The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-01-26
THE SPURIOUS NOTE.
COUNTERFEIT BILL FOUND IN Ma.
TIONAL BANK OF WASHINGTON.

Sent Counterfeit Silver Certificates co
the Treasury Recently-Work on the Bill
Ia of the Finest Character.
The treasury officials are still greatly
worked up over that 500 counterfeit
silver certificate. One of these counter
feits turned up in package of bills
which was received recently from the
Chicago subtreasury, and there was an
other in the ST. Louis batch, and still
another in the Philadelphia budget,
while one was brought to light in the
cash of the National Bank Of Washing
ton, one Of the oldest institutions in
the capital 1t is the belief Of the de-
partment officials that a gang went to
work simultaneously in all Of the large
cities, and it is purely a matter of spec
ulation as to when it commenced.
Mr. Cremer, the asserting clerk of the
Philadelphia subtreasury, who first
brought the Counterfeits to the attention
Of the department, stated few even
a
since which reminded him very much of
the counterfeits, and it is his impress
sion that the spurious certificates have
been ahoat for several weeks.
Of the SIS, 900, 900 in the Chicago
subueasury, 81, 500, 900 in 500 silver
certificates The subtreasury in St.
Louis has 81, $50, O00 Il has been this
practice at these two offices to take the
certificates and store them away, they be-
ing convenient and not taking up much
warehouse room in the vaults. The eff
Gals are awaiting anxiously the ship
ments from st. Louis and Chicago,
because if there are a considerable num-
Der of these bogus 500 certificates afoat
they will doubtless manifest themselves
in the great hoard of bills of that de-
nomination which is held in the sub
treasures Of these cities, Comparative
ly small amounts are held in Washing
ton and the other large cities, while it
is estimated that New York holds only
about $500, 600: Thus fer six Of these
500 counterfeits have been brought to
light in Philadelphia, one in Chicago
and St Louis and two in Washington,
one In the treasury cash and the other
in the National Bank Of Washington.
No trace whatever of the counterfeit
ers has yet been unearthed, Chief Hazen
Of the secret service bureau went to
Philadelphia few days ago. The en-
tire force of the Office has been turned
loose on the case, but they have very
shadowy clews to work on. The IN
pleasant discovery was made at the de-
partment that the counterfeits were
printed from engraved plates and not
from plates made by any photomechan-
lcal process. The experts at the bureau
of engraving and printing, to whom the
counterfeits were shown, pronounced
the work to be of the very finest charac-
ter, such only as could be done by man
who had learned his trade from the
ground up and who is very painstak-
ing and careful workman. There are
very few persons sufficiently expert to
have engraved such plates known to the
department..
1t is stated at the bureau of engraving
and printing that months of close appli-
cation would be required to produce
plates such as We're used in the manu-
facture of this 500 silver certificate
and that whoever did the work must
have had the finest tools and plant
that would cost quite sum of money.
Superintendent johnson of this bureau
was asked if it would not be possible for
an impression upon the original plates
to have been taken and spirited out Of
the building. He was emphatic in say
ing that such thing was impossible
and that if such a suspicion is harbored
it might as we'll be dr. tped At any
rate it is now pretty well settled that
an entirely new plate was made, micro
scopists discovering new variations in
the details of the work from time to
time. The secret service bureau will
leave no stone unturned to discover the
counterfeiter, as there will be no secur-
ity until he is safely behind the bars
Washington Post.