Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-19
COUNTERFEITERS' WORK
FIVE TONS OF DIES, PLATES AND
COINS MELTED.
Notes Destroyed by the Macerators OF
- the Treasury-Some His
.r toric Outfits.

Secretary Shaw today received from
committee appointed for that purpose q re-
port on the counting and destruction OF
counterfeit paper money. coins. dies. plates
and. Other, apparatus connected with the
counterfeiters' business. portion of 1t
represented the accumulations OF the secret
service during the past year, but other
portions contained some historical collec-
lions of counterfeit paraphernalia. The
count is made yearly by a committee ap-
pointed by Secretary Shaw. The count
must agree with the books of the secret
service to the smallest amount or particle.
and IL 1t does not recount is instituted 10
determine what is missing.
Five tons of metal were destroyed by the
committee last night in the retort OF the
Schneider iron works, corner of 18th street
and Ohio avenue, being reduced to ingots.
The paper money and similar stuff were de-
stroyed by the big macerating machines OF
the treasury that are used for destroying
genuine currency. The five tons of metal
consisted of 81 molds, 90 dies 49, steel.
copper and zinc plates and a considerable
printing paraphernaia, including presses,
&C A number of crucibles, tools, &c, suit
able for use In trades, were turned over TO
the mint bureau and other bureaus of the
treasury. In addition to the metal dies and
plates and 2I1 plaster of Paris molds. there
were destroyed counterfeit notes of the
face value, II genuine, of Sl45.33o, and coins
TO the face value of S31 DOB. Flash notes.
counterfeit confederate notes, postage
stamps and internal revenue stamps to
considerable value were burned.
There were three historic outfits in the
collection destroyed. The most interesting
Of these was that of the most noted coun-
rerfeiter of modern times William f.
Brockway. He was arrested the last time
in 1895 at West Hoboken for making $500
gold certificates of most deceptive char
aCter. He was then over eighty years old
and had repea teddy served terms for max
poIrDtprfpirS RrOplyVaV
skilIful engraver, and but for the early dis
cOvery of the notes by the secret service he
might have made a fortune. The $500 note
was of such a high order that the secret
service people Immediately suspected Brock
way, as they did not know a man in the
United States who could do such good
work, unless he was in the bureau of en-
craving and printing. But for this knOwl-
edge the Counterfeiter might not have been
detected for years. Brockway is still in
prison at Trenton. N. j., and rs nearing
ninety years of age.
Next to- the Brookway collection in in
forest was tia t.7ef the Jacobs-Taylor-B re-
dell combination run to earth in Ian
caster and Philadelphia, Pa, three years
ago. This combination made 800 notes of
excellent class. barely to be detected by
experts La ia ct some of the money passed
into the |treasuTy in Washington before it
was detected. William E. Jacobs, a cigar
mauufacturer of Lancaster, backed the en-
terprise... while Taylor and Bredel did the
work. The former is serving twelve years
in Atlanta. while Taylor and Bredell are
serving seven years each.
The third most interesting collection put
outzef the way was that Of Johnson Broth
ers of Detroit. Dave and Ed Johnson were the
last of three generations of men who were
Cotpterfeiters and who served terms for
violation of the counterfeit laws. In 1899
they were detected in, making very decep-
tive counterfeits of the 81 Hancock and
Window notes. They are serving nine
years each for the crime. Their grandfather
fhnr Ntor.f tEor~a NG y to,
grade and gave the secret service people
trouble years ago,