Manning's Mustache.
There is another $40 bill that is being
quietly but persistenly circulated. 1t
bears a portrait of Daniel Manning.
But the counterfeit fails to show Man
inal of the bill had moustache with
curled ends, quite a Beau BrummeI
moustache. But the counterfeit nous
tache ends in stubby points, sticking
straight out at the side. The bill is also
the least trife smaller than the genuine
and if you rub the seal upon the coun-
terfeit with wet fingers it will ''crock
There is a counterfeit $5 with picture
of Garfield in circulation. 1t is what
those who detect counterfeits know as
photographed BILL and is all the
more dangerous on this account, as it is
sure to be accurate. The principal de-
feet in the bill is the grayness of the ink
with which it is printed, while the genu-
ine is black as jet This is bill that
can be readily passed upon an unsuspect-
ing public.
The law regarding the passing of coun-
terfeit money is not understood by ey-
erybody. If you pay for goods in a store
with bill, and you have your bill
brought back to you as mot good bill, .
your feeling is one of Indignation. and
your next thought is that you will try
it somewhere else. You took it as good
and you will use it as though it were
good.
Passing Bad Money
Now, the law does not allow this You
are liable to arrest for offering a counter
felt bill, and if the shopkeeper chose
e., H.