Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03
Chief Hazen Talks sof the Ways of
CounterfGters.
FLOURISH MOST In THE WEST
Chicago the Headquarters Of the
Workers.
NEW SILVER CERTIFICATE

A counterfeit CT the s. United States sill
yer certificate, series of 1896, has been for
warded to the secret service bureau at the
Treasury Department from Chicago. 1t is
the first which has been received since last
January, and experts declare 1t is a clever
piece Of work. which would not be detected
as counterfeit except under close scrut-
my. 1t has a number of points about 1t
which stamp it as being spurious, but
which would not be noticed in the least
by the laity.
Il had been expecting this note to turn up
for long time said Chief Hazen of the
secret service bureau to a Star reporter to-
day as he showed the counterfeit note
across the table to be examined by the re-
porter. 1 am rather surprised that We
have not secured 1t before
1T comes from Chicago, and from GER
tain ear marks which can detect about It
1t Is the work of a noted counterfeiter by
the name of John Alfred L'Koog L'koog
is Swede, about thirty-five years of age
ana rather clever as note maker. He
escaped from Joliet prison, ILL.,, last March,
where he had been sent from Chicago for.
counterfeltlng, with two other men. They
were coin makers, named Jacob Johnson
anu James foley. They were recaptured
l. koog has eluded the watchfulness of the
officers. Va ''ie
Ever since his escape we have been look
i i,s. out for some of his work, and it has
JUST turned up. When man has started in
the business he never quits If unless nv
force of circumstances
IL was only reasonable to suppose that
~ - Aoos would return to his old haunts
anu occupation In Chicago, and the sun
position proved correct
ne last counterfeit note we received
was from Chicago, also 1t was $50 Man.
a as nead a., eertlicate, and turned up Janu-
Il. 1tt
counterfeiting, as the workers have often
been captured there"
The chief sat in his private office in tho
Ireasury building, about which cIings an
ar o! mystery connected with everything
pertaining to the secret service a., the
walls were pictures of famous makers and
showers of the queer" more were held in
caolnsts' and records. which if revealed
would cause sensations throughout the
United States, were hidden in boxes and
carefully filed away.
AristOcrncy of Crooks,
"Counterfeiters might be termed the ars-
'ocracy OF crooks. They are generally
quiet not often immoral or, convivial, and
are naturally very reserved. 1t is to their
interest TO be reticent. ItGis paradox,
but there are never thieves among them
What 1 mean is, while they follow counter
feiting, which is one Of; the worst crimes
imaginable, they would not rob or bur-
glarize. Many of them have been known
10 be exceedingly charitable, though 1t may
be said II they are successful they can
easily afford to be So They are a ,nilder
class than that Of any other criminals
They never cause trouble in any commun-
lily wherever they may happen to be- out
side or their counterfeiting.
There are not so many women in the
business as formerly; why, cannot Just be
explained. There are few females in it
now, and those who are engaged in the
hyvcf onc l. AL~f.
The man generally makes the money, and
the woman passes 1t, as she does not find
SO much trouble in doing so. . - -
There is more coming Of the queer in the
west and southwest sections OF the country
than in the others. It probably started
there and has continued 1t Is transmitted
from father to son, Just like any other
trade, and fiourishes in much the same
manner as does Illicit d!stillng.
ut is mistaken idea to suppose that
counterfeters, as has been stated, buy sill
yer and make it into coin, thereby gaining
the profit which the stamp is supposed to
add to ii. Not by any means. A counter
feiter will not pay sixty or sixty-two cents
an ounce for silver to use when he can get
the same results differently. He buys anti
E,ony, tin, plaster Of Paris, and other ma
dollar and half. With these he can get
out coin to the face value Of $500 or $500
They wish to make as much as possible
out of little as possible.
coin counterfeiters by the manner in which
the coins Are finished. as to the milling on
the edges, and other details. 1t is very sell
dom that we are mistaken in this respect.
Every one has his own mark.
The biggest Capture.
1.-THE biggest capture we ever made was
that of the neutrality-suspicious. gang, in
Hoboken, N. j., in 1896. There were six
members of the gang, including the motor
ious Mrs. Abbie Smith, who Is now serving
a four-year sentence in the New Jersey
penitentlary at Snake Hill. The woman
made the notes. She was cousin to DR..
Bradford, one Of the prime movers Of the
gang.
I'VE swooped down upon them in Ho-
boken before they had chance to put any
Of their bills in circulation. We captured
notes of all denominations on United States
and Canadian banks, figuring up to the
value of $4,000. Many of the bills were in
partly finished state, but tine work was
exceedingly clever, and would have passed
Inspection almost anywhere.
THE last case we had was. man and
woman arrested recently for counterfeiting
dimes in Brooklyn"
fixed so that leaves, In which photographs
were fixed of noted counterfeiters, easily
swung outward There were more than
LOCO photos in this cabinet alone of the
AoSSt pCoPAC. 4Aty WcIS Ol ali ages,
colors, classes and appearance. Some OF
them were women we'll dressed, with, in
many cases, refined faces. The counte-.
nances of a number of the men were hand
some, the expression pleasing and tntelli-
gent.
Chief Hazen pointed to the picture of
youn man. with an open. smiling face.
That fellow is college graduate" he
said. ref1ectively. He came of an excel
lent family. He Is now serving q several
years sentence in Indiana for raising notes.
When his term expires he Will probably re-
turn to It,"
So he went through a. large list, telling of
the crimes and deeds OF the originals Of the
photos. 4e D.
1t is an album of faces which is a nota-
BILE one. and the chief frequently inspects
them SO that they will not fade from his
memory.
EXPLAINS OHIO VOLCANOES.