The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-07-30

earthed by our government. On the
ielon; only the day before he was
known TO his fellow-townsmen in Lam
caster. Pa, as prosperous cigar
manufacturer His chief comrade in
wrong doing was neighbor, William
L. Kendig, a manufacturer on small
er scale. Jacobs was the capitalist
OF the plot, but man of meagre in
ventive faculty and poor address: Ken
dig was born executive. a genius in
resources. and had the gift of soft
approach" like a cat.
During the Christmas holidays of
1897 n clerk from the sub.treasury
at Philadelphia appeared in Washing
ton with five 500 silver certificates
bearing the vignette portrait of Pres
ident Monroe. The weak color of
the red seal on their faces had aroused
his suspicion. All the experts who
scrutinized them, however, pronounced
them perfect except as to the seal, and
It had been about decided that they
had been stolen from the government
bureau of engraving, when one of the
notes which had been stepped in hos
water by Mr.. Moran of the secret ser
VICE split in two. Microscopic exam
ination then showed that the green
ink. soluble in acids, had been washed
from the backs of two 81 notes; that
their faces. being printed in per-
manent black ink, had been shaved
down or peeled off; and that the
face and back devices of a 800 certif-
cote had been printed on the cleaned
surfaces, and the thin pieces stuck to-
gether with rice paste. These excel
lent notes were counterfeit.
A circular OF warning went at once
to the banks, and every sub-treasury
was ordered to ship to Washington
all the 800 Monroe-head certificates
1t had on hand. When these came in
number were found 10 bear the tell
tale seal. The possible magnitude of
the fraud gave the treasury a chill;
and Secretary Gage sent for John f.
Wilkie of Chicago, journalist who
had done some shrewd detective work,
appointed him chief of the secret SER
vice, and bade him win his spurs by
running this affair to earth. That was
in February, 1898; the last person
sentenced for connection with the
crime went to prison few days ago.
The story of the four years patient
campaign shall try to give In out
line. ,.s ~. .,t i. g..
Enlarged photographs of the notes
proved that the plates must have been
made by photo-etching helped out By
hand-work, a process which experts
agreed could have taken not less than
four months. The oldest of the cour-
terfeits discovered had been redeemed
III June, 1897. Allowing a month .or
their circulation before redemption,
they must have been issued in May;
ard four months for their manufac-
ture would carry the date of begin
ming them back TO January.
Armed with this logic, Mr.. Wilkie
took trusted subordinate with him
to Philadelphia. the chief seat of the
fine engraving industry in America,
and the city where the false notes had
appeared in the greatest quantity.
They pretended to be about to open
a high-class printing establishment,
where they would need engravers
skilled in lathe work. and capable Of
copying vignette portraits for bonds
and checks This started gossip in the
craft. and Mr.. Willkie soon heard of
is or 20 men who were deemed COM
petent for such employment. Among
them were two partners, Arthur Tay-
Tor and Baldwin s. Bredell, who struck
him as being worth knowing, for their
friends had laid wondering stress on
the fact that. though young and only
recently started in business for them
selves. they had suddenly, in January.
1897, dropped out Of their accustomed
haunts. Until April or thereabout,
their shop had been closed much of the
time; but in spite of that, both after
ward wore the air OF prosperity, Bre-
dell buying fine diamond ring and
Taylor taking a pleasure trip to Flor
ida.
Here was a lead, surely. A watch
was set upon this eccentric pair, and
for more than one year thereafter no
person entered or left their shop in Fill.
bert street, and no package was deliv-
cred there, without careful note being
made In the reports sent nightly to
Washington by the watchers The
shadowing was unremitting, and IL
soon became plain that the firm was
perfecting machine for paper-making
In small way.
One day in Jnne, 1898, Taylor left
the building with a gripsack for the
railway station. A detective followed
close in his footsteps. and when Tay-
lor bought a ticket for Lancaster his
follower did likewise. They rode In
the same car, and at their destination
the officer saw his man meet Jacobs
as by appointment and hold a long
private conference with him.
What use has respectable cigar
manufacturer for crook" engrayer?