The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-30


nies would be so small that no one
would engage in the work. vet this
business Is one OF the chief annoyances
Of the government secret service. It
is stated that IN one month 10,S6S bad
pennies were found In the New York
sub-treasury, evidence that some
coiners have directed their attention
TO il. The manufacture of a penny
costs the government one-fifth of a
cent. The counterfeiter does II as
cheaply, or at little lower figure, AL
most any copper disk of the proper
size viii pass muster. so that the imi-
tation of this coin is easier and the
passing of il attended with less risk
than making and showing the queer
in larger denominations. But penny
counterfeiting has the drawback to
the criminal of smaller returns and the
penalty attached Is Just as heavy If he
is convicted. The government does a
big business in pennies in the east,
but has much less demand for them
from the west. over 100000 one-
cent pieces are sorted out in an aver
age year In the New York sub-treas-
ury. One man viii count 10000 day,
throwing out the bad ones. One days
record of bad coppers discovered by
one handler Of cents was 1850,
Counterfeiting stamps, chiefly of the
2-cent denomination, figures next after
the manufacture of spurious pennies
in the motion" branch of the bad
money business. Some stamp coun-
terfeiting has been notably successful,
Kendig and Jacobs. two notorious
crooks, are believed to have sold $780,
900 worth Of bad stamps before the
secret service men ran them to earth.
Then 1t was through branching out into
the field of paper money that these
men came TO grief. They went from
2-cent stamps TO bills Of larger de-
nominations. They were caught In
time to prevent the completion of a
scheme which intended putting into
circulation s1o,000.00O in bad money.
and their work was so skillful that
detection Of their paper was difficult.
Besides the turning out of pennies
and stamps a third oddity OF modern
counterfeiting is the manufacture of
good dollars that are bad. That Is.
the counterfeiter turns out a silver
dollar that contains as much, If not
more, silver than the coin approved
by Uncle Sam and placed in circula-
ton from his mints. There is still a
profit for the counterfeiter. because
the value of the silver in a silver dol
lar ranges between so and so cents,
according to the market it has been
40 cents. The balance in value lies
in Uncle Sans credit.
The counterfeiter takes the Mexican
silver dollar, melts it and recoins 1t
with Uncle Sans fiat forged thereon.
Cinnamon developed this scheme.
Mexican dollars circulate extensively
through the celestial empire. Some
of the heather" evolved the notion
of taking this collateral out Of bear
little manipulation on the silver and
alloy contained therein.
But the secret service men checked
this operation before the profits be-
came extensive.
From the careful statistics they have
collected the secret service men esti-
mate that any man can make more
money working at $3.50 day, or less,
than through the most successful ca
reer he may hope for as a counter
feiter. The best of them, considering
the years devoted to their business,
the time out of that spent in Jail, and
the value received which has been
actually returned on their investment
Of time and skilled labor Of the high
est order, have enjoyed less average
have had less money to
spend year in and year out. than the
poorest paid clerk in department
store.
To secure this small return they have
devoted brains and talent that would
nave furnished them with a generous
ncome in almost any kind Of business.
Veteran counterfeiters whom the Sc
ret service men have placed behind
he bars have always insisted that
here was no real profit in counterfeit
ng for the criminal.
There is an ex-newspaperman in
Washington who is chiefly responsible
or this condition Of affairs in the
United States. This is Chief Wilkie,
read of the secret service. And 1t is
! "secret service" His men perform