Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-10
BOGUS MONEY IS AFLOAT.
A Dangerous Counterfeit Twenty Dollar
Note Fools the Experts.


Note Fools the Experts.
Philadelphia Record Mays.
A number of local banking insti-
buttons and business houses have been
viotimized within the past few days. Ly
a counterfeit $40 note, which is SO
cleverly executed as TO make it par
ticularly dangerous. The number Of
these spurious notes that have been
put in circulation in this city is not
known as yet, but up to / O'Clock
yesterday afternoon Is Of them had
been reported to Assistant United
States Treasurer J. W. Finney, at the
Sub Treasury. Five of these had been
received by one banking institution.
Another trust company sent 50, 600
worth OF 800 notes to the Sub Treasury
with a request that they be exchanged
for notes of the denomination of $780,
This was promptly refused by the
cashier, who had already been appraised
OF the existence of the dangerous
counterfeits.
Treasurer Finney lost no time in
notifying business houses, railroad
offices, hotels, financial institutions
and department stores of the fact that
a counterfeit $50 bill was being cir
oulated, and he Immediately left for
Washington 10 consult with the
authorities. Nothing definite is known
as yet of the methods employed to put
the spurious notes in circulation, but
it is generally understood that an
organized gang invaded tho city on
Monday or Tuesday, and before the
close of business hours had accom-
plished their ends. The mode of
operation, which was simple and
natural, was to visit stores and buy
s,nall articles, rendering the notes in
payment. 1t is. thought that great
many of them were also passed in the
purchase of railroad tickets.
The real character of the notes was
not discovered until yesterday morning,
when the cashier of local bank, said
to be the Penn National, placed one Of
the bills under "a powerful glass and
discovered slight defect, which i'm
mediately disclosed 10 his Eracticed
eye the spurious character of the note.
The cashier Immediately communicated
the fact to Treasurer Finney, who ut
once notified business circles and took
steps to bring the matter to the
attention Of the Government authori-
ties.
Treasurer Finney, who Is also an
expert, made an examination of the
note, and at once pronounced it a
dangerous counterfeit that would easily
take rank with the famous 500 Monroe
head counterfeit made by Jacobs and
Kendig at Lancaster, and for con-
nection with which Irgham and
hewitt are now in prison. M. f.
Griffin, who is chief of the Score,
Service Bureau In this city, promptly
telegraphed to Chief Wilkie, at Wash.
ington, ard the latter came to tho city
early in the afternoon, but left again
last night.
A statement issued last night by the
Treasury Department at Washington
| describes the bill as one of the most
dangerous oounterfeits that has ap,
peared in a long time The note is Of
| the series of 1880, check letter A, Ilate
number 7, Tillman, Register; Morgan,
Treasurer. The note is printed from
| engraved plates, and the work upon the
face and back is of high order Of excel
lence. 1t is a tritie shorter than the
genuine, but the width is the same.
| The most noticeable defects IN the
note are IN the portrait of Hamilton.
| The nose, instead of being round OF
the end, is brought to sharp point
! The chin, instead of being double, a.
In the genuine, is square. The heat
from the back of the ear to the top o
the nose, on the line of the ear, is {
fraction Of an inch wider than thu
genuine and the work on the coat give
q fat effect and merges into the back
ground in the lower part of the por
trait.
In the border the small figures 800
are omitted between the "XX." Ii
the octagonal ornament under the wore
Washington, centre face of note, tn
detail is SO blurred that. the little eigh
pointed star forming the centre of tb
ornament does not stand out in relic
as in the genuine. The finishing
straight stem of the "a" in "bearer,
right face of note, is sharp, obliqu
line at its top, whereas in the genuin
the line is curved.
In the left panel on the back of tn
note the comma after sit" where tn
words impression of it" occur, ha
been omitted, as has also the dot owe
the 81" in printed, in the mex
line below. The note is printed Of
paper of very deceptive character
and has the distributed fibre.