The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-18
TWO COUNTERFEIT BONDS.
Presented for. Redemption by Louis
Vile Busiuess Men.

Presented for Redemption by Louis
vile BUSINESS Men.
When two B6uis5lhe business men pre-
sented at the preasery Department yester-
day afternoon for redemption two 81 1000
730 notes of the Issue OF 1865, which
proved to be epunterfeits, the history Of
one OF the greatest and most success full
bond-counterfeiting. operations was re-
called.
After informing the two gentlemen that
they had been deceived In the bonds, and
that these We're q part fthe large issue or
counterfeit notes which were found In all
the principal bond markets In the world,
from 1868 to 1867, the Louisville men ex
p,ained bow the counterfeits came into
their possession, and this information was
convened to the secret service department.
For the present the Treasury officials de
cline to make 1t public.
In 1868 the Government issued $50
notes to refund the 7-3O's that were due.
aud 1t was while this was being don,,
that the banking house OF Jay Cooke &
Co. sent $1So,00O of the counterfeit notes
to the subtreasury at New York for ex-
change These notes were obtained by
this great banking firm through its agents
in the regular course of business. They
were accepted without ques tion at the sub
treasury, and would have been redeemed
bad 1t not been for q discovery made al
about the same time in the Treasury at
Washington
Mir. Thomas G. Jones, receiving clerk
OF the Treasury, was receiving the notes
and issuing the new ones Each note that
was so redeemed was registered and re
corded. aud while the S1SO,o00 were in the
subtIeasury Z. note for 81 900 was pre-
sen,ed 1T the Treasury for redemption.
MIR. Jones, following his custom, com
pared the note with his register and to his
surprise found that the same note had been
redeemed. lie at first thought that
clerical error had been made, bu5 inIne-
diatcly made close inspection of the
redeemed note and the one just presented
for redemption and Was astounded TO
learn that the first one presented was a
counterfeit 1t was so cleyerly executed
that 10 one but an expert could detect the
difference.
The Only real difference could be seen
by comparison when IL was noticed that
the points surrounding the red seal in the
genuine were broader, more clearly defined
and rot so long. There was also discoy-
eerd a slight difference in the signatur.
of Gen Spinner who was Treasurer Df
the United States at the time the original
notes were issued. Ia the genuine note
there was found also a small spot just
below the bar, between the baskets Of
the balance, which the figure OF America
held suspended.
This Information was Immediately fur
nished the subtreasury and the banks, and
the Treasury Department instructed Mr..
Thomas G.. Jones to make a thorough la
specticn OF all the notes that had been re
ceived Of the issue in question. About So,
600 600 OF these notes we're examined, and
Mr.. Jones found q considerable number or
th-m to be counterfets; just how many Mr.
Jones said to'ia that hecJ uld not remember
The amount reached several hundred thou
sand dollars, bat this government lost moth
ing. except the expense OF contesting some
law SUITS.
The most important OF these was to
compel the Government to pay the $780,
900 for the counterfeit notes that had been
delivered by Jay Cooke & Co. at the sub
The courts held that in snch a case the
Government could not be held for a de-
livery and acceptance.
The secret service men made every
effort to unearth the eolntef-it-Is, but
failed, and fifteen years later, when d
pal OF william f. Rrockway was arrested
In Chicago, the bond counterfeits OF 1905
had been forgotten.
The arres. OF the coun;erfeiter in 1880
at Chicago disclosed plot TO flood the
country with per cent bonds, 10 be is
sued in 1881 The Secret Service men
learned that the man under arrest was a
close pal OF William E. Brockway, one Of
the most successful and dangerous coun
terreiters in the country, and frotl this
ciew the counterfeiting OF the 7-30's was
traced to Brockway, who was two years ago
Sentenced to ten years imprisonment n the
State prison at Trenton, N j., for coun-
terfeiting $500 gold certificates. Brock
way is en- old tuan, and the sentence is
practically for life, for 1t lis not believed
he can live through it.
While secret service men are working
on the 81 900 notes presented yesterday
for redemption no suspicion exists that
the men who presented them knew the
81.