Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-29
COUNTERFEIT CENTS
Arrest Of a Gang Who Have
Flooded Cities With Bogus
Pennies.
City OF Chicago Said to Be Full
Of the Counterfeit
Coppers.
Secret Service Men Say Large
Proportion Of Pennies
Are Bad.

| Washington, Oct. 29.-Chief Wilkie Of
the secret service has captured gang
OF counterfeiters who have flooded New
York, Chicago and other large cities
With bogus pennies.
Some idea of the Importance of the ar
rest can be gained from the fact that
| 5000 pennies week have been circulat-
ed for the last five years. 1t is known
that per cent of the pennies in circula-
ton in New York are counterfeit and 1t
is believed the same proportion In Chi
cago and other cities are bogus.
For years the secret service men have
been at work on the case, which has re-
suited in the arrest of five persons,
named Weiner, Usher, Lerner and his
two daughters, Rose and Fanny.
Sub-treasurer Jordan at New York
had frequently called the attention of
the secret service bureau to the appear.
ance of these pennies. An investigation
showed they came from every direction,
and 1t was difficult task to trace them
to their origin. No clew could be found
in the pennies themselves. and 1t was
necessary to resort to other means to
get some trace Of the counterfeiters.
Agents of the secret service visited all
the manufacturers of sheet copper and
secured a list of their customers. The
retail customers were visited and list
of their purchasers obtained. The places
of business of every coppersnith and
junk dealer in New York city was ran
sacked in the hope OF finding some
scraps of sixteen-guage copper which
was the size OF the copper used.
All this search was fruitless. but in
February of this year was obtairied the
first intimation Of the plan employed in
putting the pennies in circulation. A
Chinese !aundryman In Staunton street
told another Chinaman employed as in
terpreter by the immigration bureau
that little girl frequently came into
his laundry with packages of pennies
and had them exchanged for currency.
This interpreter advised the laundry
man to detain the girl on her next visit
and send for policeman. She appeared
the following day and was arrested.
About the time information in regard
to the girls visit was made known to
Fannie Leraer. the 14-year-old daughter
of typical cast side Hebrew. She was
turned over to one of the societies In
New York and held in custody She said
the pennies were given to her by 9. man
she did not know.
A tour OF the Chinese quarter was
made by the secret agents and It was
found they were plastered with counter
felt pennies. During the search a de-
scription was obtained of another girl
who afterwards proved to be Ro'e Ler-
ner, a sister of the girl fret arrested. A
search was made for Rose and her faith
er, but they. had disappeared.
During February a Hebrew bought
some tool steel and he was located ~
truck load OF machinery wac delivered
to vacant building next to the one In
which the Hebrew lived. 1t has been
used for both legitimate and illegitimate
business.
The secret service men watched this
ma chinery for two weeks, when 1t vas
shipped to Boston to 6a6 Cambridge
street and put in the basement of the
building A man by the name Of Weiner
opened furniture store at this address
and in two weeks rented 646i and the
next day 236 was burned out, Wiener be-
ing paid $500 insurance after q fight
with the insurance company.
With Weiner was associated Israel
Usher, relative of Mr.. Weiner. who
was engaged in placing the pennies
with the Chinese OF this city.
All arrangements had been made to
raid the place, but as Usher had gone to
New York the raid was postponed go as
to get him. While Usher was In New
York Weiner moved again.
The search for Lerner was continued
and he and his daughter We're located
| in Baltimore and Rose was arrested, but
her father disappeared. Lerner then APP
lpeared In Boston and had ROY. with
weiner. who evidently wanted to get
rid of Lerner, as the latter knew too
much about him. Then Lerner appeared
lin New York. Bridgeport, N. y, and
Baltimore, where he again disappeared.
He was discovered at New Harmony.
Nd, near Annapolis, arrested. and
brought to Chief Wilkes office in
Washington, where he told what he
knew. The other arrests followed.