The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-07
MANY INVITATIONS OF MONEY.


and startling scaucIs to. the stupendous coun-
terfeltiuE conspiracy which has been exposed
In this city and In Lancaster BY the match
less work OF Chief wilkie. OF the secret ser
vice bureau. ard his subordinatts. ciearis
demonstrates. II II needed any demonstration.
that. apart from the crime of treason, there
is no oifense AGAINST his laws which Uncle
Sam moro rigidly pursues and sternly pun
ishes. treason alone excepted, than attacks
upon the integrity OF his coinins and his cur
rency. In fact. originally. under the old Eng |
lish Law. debasement of the coming OF the
crown was considered an act OF treason be-
cause the making OF money was exclusively
the province OF the sovereign.
In this country. contrary to the general sup
position. the jurisdiction OF the courts OF the
United States over this ofiense is not eSelu-
siye. although counterieitiug - not usually
prosecuted In tho state courts by reason OF
the fact that Uncle SANS statutes are much
more complete and perfect. Where there are
permanent courts OF the United states. as. Tor
instance. In pittsburc, 10 this state, there IS
no difficulty 10 pursuing debasers OF sover3-
mcnt coin and currency. But where ohenses
OF that kind are committed at places remote
from the centers of population. 1t is consid-
cred important that the local tribunal should
POSSESS aoeuuate facilities OF punishment
without putting the injured citizen to unnec
essary incons enience
| This consideration induced congress not to
| interfere with state jurisdiction in such mat
tiers. and II can be legally exercised over
such crimes. But Uncle Sans Jealousy as 10
the integrity OF the money he makes Is car-
ried to such an extreme that even all simu-
Iations OF his coin and curreu,y. even though
intended for innocent purposes, are rlG'dly
barred by law. even though hey may mot be
punishable by imprisonment where there Is
no guilty intent. Notwithstanding this fact,
i and Notwithstanding repeated warnings. mer-
chants. with pernicious Ideas OF ADVERTISING.
waste every year many thousands OF dollars
In vain attempts to cry their wares through
simllitudes OF good money.
~
very instructive illustration Of this fact
can be gained by an odd sort of museum In
the office of the chief OF the secret rervioe
division Of the treasury department at WASH
ington Besides pictures of noted false coin
ers. and examples OF forged bonds and gov
eminent securities there are numerous rep
reservations In this collection of hundreds
Of advertising devices in which counterfeit
presentments OF United States money In va
rious forms have been employed.
The law is very strict. forbidding private
individuals to make anything which should
legitinately bear the government Imprint.
The statutes. and there are many OF them,
are explicit and briefly II may be said that
all such limitations are REGARDED as counter
! felt and are treated accordingly, Technieallv
the manufacturers can be prosecuted as coun-
terfoiters but that is never done when 1t IL
evident that there was criminal intent
The majority of these limitations Of money
and other government securities are USED al
said before. for advertising purposes, although
: some of them are made for the ecihcation O
= children. The commonest kind Of an adver
> tisement is a fac-simile of a dollar with thu
card OF the firm distributing It on the back.
Most of these are very CHEAP affairs an
are printed from coarse woodcuts. the letter
y ing as well as the printing being OF YER
inferior description. No one It woulo seen
u should ever be deceived by them, and We
+ ignorant country people are frequently SWIM
died by shafpers with these so-calleu 'nash
n notes Especially is this so among the col
o ored people OF the South and every time
n circus travels through that section the mum
i Der Of victims is legion.
= Another and more costly medium Of inform
~ ing the DuDllc OF the duuEteh VI a. SN''AN'
l. house is by the use of reduced photograph
= of United States and National bank note
L These are three inches long by an inch an
a, half wide and are pasted on cardboard
I'd the back is the name OF the firm.
as ~
;, One inventive genius, who also wanteu
We convey moral Lesson. once devised what
called the mighty dollar advertising series
l,lta ig
rosentntion OF a cell tenantod by young ma
in striped suit. Below arc the WORD
We .stole s. only" The face OF the ten dolls
m bill has the picture Of man calmly emo
n iug A good cigar in well-furnished ROOF
ed rae legend below is: .'Took $50 600"
he TIC fifty dollar bill shows portly Ind
ne vidual in handsome library. pompo
It. fooman has Just handed him scroll,
he which are the words: you are nominal
" for governor VIII you accept7' The !
CO sor.ption below reads; appropriated s1oo
IA OOo" The borders ana corners of those not
ne are made to represent currency, ana on
ire hacks are advertisements.
irt newspaper u little more than ten yea
ms ago printed what at glance might be TAX
he fer bond. and ornamented 1t with piotul
X OF President Cleveland and his cabinet
up small type appeared the announcement u
tho proprietors OF the newspaper would ?
81 900 to any one who could prove that II
"a. nor have the largest circulation in Ameri
A German immigrant who landed at Cas-
iss Garden was induced by sharper to belle
ias that tho advertisement was bond, and
ow rarted with his hard earned savings In
ba, change for ono of them, whereupon the
md oret service officers swooped down on the
the terprisiug newspaper and gathered the VIII
'ne issue in.
ing Perhaps the prettiest article In the sec
md service collection is sheet Of stamps 1881
AZ by all the nations OF the world These
ous mast artlstically arranged and represent
beautiful blending of colors steel die
i. used TO make each impression. and the VII
formed really clever piece of work.
lax stamps cannot be eounterfeited any m
tho than money. and the sheets were conhseai
ich A cigar manufacturer got up a new hi
an OF cigars and called it the DOLLAR Mar
shs Inside OF each box was loose sheet Of pa
, - containing a big sign surrounded by
leaves and on either side was the rev'
ara diverse OF the silver dollar. This