The times., 1901-06-23

The wavs and means by which coun-
terfeit and mutilated paper money is
identified by the experts at the United
states Treasury is, after all, simple
matter when once it is explained, al
though to the general public it presup-
noses an ability so far above the av-
erage of intelligence as to be some
thing almost uncanny. Notes that nave
been charred to the last degree are sent
into the Redemption Division to be
identified and redeemed, and notes
which have been chewed By dogs or
torn into bits by insane people or
chsrred or nodded into small flakes by
fire. are also forwarded to the Treas
ury Department, each accompanied by
an affidavit giving the original amount
of the money and the circumstances at
tending its mutilation and recovery.
In one corner of the room in the Re-
demptfon Division of the Treasury
building sits Mrs. A. E. Brown, the
expert whose task it is to pick out from
the money fragments turned over to
her the marks of Identification which
viii either verify the affidavit or not,
as the case may be. Scattered about
the desk are fragments of paper money
placed on slips of brown paper in shape
and contour like an ordinary envelope.
These are all marked and labeled so
that each can be credited to the owner
Of the fragments.
THE mutilated money comes from no
one particular source" said Mrs.
Brown. except, perhaps, from the
banks. where il has been taken by the
individual owner as the first step to-
ward getting it to the United States
Treasury, which will redeem all notes
identified as to their face value and
number. The banks do not, of course,
redeem these fragments and then look
TO US to reimburse them. 1t is only an
act of accommoda tion which the banks
extend to individuals. The rules of the
Treasury require that three-fifths Of
the bills be sent for identification; less
than that amount will either shut off
redemption altogether or at least pre-
vent the full amount being given back
to the owner of the fragments.
For example, supposing one-half of
s. bill is sent in for redemption, and
s1pposing it is in such a good state of
observation that its identification as
= anl. issued by the Government of the
United States, can be told at a glance,
tie owner of that fragment viii receive
from the Treasury only $780, and not
the full face value of TIE original bill.
The fragment viii be registered, with
its essential marks of identification,
and 81 so sent to the owner. At first
glance this would seem to be unjust
10 the owner but on further considera-
ton it viii be evident that at any time
the other half of that bill may come in
to US, perhaps from the same person,
or possibly from some one else, and
$3.50 paid in its redemption. Now, it is
obvious that If s. had been paid for
the first half and later the same amount
for the second half, although years may
intervene between the visitation of the
first and second halfs, the owner would
either have been paid SO for his origi-
nal s. bill, which is more than he is en-
titled to by IS, or the Government
would have been out just s5, which
would be an injustice to the people Of
the United States.
IF, however, three-ffths of the bill
is sent in, enough of the bill will be in
our hands to satisfy all demands for
the safety Of the Treasury and the pub
lie service. The remaining fragments
may come in later. but as soon as their
Identification with the three-fifths por-
ton is established, they are thrown out
as worthless.
at is astonishing how many people
put their money about stoves, ovens.
and other places exposed TO fire. Here
is a roll of burned money which a
woman placed in the oven for some rea-
son unexplained. According TO her af-
fidavit, she says that, Immediately after
placing the money there, she left the
house for a few moments, and when she
returned she found that her daughter
had built a fire in the stove and was
preparing the dinner-or supper-I do
not remember just now which"
The mass of ch..rred money which
Mrs. Brown held in her hand was as
black as charcoal and seemed ready to
fall apart by its own weight, like the
last remnants OF burned paper often
seen in the crate fire. She began sep
aratng the mass with the point of a
paper cutter, and finally peeled off a
fragment on which could distinctly be
seen the impressions of the printing
plate 30 the centre design. This was a
SO note, as was shown by comparing
the centre design of the charred frag-
Inent with a new bill which Mrs. Brown
placed beside it.
1.-The figures giving the amount of the
bill" Mrs. Brown said, ARE obIit-
Grated. principally by the break in The
charred fragment where ii broke off
from the rest Of the bill, but the bor-
der and central design of this piece are
apparent to the naked eye and are
brought out~stiH more clearly by the
magnifying glass This is a true United
States Treasury bill and win be re-
deemed. This is, Of course, not three
fftks OF the original bill, but IT con-
tains the centre design and is enough
To identify the bill exactly. When we
have a mass Of mutilated money stuck
together as this mass is, it is necessary
TO use the utmost nieety in separating
the layers in order TO see how many
separate bills there were in the roll or
mass of money before it was charred. as
this is. Frequently it is possible TO pos
itiyely identify some Of the bills but not
al, and unless great care is exercised