The record-union., 1899-04-20
AN IMPORTANT CAPTURE.
MADE By UNITED STATES Sc
CRET SERVICE OFFICERS.
The Makers Of the Famous Coun-
terfeit Monroe Head" Silver
Certificates Arrested.

WASHINGTON, April 19.-Probably
the most important capture in the his
tory of the Secret Service was made
yesterday in Philadelphia by Chief John
f. Wilkie and his men, when they ar
arrested Arthur Taylor and Baldwin S.
Bredell, the makers of the famous
counterfeit "Monroe-head" $l0O silver
certificate.
These arrests were followed to-day
by the arrests in Lancaster, Pa. of
William M. Jacobs and William l.. Ken
dig, two prominent cigar manufactur-
ers. and James Burns, who was in Ja-
cobs' employ There were also captured
the original plate from which the silver
certificates, We're printed, a new 500
counterfeit plate and a. $50 plate and
also three sets of plates for the print
ing of counterfeit revenue stamps, rolls,
other paraphernalia and about five tons
of paper and large amount of coun-
terfeit stamps.
The "Monroe-head" plate and also the
stamp plates and other materials We're
found in Lancaster where the printing
was done. The plates for the new 500
note and the $50 note were found in
Philadelphia. The officials have taken
makers, and have also attached their
bank account.
Taylor and Bredell, it is said, were
captured while actually at work on the
new plates. They are young men, who
We're employed in Philadelphia by diff
ferent firms, but some time ago started
in business for themselves. They are
said to be expert engravers, and never
before have been under suspicion. They
are said to have confessed to-day that
less than $4,000 of the famous notes
were put into circulation.
The silver certificate, which was first
discovered year ago last fall by an Of
f1cial of the Sub-Treasury at Philadel-
phia, was probably the most dangerous
counterfeit ever put in circulation, and
even the experts of the Government for
long time were undecided as to wheth-
er the note was genuine or not After
most careful search, however, a dis
tinguishing mark was discovered which
decided the question and enabled the
officials readily to distinguish the genu-
Inc from the spurious. Secretary Gage
recognized the danger of this new note,
and at once called in the entire issue
of many millions of dollars This prompt
action baked the cvunterfeiters at the
very beginning
OF the S1O0 notes which were issued
only about twenty-six have been dis
covered. Plans were set on foot to ap-
prehend the counterfeiters, and Mr..
Wflkie, newspaper man of Chicago
who was known to have done some very
clever detective work, was sent for and
placed in charge of the Secret Service
Bureau
PHILADELPHIA, April ia sensa-
tional arrest was made in this city to-
night in connection with the capture OF
the counterfeiting gang. Harvey S
hewitt, who was Assistant Unite
States Attorney in this city during the
administration of President Harrison,
was taken into custody by Secret Serv-
ice men on a warrant sworn out by
Chief Wilkie, charging him with bribing
Detective McManus of the Philadelphia
office. He was given private hearing
before United States Commissioner
Edmunds and held in $4,000 bail
which was furnished by wealthy
friend. 1t was shown that at the hear
ing on March 9th hewitt gave Nc
Manus $500 as a bribe, and on March
2Sth $500 more.
1t is stated here tonight that enough
counterfeit stamps were captured by
the detectives in Lancaster to cover
44o0O0,O00 cigars. AS near as can be
learned, about. $4,000 worth of bogus
stamps have been used on cigars thus
far sent out from Lancaster.