Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-11
WAS EXPERIMENTING
The Artist Who Photographed United
States Bills
RESULT OF An INVESTIGATION
Chief WiIkie Says That the Neg
atyes Were Poorly Made.
TAKEN IN OCTOBER, 1897

The accidental finding Of Photographic
negatives Of United States silver certificates
In a pi=aonhoIe among the public files OF the
patent office has started the rumOr of
wholesale couuterfeiting by employees in
that department
The report was also circulated that sun
prints were made Of the bills on blue paper
which were dipped in acetic acid and
turned 10 green. The seals We're also iTni
tate1 by a skilliul use of red ink. 1t was
also claimed that these cpunterfeits were
shipped to confederates who readily circu-
lated them in Cuba.
The negatives We're found by messenger
pIerk last saturday while filling an order
for copies Of patents. They were taken to
Commissioner Ducll who. recognizing that
Eome one had violated the law, sent the
plates to Chief Wilkie Of the secret service
bureau Of the treasury. Since that time
he has not heard anything of the matter,
and Chief Wilkie has not been to see him.
4 Sensational Publication.
To a reporter Of The Star today Commits
sioner DueH expressed his disgust at the
prominence and sensational character given
the matter. No one here believes we are
In the counterfeiting business. and the
whole subject is SO small and unimportant
that l wonder at the space the newspapers
have given it. Any man with the slightest
bit Of intelligence after learning the facts
would agree with ne in stamping it a SEN
EatiOnal canard- The Photographic and
blue print room was abolished last June.
and while the plates may have been made
there l am satisfied no prints were struck
Df. All that story about acetiC acid and
red ink, well, its simply sensational col
bring
Now. if any one made those plates for
Counterfeiting. why did they leave them
here They are small enough to he carried
In the pocket and there would have been
no difficulty in getting them out without
risk Of detection But the Photographic
room mas long since been abolished and all
such work is done by contract. The mega
tiyeS We're evidently made as far back as
1877, since they were wrapped in a New
York newspaper dated October. 1881 and
laid aside No effort was made at conceal
meut. and it is my impression they We're
made as an experiment, with no knowledge
OF tn" law and no intention Of violating il.
When | became commissioner of patents l
was satisfied that the work done by the
Photographic department could be done bet
ter and cheaper 10y contract. and upon my
recommendation the office was abolished at
the end Of the last fiscal year and a con-
tract entered into with local firm for do
ing the work
Regarded Ridiculous.
Mr. Gus ThielkuhI. who was in charge of
the room last year. was seen by a reporter
u The Star today. He said:
It's pipe dream. While 1 was in charge
Of the Photographic room there were no
such plates made with my knowledge. l
have been sent for by the secret service
people. but I told them as l tell you. that
have no knowledge Of the matter. Take my
wOrd-theres nothing in it,
Mr. Thielkuhl said he had photographed
money for the Secretary of the Treasury
when he was employed there and knew
something Of the business. But anybody
who knows how 10 take photograph can
make a picture Of m 1D-y- Il don't believe
any kind Of a bill can he struck frcm
negative 1t must be transferred to steel
before that is possible But, as l said be-
fore. there's nothing in tits a fake-a
PIPE dream
CHIEF Wilkes Investigation.
Chief Wikie IF The secret service has con-
Guided an investigation of some length He
finds hat the plates were negatives made
IN October. 1897, and that the person photo
graphing the bills did 50 as an experiment
and without intending To violate the law.
The photographer was experimenting in
line work said Chief WiIkie today. 1
am convinced that bill has never been
printed from the plates, and, further. that
no bill could have been printed from them
which would fool a wooden Indian. The
plates are poorly made. The story that
been circulated in Cuba is wholly untrue.
We have agents in the island, and little
counterfeit money has been put in circula-
ton there. When our troops first took pos
session some OF them passed lot of con-
feierate bills on the unsuspecting natives,
but even this has been stopped.
The story published shows a lack Of
scientific and chemical knowledge. 1t says
that the alleged counterfeiters made sun
prints Of the bills on blue paper. and by
suhmerging them in acetic acid the blue
surfaces became money green. Acetic
acid. under these circumstances. would in
teusify the blue. and Not turn ii green"
Chief Wilkie said that photograph
counterfeit money is never dangerous.
The photographer Found.
No arrests have been made. and none will
be made. Chief Wilkie has not discovered
any great plot Of government employees and
does not expect to do so, rs he has found
the person who photographed the bills. He
said today that he had examined different
men who were once connect ted with the
photograph gallery Of the patent office. This
was for the purpose Of learning all the
facts Among those examined were Gus
TheiIkuhI. formerly in charge Of the gal
lery CaSsius Blacklidge. Harry Topey and
j g Wheat. at one time in charge of the
gallery