Woodville Republican., 1903-03-28
COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY.
Our Remarkable Immunity From II
Due to Ceaseless Secret
Service Vigilance.
THE WORK OF THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
xke Record shows that the Counter
feiters are Given but Little Rest
and Their Opportunities 10 Float
Their output Reduced to the Mia.
imutn.

Washington, March 95.--The re.
markable exemption, when compared
with the records of other countries
in which paper money is in general
use, of the people Of the United
States from counterfeit currency and
false coins is in great measure due Ia
the activity of the secret service di.
vision of the treasury department.
The arrests by agents of this division
In the last fiscal year numbered 573,
of whom 253 were convicted, log are
awaiting the action of the United
States grand Jury, so awaiting action
of court, So acquitted, S. ignored by
grand jury, 10 cases nolled and the
same number dismissed by United
States commissioners.
Four hundred and thirteen Of those
arrested were natives of the United
States, 65 of Italy, "a of Germany, IS
of ireland and the others Of other
nationalities. New York state takes
first place, with SIS violat )rs, Missouri,
81; Pennsylvania, As; Illinois, 10; Ken
lucky, 30; Texas, %; Ohio, 81; Geor-
gin, 20; South Carolina, 90; Alabama
16; North Carolina, IA; Tennessee, 12;
Massachusetts,, ., and with smaller
numbers for the other states.
The character and amounts of
altered and counterfeit notes, coun-
terfeit coins and imitation money
captured represent value Of $46.-
ooo.oS of paper money and Si9,S2s.47
Of coins. In addition to these there
were vast piles of miscellaneous adj
vertising matter, consisting of fae-
SMILES of confederate notes, labor ex-
change notes, Tennessee estate war
rants, Missouri defense bonds, prints
of United States coins, old state bank
notes and other "hash" notes.
More Paper Than other Countriek
The United States has more paper
money In actual circulation than any
other country in the world, and yet
counterfeiting is not carried on to a
very great extent, although the facil-
tiles are great. One of the most an
noying features WHICH the. secret
wussl slq ! ufares uiiss. ms.s - counterfeit
pennies. This is phase Of petty
counterfeiting which has affected the
principal eastern cities almost exclu-
sivcly. Nearly year of patient work
on the part Of the agents in the New
York and Boston districts was finally
crowned with success, and skilled
coppersmith, who had been RESPONSE
Bile for probably 80 per cent. of these
counterfeits circulated in the last
four years, was arrested, prosecuted
and sentenced for a term Of years.
While the. makers of spurious coir
give the secret service men q great
deal of trouble, 1t is the well exc
cuted bank-note bobbing mp in differ
ent parts of the country which causes
them to spend sleepless nights II
shadowing suspects. 1t Is general,
men of intelligence who place thes'
on the market, and they arc careful
in covering up their tracks. The is
norant, unlettered counterfeiter IL al
easy mark for agents. One OF In
most perfect handkerchief counter
felt bills was made by green Geor
gia farmer named w. c. Bonneli, be
ing a composion of six shinplasters
confederate money and section OF
one dollar genuine greenback. Thes
were so perfectly wrought togethe
as 10 make seemingly genuine 81
greenback. Bonnell also made
quantity of silver money, and was get
ting rich when he got to imbibini
too freely of his own output OF illici
whisky and gave fris counterfeitinI
business away. He was sent up TO
five years, and said that when h
served his time he would devote him
self to the business Of making illici
whisky and let counterfeiting alone
1He expressed the opinion that tn
government was against an homes
man making an honest living.
TUEY HAVE. NO FOLK THERE