The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-02
CONCERNING couNTERFErrERs.
The Chief of the secret Service
Talks About Makers of Spurious
Money
From the Washington Star.

A counterfeit of the S. United States sill
yer certificate, series OF 1895, has been for
warded to the secret service bureau al the
treasury department from Chicago. 1t is
the first which has been received since last
January and experts declare it is a clever
piece of work, which would not be detect
ed as counterfeit except under close scru-
tiny. IL has a number of points about it
which stamp it as being spurious, but
which would not be noticed by the laity.
I had been expecting this note 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 re-
porter. Il am rather surprised that we
have not secured it before
1T comes from Chicago and from certain
earmarks which / can detect about it, it is
the work of noted counterfeiter by the
name of John Alfred L'Koog. L'Koog is a
| Swede, about So years of age, and rather
clever as a note maker. He escaped from
| Joliet prison, H., last March, where he
| had been sent from Chicago for counter
| feitng, 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 Off
| GERS.
Ever since his escape we have been
! looking out for some of his work, and it
just turned up. When a man has started
| in the business he never quits it, unless
! by force of circumstances.
| 1T is only reasonable to suppose that
| l. Koog would return to his old haunts and
| occupation in Chicago, and the SUPPOSE
ton proved correct.
| THE last counterfeit note we received
was from Chicago Also 1t was a $40 Man
J. min q Ton
II. The Windy City is a center for coun-
terfeiting, as the workers have often been
| captured there"
The chief sat in his private office in the
| treasury building, about which c.ings an
| air of mystery connected with everything
| pertaining to the secret service. On the
walls were pictures of famous makers and
| showers of the queer" more were held in
cabinets and records which, if revealed,
would cause sensa lions throughout the
| United States, were hidden in boxes and
carefully filed away.
"Counterfeiters might be termed the
aristoeracy of crooks. They are generally
quiet, not often immoral or cornwall, and
are naturally very reserved. 1t is to their
interest to be retcent. 1t is a paradox,
but there are never thieves among them.
What l mean is, while they follow coun-
terfeiting, which is one of the worst
crimes imaginable, they would not rob or
! burglarize. Many of them have been
known to be exceedingly charitable,
though it may be said if they are sue
| cessful they can easily afford to be so.
They are milder class than that of any
other criminals. They never cause trouble
in any community wherever they may hap
pen to be- outsd de of the counterfeitng.
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
business cooperate with their husbands.
The man generally makes the money and
the woman passes it, 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 1t probably
started there and has continued. 1t is
| transmitted from father to son, just like
| any other trade and flourishes in much
the same manner as does Illicit distilling.
sit is a mistaken idea to suppose that
counterfeiters as has been stated, buy sill
yer and make it into coin, thereby gain
ing the profit which the stamp is supposed
to add to it. Not by any means. A coun-
| terfeiter will not pay 60, or 62 cents an
ounce for silver to use when he can get
| the same results differently. He buys
anthony, tin, Plaster of paris, and other
materials, the whole outfit costing about
! $3.50 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 as
| little as possible.
1--WE recognize the work of individual
| coin counterfeters by the manner in
which the coins are finished, as to the mill
| ing on the edges, and other details. 1t is
| very seldom that we are mistaken in this
respect. Every one has his own mark.
The biggest capture we ever made was
| that of the Brockway- Bradfords gang in
| Hoboken, n. j., in 1895. There were six
| members of the gang, including the noto-
| rious Mrs. Abbie Smith. who is now serV-
| ing four-year sentence in the New Jer-
sey penitentiary at Snake Hill. The wo-
man 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 a chance to put
any of their bills in circulation. We cap
| tured notes of all denominations on Unit
| ed States and Canadian banks, figuring up
| to the value of $3.50 Co., Many of the bills
were in a partly finished state, but the
| work was exceedingly clever, and would
| have passed inspection almost anywhere.
| "The last case we had was a man and
| woman arrested recently for counterfeit
| ing dimes in Brooklyn"
The chief opened one of the cabinets
| fixed so that leaves, in which photographs
were fixed of noted counterfeiters, easily
! swung outward. There were more than
| l,b0O photoS IN TINS CABINET alone OF the
queer people. They were of all ages,
colors, classes and appearance. Some of
| them were women, well dressed, with in
many cases, refined faces. The counte-
nances of a number of the men were hand
some, the expression pleasing and intelli-
| gent.
Chief Hazen pointed to the picture of a
young man, with an open, smiling face.
THAT fellow is a college graduate" he
| said, refectively. HE came of an excel
lent family. He is now serving a several
years sentence in Indiana for raising
| notes. When his term expires he will
| probably return to it,"
So he went through a large list, telling
| of the crimes and deeds of the originals
of the photos.
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.
PROCURING TORTOISE SHELL.
How the Turtles Are Caught-CrueI-