Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-04
SHUN THEM AS THE PLAGUE-THEY
MAY BE BOGUS.
DANGEROUS C0UNTERFEITs OUT
TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND BANK
OFFICIALS DECEIVED.
All 500 Silver Certificates to BE
Called In, Their Issue Stopped
ind the Plates Destroyed
Description of the
Counterfeit.

Washington. Jan 3.-One of the most
dangerous counterfeits ever discovered has
made its appearance. Mr.. John .Cramer, of
the sub-treasury at Philadelphia. to-day
brought to the secret service five 100 dollar
counterfeit silver certificates, head of Pres
ldent Monroe. Their general appearance
is excellent, and after close examination
the officials of the treasury cash room were
Undecided as to their genuineness, and only
after the notes had been soaked in hot
water, when the two pieces forming the
front and back of the note came apart,
were they convinced of the fraud, Or eX-
animation of the days treasury cash, an
other of the spurious notes was discovered.
The notes brought over by Mr.. Cramer
rad been turned into the sub-treasury by
two leading banks, and the Philadelphia
custom house. which had received them as
genuine. A description of the notes, with
instructions to be on the lookout for per-
sons attempting to pass them, has been
wired to agents of the secret service every
where. Inquiries have also been sent to all
the leading cities as to whether any of the
Eotes have appeared other than in Philadel-
Fhia and Washington, and the best men in
the service will be put on the case. Fol-
lowing is IL description of the note as fur
nlshed by the secret service:
The note is of the series of 1891, check
letter ID, face plate l: Tillman register,
horgan treasurer, portrait James Monroe.
All numbers SO far seen begin with 3i5. The
most marked differences between this note
and the genuine, however, are found in the
seal and the numbering, the former being
tie latter slightly different in formation.
Especially is this true of the 3 and 4. In
the figure 3 the lower loop does not extend
up as far toward the center of the figure
as in the genuine. and in the figure 4 the
space between the base and the center
cross line is narrower than in the genuine.
One of the principal points of difference.
however, is that the new counterfeit is liz
of an inch or less shorter than the genuine.
The chief engraver at the bureau of en-
craving and printing pronounced the coun-
terfeit a Very dangerous production. 1t
was engraved on steel and printed on two
pieces Of paper pasted together after col
ored silk fiber had been distributed be-
tween them. The work. he said, was that
of a very careful and excellent ergraver,
and. while there was no appreciable diff
ference between the genuine and the coun-
terfeit note to the casual observer, under
a. glass many slight differences were dis
cerned. This. however. was extremely diff
serous character of the counterfeit. Secre-
tary Gage to-day decided to stop issuing
and to call in all 500 silver certificates. of
which there are about $26.ODO.0O outstand-
certificates of smaller denominations. and
the plates destroyed. AS soon as new plates
can be engraved n new series will be is
sued. Assistant treasurers at all OF. the
sub-treasury cities will be requested to
send to the treasury in Washington all
800 silver certificates in their possession
and to request all banks, trust companies
and other moneyed institutions to do the
same.
Secretary Gage desired the statement
mad that in his judgment 1T was unsafe
for business men or others to accept silver
certificates of this denomination. and in
he sent to the banks for tranmission to
Washington.