The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-04
BANKERS in TROUBLE
SOUVENIR FOR FEAST CONDEMNED
BY THE SECRET SERVICE.
Pe>teboard limitations of Gold Coin
Intended for Holding Ices Seized
by Chief Hazen.

NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-To be sure. the
eminent bankers didn't think of it when
they started, but now they know how
perilously near they were to the fearful
crime of counterfeiting, says the Press.
And it was only the desire to have some
thing pretty at their banquet-at which, by
the way Secretary of the Treasury Gage is
to be guest-that actuated them. But
they proposed and Chief Hazen, of the
United States Secret Service, disposed.
To illustrate the loyalty of the members
to the gold standard the committee pre-
pairing for the annual banquet of the State
Bankers Association, to take place in the
Waldorf-Astoria next Tuesday night,
planned to serve the ices in pasteboard
boxes in imitation of pile of eight huge
gold coins with mailed edges, the top coin
represented the reverse of the ten-dollar
gold piece, greatly enlarged. and bearing
the imprint of the San Francisco mint. The
ordinary motto, I'm God We Trust" was
changed to read 'In Good We Trust" The
size of the coin was two-thirds larger than
a double eagle
The committee engaged Murray-street
firm to make the requisite number Of nov
el-shaped boxes. The firm turned out
plaster cast from which a model ice cream
box was produced. Then it occurred to the
firm that the law had something to say
about such devices, and 1t was decided to
get the opinion Of a government repre-
sentative on the matter. He called Chief
Hazen's attention to the box. The chief
decided the manufacture of such articles
was prohibited by Chapter 1T of the
United States laws of 1891, which make it
unlawful to make ANY token, device, print
or impression, whether of metal or its COM
pounds, or of any other substance in like
ness. similitude as to design. color or the
inscription thereon, of any OF the coins or
currency of the United States
So the novel box will not be one Of the
souvenirs of the banquet, for the cast and
model was declared forfeited and seized.
The seizure one of the dark secrets in
the federal building until yesterday, when
some of the committeeman, fearing their
position might not be understood, made
public the story. Then Chief Hazen made
this statement 1.-THE law knows no DIR
ference between banker and a poor man.
Every week somebody gets up an adver-
tisement in imitation of a gold bill, and we
have to suppress ii. The tokens of the
bankers were violations of the law as
much as these advertising cards. and If we
permitted one we should have to permit
the other. OF course, L do not think the
gentlemen who will participate in this ban
quet would try to use the gilt coins i'm their
business. But the danger lay in having
made plaster cast of the coins which
might have been used for other purposes
than molding pasteboard."
Another federal official said, when he
heard of the seizure: II think Hazen has
stretched his imagination considerably to
see any sort of a resemblance between the
ice-box design and any gold ,coin of the
United States. There is no gold coin of
that size in existence. and, therefore. it
could not be a counterfeit. 1t is a cart
wheel when compared with a half-eagle,
eagle or double eagle. The thing is harm
less, and i fear that Hazen has made a
mistake in seizing the cast"