The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-04
SECRET SERVICE REPORT
Capture of COunterfeiterS During
The Last Fiscal Year.
Spurious Money to the Amount OF
$4,000 Taken by Government: Of
fcers-Opcrntions of the Bureau In
Other Lines-Many Arrests Made
Missouri Leads All the States.

In his annual report on the work Of the
Secret Service. submitted to Secretary
Gage yesterday, Chief John Wilkie gives
some interesting facts concerning counter
! feiters.
During the year the counterfeit money
captured and secured by the division
amounted to $55,0 600, of which $4,000 was
in notes and So, 600 in coin. The captured
plates for the printing OF counterfeit notes
numbered 209. There were 26 steel dies
and 500 pairs of molds for the manufacture
of counterfeit gold and silver coin. The
low grade silver counterfeits were melted
( into bullion, representing value of 1892,
a check for this amount being paid into
/ the Treasury of the United States. Ten
new counterfeit notes made their appear
/ ance during the year, but five of them only
were deceptive enough to be considered
dangerous, and the makers of all hut one
of these notes were arrested and are either
in prison serving their time or in Jail
awaiting trial. Attention is directed to the
/ fact that the raising of genuine notes OF
small denominations to represent those of
greater value increased during the year,
the increase being due TO the unfamiliar
ity OF the public with the characteristics
of the various denominations. With the
simpliication of TIE currency this crime
will be rendered much more difficult
Reference is made to the great legal
battle in Philadelphia in which Messrs.
Ingham and hewitt were convicted of at
tempting to bride member OF the service
and TO the later development in connection
with the Jacobs Kendig counterfeiting con-
spiracy involving the circulation of the
dangerous $50 Hamilton head note last
MAJ
An unusually large number of calls were
made on the division to provide train i
operatives and to make special enquiries
for other departments, naturalization
frauds. thefts of Government property.
jury bribing pilfering from sub treasures,
and the apprehension of fugitives from JUS
tice from foreign countries forming the
subject of some OF these Investigations.
Cuba and Porto Rico which were visited
by agents of the service were found to be
comparatively free from ccunterfeits. In
view of the fact that repeated arrests ard
convictions do not seem to act as a COM
plete deterrent to criminals who make
counterfeiting their speciality. Chief Will
kie recommends an amendment of the Re
vised Statutes which shall provide for the
addition of five years to the sentence OF
the court for a second conviction. ten years
upon third conviction, and life sentence
for a fourth conviction.
A pleasant acknowledgment is made OF
the cooperation which has been received
from the LEGAL authorities all over the
United States. The assistance thus re-
caivsd has simplified the work of the di-
vision in many instances and has been pro-
ductive of satisfactory general results.
The statistical portion shows Coz arrests
during the year, with Z1S convictions 253
awaiting actions of the courts, and fugi-
tives from justice. Missouri led the pro-
eessi5n of States with the largest number
o. cases, IS; Pennsylvania was second
with GO; New York third, with 80; Indiana.
with ST. and Texas, with 80. Or the per-
SONS arrested f54 were born in the United
States. 80 in Italy, 20 in Germany, 10 in
Ireland, while the remainder represented
all pIrts of Europe and Asia.