The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-22
MAY FLUSH A BIG GANG
CHIEF OF SECRET SERVICE VISITS
COUNTERFEITER BROWN.
Science Used In Money Making-Tha
Valparaiso Man Has a Now
ell Defense.

A stranger, reported to be William IT.
Hazen, chief of the United States secret
service, was at United States Marshal
Kercheval's office yesterday. Heinrich A.
Brown a Valparaiso photographer and al
legged counterfeiter, was taken from the
jail to the marshal,s office, where he was
closely questioned by Mr.. Hazen. They were
together two hours. Nothing could be
learned from the federal authorities as to
the purpose of the meeting. Indeed, they
denied that Mr.. Hazen was here.
Mr.. Brown was seen at the Jail last night.
He talked very freely about his own case,
but said that it would not be proper to re-
late what occurred at the secret service Of
flee. After considerable cross questioning
he admitted that the man--he protested
ignorance of his name-smly wanted to talk
to him about the large amount of counter
felt money that is now in circulation. Mr..
Hazen found it difficult to get hold of bad
money, and still more difficult to discover
where it was made
do you believe. Mr.. Brown, that there Is
an organization of counterfeiters?
There must be a big company with every
appliance of science and ant to produce SO
much counterfeit money. There must be-
millions of bad money in circulation It's
like an epidemic of disease. People every
WHERE Whit 10 MAKE money. Inc govern
ment does not make enough, and they have
to make ii themselves"
Mr.. Brown has been credited with being
an Anarchist.
He will make a novel defense in his own
case. lie expects to have good legal advice,
and was expecting his attorney 10 arrive
last night. Brown Will undertake to show
that the negative from which the s. plates
were made was reproduction Of IS bill
that was itself counterfeit. He will main-
tain that he cannot be punished for counter
feiting the governments money, inasmuch
as his Photographic plates were taken from
a counterfeit bill AS 10 the negative of the
$40 bill, he says that an examination Will
show that it was taken by the direct pro-
cess. If 1t had been intended for reproduce
ton 1t would have been taken reversely. IL
a plate were made from it, he says, IL would
print the reverse side of a bill and would
be utterly worthless for fraudulent pur-
poses. The plates made from the 81 bill,
he will contend, were never used and it
cannot be charged that money was made
from them A weak point in his defense
will be the fact that several counterfeit bills
of the S. denomination were found on young
Hansens person. Brown insists that Ham
sen made a mistake and printed both sides
of the frst-proof bills, when as a matter OF
fact 1t was the intention to leave one side
blank and place advertising matter on II.
He says that an inspection of the bills found
will show that they could have deceived no.
one The Garfield portrait Is very poorly
executed Brown says that this portrait
was to have been cut out OF the plate and
advertising matter substituted.
The federal authorities claim TO have dis
covered the note from when the W Mega
tives and plates We're made. Brown says
that they are mistaken, as a comparison of
the note they have with the negative viii
the counterfeit bill from which the Mega
tive was made after his arrest, fearing
trouble IL il were found In her possession.
He says that IL was burned. He realizes
that important evidence in his behalf was
obliterated when the nots was burned.
The photographer has considerable knowl-
edge Of chemistry and photography and has
evidently given the subject of money making
much study. He talks In a plausible way
in defending himself. In order to make \
perfect counterfeit, he says, it Is necessary
to use q new bill. Even then the reproduce
ton would be harsh and lacking in the deli
cate touch of genuine money. After a bill
has been in use time, he explains. It be-
comes frayed and worn so that a negative
from it would reproduce all the imperfec-
tons of the original He asks why he
should attempt to counterfeit an old bill,
knowing these facts? IT is quite certain
from Browns conversation that the federal
authorities have difficult prisoner to deal
with.
Brown was unwilling to say whether
Hazen had learned anything by his visit
IF you see fourteen or fifteen counterfeit-
ers brought in here" said he, you can
judge for yourself
+. The prisoners occupy the same cell They
evidently have an understanding Deputy
Rose. who was here Sunday. said that Han
sen told him he never heard anything OF
the advertising scheme until it was unfold
ed to him by Brown after their incarcera-
zion. Last night Hansen heard Browns as-
sertion that he had made a mistake IN u.s.
ing both plates without denying it.