The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-20
A BOGUS BILLS STUDIO
A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO USED A
CAMERA IN CONTEMPLATING.
Heinrich A. Brown and Il. j. Hansen
Brought Here-The Former in
Touch with Scientific Men.

Heinrich Augustus Brown is the appella-
ton of a German queer" money maker
taken at Valparaiso with his confederate,
Theodore ]. Hansen, and lodged in Jail here
yesterday by Maj. Thomas B. Carter,
United States treasury agent They were
given a hearing at Laporte on Saturday be-
fore United States Commissioner Williams
and held in default of $1,000 bail. Neither
was able to furnish bond and they were
brought to Indianapolis to await trial.
Heinrich Augustus Brown is noted land
scape photographer. Letters from many
prominent scientists on this branch of
photography were found in his possession.
He is known throughout the country for
his work in this line of Photographic art.
Brown is a rampant Anarchist, it is
claimed, and was greatly disliked at Val
paraise, where he owns considerable prop
erty. He is iftytwo years old, has a wife
and children, and has lived in Valparaiso for
several years. He came to this country
from Berlin. The officials at a loss to
understand why Brown ever began making
queer"
Beside arresting the two men the govern
ment officials captured a complete plant
they had for turning out silver certificates
of 81, ST. S. and $40 denominations. Brown
edge of photography to make counterfeit
bills. He had studio, very complete in its
appointments, in his residence. AS his work
was largely of an outside character he was
not molested by strangers. He made but
few portraits. In his studio was a very
Well-equipped dark room. In it the officials
discovered a number of negatives very
good, of the different notes he proposed
counterfeiting, as well as a number of
plates made by the zinc-etching process. A
few bills were found. In some respects
they were very good, but Brown seems TO
have but little knowledge of engraving and
could not give the finishing touches that
were necessary to make perfect counter
feits Even the good money that he had
used to make the negatives was found care
fully Smoothed out III the dark room. Brown
had evidently been making experiments OF
a very extensive character. plate for
making the face of 50 notes was found dis
carded and a new one substituted Tor ii on
the block. The new plate had evidently not
been used. Major Carter says he has no
doubt a very much better imitation could
have been made with the second plate. The
back of the So notes found We're very We'll
executed, although they were off color The
plate was still colored with the pale blue
Ink that had been used.
The printing outfit was found three miles
from Valparaiso in the residence of Han
sens father, with whom the young man
lived. The older Hansen and his wife
denied having any knowledge OF what was was
going on, although the press was IN small
dining room used in common by the entire
family Young Hansen is about twenty-Slx
years of age. He is married and has one
child. At present his wife Is living with
The most glaring defect in the handful of
s. notes that were discovered was due to
unskillful printing. Major Carter says that
he has no doubt that II the plates were
turned over to skilled printers, bills or q
very good appearance could be turned out
No attempt TO deny their guilt was made
by the prisoners, Major Garter says Ihey
were taken almost IN the act ana were very
Associated Major
Carter was Captain Porter, United states
treasury agent at Chicago. The nrSt cleW
to the counterfeiters was OBTAINED IN that
city where they were detected through pur-
chaSes of ink and Zinc plates indL lhey
made But few of the spurious bills have
Deputv r. o. Rose, of Angola, brought
the prisoners here from Laporte, where ne
was summoned after the men We're arrested
by Major Carter and the sheriff. lie saw
that Young Hansen was willing TO make
some sort of a statement, and visited MIN
at the jail. yesterday afternoon, where the
young man revealed what line or deIehse
brown will attempt Hansen told Mr.. Rose
that Brown had been trying all Gay 10 IN
duce him TO go on the witness stand ana
swear that the bills were to be used FOR
adyertising schemes, and that advertising
matter was 10 be printed on the back.
Il told him that / could not agree TO
that said Hansen. Il never heard any
thing about advertising until to-day, Brown
persuaded me into this. he kept throwing
out hints of some money-maklng scheme,
and asked me TO learn the trade OF photo
graphing from him. One day he came out
plainly and told me he was going to make
counterfeit money. He wanted somebody
to circulate it. / told him | could not do
that | finally concluded 70 go into the
scheme with him. He wanted to have the
printing done at my fathers house, it
VAS out Of town, and people would not sus-
pect anything
Mr. Rose says that young Hansen looks
like a man that might be led into such
scheme by a man of Browns intelligence
and force Of character. Brown looks like a
typical Anarchist. At Valparaiso it is
slaimed that he was engaged in the Hay
market riot at Chicago, but escaped. 1t is
llso charged that he left Germany under a
loud. The arrest Of Brown is considered
cry important capture, as it is thought
lfter little more experimenting he would
nave turned out dangerous bill in whole
sale quantities.