The Penn's Grove record., 1899-04-28
BOLD COUNTERFEIT PLOT.
Eight Men Captured For Making
Bogus Silver Certificates
THE ARREST OF U. S. OFFICIALS
Former District Attorney Ingham and
Deputy Revenue Collector po"he'
Charged with Aiding the Bad BIZ
Makers-wboIesale Counterfeiting OF
Revenue stamps-scope of the Plot.

Revenue StaTups-StOpe VI inv N
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (special).-The
roundup of alleged counterfeiters OIL
Treasury notes and revenue stamps when
has been made by John A. Wilkie, chiei oil
the Secret Service Bureau, in Washington,
reveals the most daring and successful at
Tempt at counterfeiting that has ever been
tried upon Uncle Sam. Tho Secret Service
men had been on the track of these men
for nearly a year.
The climax in the gigantic counterfeit
ing conspiracy was reached on MONDAY
when former United States District-At,
torney Ellery P. Ingham, OF this city, ana
Deputy Internal Revenue Collector sam,
uel b. Downey, of Lancaster, were arrested
by Secret Service officers on a charge OF
aiding the chief counterfeiters In their Ell.
forts to food the country with forged
Treasury notes and Internal Revenue TO-
baceo stamps.
The arrest of Ingham created a great
sensation. The others under arrest are
Henry X. hewitt, former Assistant United
States Di~strict-Attorney of this city; Will
lam NJ, Jacobs, of Lancaster; William +.
Kendig, of Lancaster, Thomas Buns, Ken
digs foreman; Arthur Taylor, expert en-
grayer, of this city; Baldwin s. Bredel, ex-
pert enRrAYer anu meClhulCt Vi III wy.
The former District-Attorney, Ellery I.
tngbam. was arraigned before Commits
sioner Edmunds and charged with CON
spiracy with Harvey hewitt, his law part.
ner, ito promise, offer and give the sum OF
10000 in monthly payments OF s5oo each,.
to William J. McManus, of Philadelphia, q
Secret Service officer who was working up
the case against the five men charged with
counterfeiting revenue stamps and SlOU
silver certificates. Ingham waived q hear
Ing and was held in S10,O 600 bail for a
further hearing.
Counsel for William NJ. Jacobs and Will
lam L. Kendig, the chief Lancaster mem
bers of the gang of counterfeiters has ad-
mitted that Jacobs has made a full confess
sion OF their criminal practices, and that
IL shows a conspiracy of such stupendous
magnitude as to be appalling. Jacobs, who
Is now In prison, and Kendig, who is under
big bail, have announced their intention OF
pleading guilty when placed on trial.
Chief Wilkie, of the Secret Service, has
told some details OF the case, which show
1t to be one Of the most remarkable In the
history of counterfeiting. Mr.. Wilkie
learned that the plan was to print &c.
000, 900 In counterfeit money and to divide
1t among the five men, Jacobs, Kendig,
Burns, TAYLOR and Bredell. Jacobs was
the leader OF the plot. He proceeded on
the theory that every man had his price.
and his plan was to buy a receiver in the
Sub Treasury In New York and deposit
the counterfeits with him In denomina-
lions OF $40, $50 and 800, taking In re-
turn a certificate OF deposit and drawing
on those, receiving good money IN return.
Bredell, who Is a mechanical genius, had
charge of the machinery.
The counterfelters had constructed a
plant for making paper which could not be
detected from that used by the Government
in printing its money. The machinery was
boxed up when captured. The counter
feiters evidently had decided to wait until
everything was ready before putting 1t to-
gether and in working order. So extensive
was the plant that In a weeks time enough
paper to print tie entire $40, 900 900 could
have been manufactured.
The counterfeiters had already completed
O $50 plate, known as the Everett plate,
and had partially completed a plate fol-
printing 800 notes. These plates and the
others captured are now in the possession
OF Chief Wilkie. One Of the plates was a
facsimile of the Monroe 300 die used by
the Government. It had been used. 1t
was In three sections, front, back and seal.
This plate was a very fine piece OF engrav.
ing work Jacobs retained 1t after Seere-
tary Gage had called in the Monroe series,
apparently believing that no could print
more notes from 1t without detection after
Ehe counterfeiting scare In regard to its
use had blown over. The $50 plate is the
ll1eSL piece OF cOunterIeltiDR tlHt tn6 hgents
pf the Secret Service have ever seen.
Jacobs and Kendig were running two
separate tobacco factories at Lancaster,
Penn. They we're using counterfeit rev.
enue stamps on their cigar boxes, and 1t is
estimated that they had defrauded the
Government out Of $40 900 In taxes. The
Secret Service agents found four worn out
revenue stamp plates. Each of these
plates ordinarily lasts long enough to make
10000 impressions, and as each Impression
furnishes ten stamps, the four plates must
have been used in printing /, 600, 900 stamps,
each good for q box of fifty cigars, or a to-
tai for the entire Issue OF 50, 900, 900 cigars.
Jacobs and Kendig were selling their cigars
at 81 less than the regular price. Their
profit was very great, as they escaped pay
Ing the revenue tax on 1896 a hundred.
The two Lancaster factories are now In the
hands Of the Government.
When the forgery of the 800 silver GER
t~iacates was discovered Secretary Gage
called in the entire s26, 900, 900 of these sill
yer certificates outstanding. At last re-
ports he had recovered about 800, 000, 900.
So there are SO, 000, 900 still. In circulation
around the country somewhere.