The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-07
CONCERNING coUNTERFEITERs.
The Chief of the Secret Service Talks
 About Makers of Spurious Money.

About Makers of Spurious Money.
 A counterfeit of the $5 United States silver certificate, series of 1896, has been forwarded to the Secret Service Bureau at the Treasury Department from Chicago. It is the first which has been received since last January and experts declare it is a clever piece of work, which would not be detected as counterfeit except under close scrutiny. It has been a number of points about 1t which stamp it as being spurious, but which would not be noticed by the laity.
 T had been expecting this to turn up for long time" said Chief Hazen of the Secret Service Bureau to Star reporter to-day, as he showed the counterfeit note across the table to be examined by the reporter II am rather surprised that we have not secured it before"
 Tt comes from Chicago, and from certain earmarks which I can detect about it, is the work of a noted coun- terfeiter by the name of John Alfred L'Koog. L'Koog is a Sweede, about S5 years of age, and rather clever as a note maker He escaped from Joliet l prison, Illinois, last March. where he ! had been sent from Chicago for counterfeiting, with two other men. They were coin makers, named Jacob Johnson and James Foley. They were | recaptured and returned to the prison, | but so far L'Koog has eluded the watchfulness of the officers.
 | Ever since his escape we have been looking out for some of his work, and it has just turned up. When man has started in the business he never quits 1t unless by force of circumstances.
 Tt is only reasonable to suppose that L'Koog would return to his old haunts and occupation in Chicago, and the l supposition proved correct.
 1 The last counterfeit note we received was from Chicago also. It was a $20 | Manning head certificate, and turned
 up Jan, H. The Windy City is center l for counterfeiting, as the workers have often been captured there.'
 The chief sat In his private office in the Treasury building, about which clings an air of mystery connected with everthing pertaining to the secret service. On the walls were pictures of famous makers and showers of the I queer more were held in cabinets and records which, if revealed would cause sensations throughout the United States
 were hidden in boxes and carefully filed away.
 "Conterfeiters might be termed the aristocracy of crooks. They are gener- ally quiet, not often immoral or con- vivial, and are naturally very reserved It is to their interest, to be reticent,. It is paradox but there are never
 thieves among them. What l mean is
 while they follow counterfeiting, which
 is one of the worst crimes ina ginable
 they would not rob or burglariZe. Many
 of them have been known to be ex-
 ceedingly charitable. though it may bt
 said if they are successful they car
 easily afford to be so. They are g
 milder class than that of any othe,
 criminals. They never cause trouble
 in any community wherever they may happen to be, outside of the counter.
 feiting
 There are not so many women in the
 it now, and those who are engaged
 in the business cooperate with theil
 husband. The man generally makes
 the money and the woman passes 7 it, as she does not find so much trouble
 in doing so.
 There is more coining of the queer in the West and Southeast sections o1
 the country than in the others. Il
 probably started there and has con 1 tinued. It is transmitted from father
 to son, just like any other trade ant
 fiosrishes in much the same manner
 as does illicit distilling.
 Tt is mistaken idea to suppose tha , counterfeiters, as has been stated, buy
 silver and make it into coin, thereby gaining the profit which the stamp i! supposed to add to it. Not by any
 means A counterfeiter will not pay 6 : or 62 cents an ounce for silver to ust when he can get the same result: differently. He buys antimony, tin l plaster of paris, and other materials 5 the whole outfit costing about s150 5 With these he can get out coin to thu
 face value of $200 or $500 They wisl to make as much as possible out of a little as possible
 . We recognize the work of individIa r coin counterfeiters by the manner il , which the coins are finished, as to tn :, milling on the edges. and other details
 It Is very seldom that we are mistaken
 in this respect Every one has his owl f mark.
 "The biggest capture we ever mad I was that of the Broadway Bradford gang in Hoboken, N. J., in 1895. Ther y were six members of the gang, in z cluding the notorious Mrs. Abbie Smith
 who is now serving four-year sen h tence in the New Jersey Penitentfar, h at Snake Hill. The woman made tn Q notes. She was cousin to Dr. Bradford i one of the prime movers of the gang. . ''We swooped down upon them il : Hoboken before they had chance t :, put any of their bills in circulation. w lcaptnred notes of all denominations ol