The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-28
ABOUT TO BURNA BILLION.
It's Counterfeit-C Capture Within two

4
ABOUT TO BURMA BILLION.
It's Counterfeit-Ca Capture within two
Years by Government omcers.
Chicago Chronicle: Everybody has
heard about the fellow who has money
to burn. There are lots OF them, but
they. are all limitations beside John E.
Wllkie. OF Washington, d. C. He has
more, money to- burn than anybody. He
has been counting up recently to find
how much combustible wealth he has
on hand, and The finds 1t reaches the
neat dgure OF sl,22l.o3s, sss 10. That's a
whole lot. That. first figure means one
billion. and that other thing In front OF
1t means dollars. and John WIlkie Is
going to burn It all. m
But there will not be many hidden to
the pyrotechnlcs. He Will not start the
contlaSration In the usual way by buy
Ing wine and cabs and flowers for Choir
US girls and dinners for the bows. It
would take too long to spend 81 ,00O, 900. I.
600 that way. John Wilkie Is chief OF the
secret service. and this billion dollars
happens TO be counterfeit money. That's
why John IL going to be so cheerful
when he destroys It. or the total
amount SLIPS 60 represents United
states notes, treasury notes, silver GER
titicates, bank notes and fractional cur
rency, and s10,o2l ibis in gold, silver,
nickel md copper coin. The balance Of
this gigantic sum is In imitation OF Uni
ted. States obligations and securities. An
Guiding. fac SMILES OF Confederate
state notes. Tennessee state warrants,
Missouri defense bonds, state bank notes
and flash" notes.
This represents two gears donation
OF counterfeiters to gullible public.
AT the time OF capturing these var
ious representations OF Uncle Sans
money, along with the plates. dies,
molds and various tools for their manu-
facture, minute list Is taken in the
secret service Office. and eac. outfit Is
separately boxed and labeled. These
ooxes are pitt In room adjoining the
Office OF the chief and guarded for two
years. AT the end OF that time CON-
mittee Is appointed TO again take an in
Nentory preparatory TO the total de-
structlcn OF the collection.
Such committee Is now at work. It
Is a tl:esome task. owing to the mis-
ceiianeous lot OF stuff used by counter
feiters. consisting OF different sorts OF
paper, fine-cut silk thread, books OF
OF gold leaf. Photographic outfits, boxes
of type for numbering notes. ladies.
crucsb!es, engravers' tools. varnish.
paints and oils In cans. printers. screw
drivers, :eedlna tools, printers plates,
knives. hand bellows, bar tin lead and
chemicals OF all kinds used In plating
and photographing
The room selected for the work Of the
committee was formerly used as a
''rogues' gallery" by the secret service
department, and was fitted up for public
inspection not only with pictures OF the
famous counterfeiters and Illicit still
keepers who fell into the nets. of the Sc
cret service men. but also with pack
ages OF green goods" knives. guns
and other weapons found on the prs-
oaers, and other exhibits of Ike nature.
Some years ago this chamber of hor-
rors was closed to the public and all the
relics destroyed, as the spurious money
is soon TO be.
Having convicted 269 of these coun-
terfeiters through the medium of the
secret service division. the government
proceeds to. dispose OF the records OF
their too diligent handiwork.
~ III ioTIIlerf years all OF Inc metal IN
coins, dies. molds. plates and tools was
sent to the navy yard. each metal
melted separately and run into bars, On
its journey there and during the melt
ing process the committee remained by
the collection. The cost to the
treasury department was abou: $50.
This included the donation of the met
ais to the navy yard when run into
bars.
The figure was thought too high, and
e-lcontract has been made this year
with foundry. to which place the COM
mittee will accompany It,.
+ Bond paper, onion paper. stamped en-
yelopes, photographs and all jfbrovs
matter are consigned to that part of the
treasury so well known to tourists-a
sub-cellar room. where mutilated paper
money. etc. is macerated. After! that 1t
Is found made into curious articles-an-
inials, busts. etc.-at the stands OF
souvenir merchants" all over the
country.
During the process OF maceraton. as
during that of melting. the stuff
never leaves the sight OF the COM
nittee from the time 1t leaves the room
in which II is stored until 1t runs liquid
from the great macerating machine.