The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-13
LITTLE MONEY
IS EVER LOST.
MuliIatsd Bills Are Saved by
Treasury ExpaTIs,
MUCH VERY SKllfUl WORK.
How The fragmsnls Are Sorted for Re-
demption sna Their VaIu, Ascertalnsd
BY ths Clerks.

OF six 81 bills which had passed through
the stomach OF an Iowa goat and were
offered at the treasury department Tor
redemption has revived interest In that
division of the department. which con-
Germs itself with the redemption Of mu-
tilated money.
The bills were the property Of Charles
j. Allen, farmer living near Ogden
Iowa. The affidavit which accompanied
the mass OF pulp gave the circumstances
under which the bills passed into the
stomach of the goat
II appears that Mr.. Allen became warm
while doing some manual labor and re-
moved his coat and vest and placed them
on fence, says the Washington corre-
spondent OF the ST. Louis Globe-Demo-
Crat. The articles of wearing apparel
fell from their resting place to the ground
and an inquisitiyc goat happened along
ana nosed the six - bills out OF the
pocket
No one saw him eat the bills, but when
Mr.. Allen replaced his coat and vest he
found they had disappeared. com
panion wagered that the goat had eaten
the bills, and IL was agreed that lt MI
Allen did not find them In the goats sto-
mach after IL was killed the price OF tho
goat would be forthcoming.
The goat was killed and the bills were
found In "A little lump I'm the stomach.
Wnen received at the treasury depart
ment the mass had hardened into a little
dark-brown lump that resembled any
thing but money. The experts took the
mass I'm hand and soaked the whole until
the minute particles separated.
Then skillfu fingers accusiomed 10 inc
work separated each piece, and IN Two
hours the entire six s. bills had been
placed together and were ready 10 be
sent upstairs Ia the United States treas
ury for redemption.
Mr.. Allies. assistant secretary of the
treasury, says that the occurrence was
anything but a novel one for the govern
ment. The task OF the department ex-
perts I'm this case I'm separating the bills
was a comparatively easy one. and not
20 be compared with others which the de-
partment has had 10 handle.
But few weeks ago case parallel In
nearly every particular with that OF the
Iowa case was presented 10 the depart
ment.
RICH MEAL OF THE GOAT.
A Michigan tax collector, who had little
faith in banks, stored something like SSOo
in tin can for safe keeping overnight
and placed The can under his house. IL
appears that the house was elevated, so
that the family goat was able 20 walk un-
der it.
The next morning. lust as the tax col
lector started 10 crawl under the house
and bring out the money owed 10 the
county. he saw his goat emerging from
under Il slowly chewing on the hn,n remnans
caught the goat and forced the portion OF
the hin from his mouth
This WAS the largest piece found. inc
collector was poor man, and was faced
with the necessity OF making good the
amount OF funds due his county.
lie killed the goat. secured the contents
Of the stomach. made the necessary af-
hdavit as to the circumstances, sent the
matter TO Washington, and within ten
days had bright, new crisp bills for the
entire amount.
The regulations of the department re-
duire that at least three-fifths OF a bill
shall be recovered before the government
will pay for the mufilated bill. Each
mutilated bill H. carefully pasted on
backing of paper the size of the com
plete bill.
The expert has a piece of glass the ex-
into forty squares. II is placed over the
bill and II the expert can find that the
remnants of the bill fill twenty-four ot
the squares, or three-hfths OF All OF them'
the bill will be redeemed.
A case within the last three weeks came
from a farmer OF st. Clair county. MIS-.
rouri who. while STOPPING over TO "a
his hogs. dropped his purse inside J
pens. An hour later, when he missed ms
purse he found the leather receptacle m
side the pen hut nothing. ~ its contents =,
There was a slaughtering, which u had
been his Intention not to have until sew
eral davs later. What resembled the re-
mains of the money was found and sent sen
lars was returned 90 the Missouri farmer.
II IS now the custom OF the department
To return mutilated money FOUND Dy any
person TO the finder ~ IL Is reasonably
certain the case is bona fde ind. This
was not the case formerly. The negroes
who found $500 i'm bills torn into small
bits on the lake front at Chicago SIX
years ago turned IL into the snhtreasnrX
az Chicago for redemption. confessing
that they had found the amount
II was forwarded 10 Washington but
tho ruling Of the department was that II
could oulv 10 redeemed when one estab-
UShcd possession OF IL.
OWNERSHIP or FOUND MONEY.
The finders got nothing More recently
two negroes found several hundred dol
lars near the Merrimac Heights hotel not not
far from 81. Louis. They turned the
money over to the st. Louis substauon,
and IL was sent 10 Washington.
The money was sent back from there'
with the instruction that the depart
ment held that unless someone came tor-
ward and established beyond question
proprletorship In the money it had been
the custom 90 give ~ 10 the Under
This was the find which was connected
by some with sensational assault which
/ occurred near the resort where the money
| was found. -
Burned money Is the hardest LOT w
J government experts TO work on with the
! exception of the money which has been
| gnawed by micc.
| Saturday afternoon there came into tht
/ department a cigar box full OF money
/ which had teen sent from Philadelphia
with the necessary affidavit showing
] that IL had been inside or "a poorly con
structed safe and had been burned I,
! the condition IN which ~ was forwarded.
/ Evidently with the idea that the origi
/ nal package ought not 20 be broken, IN,
! sender inCloscd the charred pieces VIII
I some silver coins which had also bcei
/ badly burned I'm the same safe
During the passage o. the money
/ through tho mails the heavy liver wa'
] shaken through the Charrcd bills untl
there was hardly a piece left big enough
/ To cover more than the head ~ pin
/ Each OF the uieces looked as though TAX
! en from n CRATE into which papers ha'
| been thrust
Mrs Brown who Is I'm charge 81 the ex
! ports VINO handle the mutilatod money
| ali of whom are women. did not despair
! although she dcplored the th 1uEhtlcss
1 ness which had allowed silver an'
] charcd papor 90 be packed together.
ghe c1lfcd two OF her assistants. au'
| the three. byuhc aid ~ The magnifyinl
1 glasses soon brought out four htty-doiia
! bills. and within an hour recommendc'
! that they be redeemed by the treasurer.
! Tho nice-chewcd bills made puzzles 10
/ the experts which can only be solved Wit
/ infinite patience and care. Each OF th
| piecea il carefully laid out on q hard. tia
| surface. and then with The assistance .
| strong glasses. magnihed 80 10 can p
placed in q proper position in relation q
/ al of the others.
! Tho experts have q copy ~ every ~
which has rver heen printed ~ the got
- ~ a. a