The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-04
NOTES TO DESTROY
ONE OF THE WORST OF COUNTER
FEITS Is DISCOVERED
Hundred Dollar Silver Certificate Is So
Successfully Initiated That Only the
Governm ents Own Experts Can Pick
Them Out-Entire Issue OF That Denom-
is to be Called in and Cancelled, After
Exchange for Certificates of Smaller
Demon Oations.

Washington, Jan. 3.-One Of the mos,
dangerous counterfeits ever discovered
mas made its appearance. Mr.. John Cra-
nler OF the suotreasury al Philadelphia
today brought to the secret service five
one-hundred-dollar counterfeit silver Ger
tifca,es, head Of President Monroe
T1eir general appearance is excellent,
and after close examination the officials
Of the treasury cash room were undecid-
ed as to their genuineness and only af-
ter the notes had beer soaked in hot
water, when The two pieces forming the
front and back Of the note came apart,
were they convinced Of the fraud. On
exansination OF the days treasury cash
another Of the spurious notes was discov
cred The notes brought over by Mr..
Cramer had been turned in to the sub
treasury by two leading banks and the
Philadelphia customs house, which re-
ceived them as genuine. Agents Of the
secret service everywhere have been wiz
q a description Of IN notes, with irstruc-
tons 70 be on the lookout for persons at
tempting to pass them. Inquiries have
also been sent to all the leading cities
as to whether any of the notes nave ap-
peared elsewhere than in Philadelphia
and washington, and the best men in the
service will be put OF the case. Follow
:ng is a description Of the note, as fur
nished by the secret service:
The note is OF the series ot 1891; check
11.-- g
Morgan, treasurer; portrait, James Mon
roe. All numbers 50 far seen begin with
345. The most marked differences be
tween this note and the genuine, how
ever, are found in the seal and number
ing, the former being shade lighter
than in the genuine and the latter diff
fering slightly in formation Especially
is this true of the 8 and 4. In the figure
8 the lower loop does not extend up as
far toward the center of the figure as in
ths genuine, and in the figure the space
between the base and center cross line
is narrower than in the genuine. One of
the principal points Of difference, how
ever, is that the new counterfeit is 1-16
OF an inch or less shorter than the gem
uine.
The chief engraver at the bureau OF
engraving and printing pronounced the
counterfeit a dangerous production. In
view of the dangerous character Of the
counterfeit, Secretary Gage today decid-
ed TO sop Issuing and to call in all the
800 certificates, of which there are about
SIG, 600, 900 standing out These will be
exchanged for silver certificates of small
er denomina tons, and the plates destroy
ed AS soon as possible new plates for
engraving a new series will be issued.
Assistant treasurers at all Of the sub
treasury cities viii be requested to send
10 the treasury in Washington all 500
silver certificates in their possession and
to request all banks, trust companies and
other r1oueyed institutions 70 do the
same.
Secretary Gage desired the statement
made that in his judgment 1t was unsafe
for business men or others to accept sill
yer certificates OF this denomination,
and in case any be sent to the banks for
IRA nsroissiOD IN Washington