Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-01
THE SECRET SERVICE
REPORT OF IT'S OPERATIONS FOR
LAST FISCAL YEAR.
New Counterfeits Discovered-Uncov-
ering of Conspiracy in Land Certifi-
cates-Total Arrests.

The report of the operations of the secret
service division for the fiscal year ending
June 30 was laid on Secretary Shaw's desk
this morning by Chief Wilkie. Among other
things, reference is made in the document
to effort on the part of the division to
secure an estimate of the amount of coun-
terfeit money in circulation in the United
States. Thousands of letters of inquiry
were sent to banks in every city of i'm
portance in the country, and a tabulation
of the replies presents some interesting
facts. More than two thousand of the ma
national banks reported that they had not
seen any counterfeit money during the
period covered by the inquiry, January to
December 81, 1903. Fifteen hundred banks
reported a decrease In the amount they had
received, as compared with previous years,
and one hundred reported an increase. In
order to be certain that the estimates
should be over rather than under the ac-
tual facts, the figures relating to the
amount of counterfeits handled by the
banks were doubled, both as to coin and
notes. Even with this liberal allowance,
the figures indicated about So In counter
felt coin for each 100000 of gold and sill
yer In circulation, and little less than 81
In counterfeit notes for each Sl0U 600 OF
paper circulated
New Counterfeits Described.
There were twenty-five new counterfeits
described in the OFFICIAL circulars issued by
the division during the year, but only four
OF these notes fell in what is termed the
deceptive or dangerous class The makers
and passers of eighteen of the twenty-five
counterfeit issues were arrested and in
nearly every case the plant" was captured
ana destroyed. The place of honor in the
report is given to the case of Marcus Cra-
nan, the providence engraver who was re-
sponsible for the deceptive counterfeits the
$40 United States note and the 500 gold
certlncate. His arrest at st. Louis and sub
sequent confession, the recovery of nearly
$ZoooO IN notes, the seizure of the plates
and plant on June "a, are still fresh in the
public mind. The other cases of which mar
licuiar reference Is made are those of the
Davis and Wilson, Thompson gangs at Ros-
ION. LAWS was counterfeiter of interna-
tonal fame, and considered one of the most
dangerous men of his class. The Wilson,
thompson gang We're responsible for nine
uiiterent issues OF Photographic counter
feits of national bank notes
Among the miscellaneous work of tho
DIVISION. to which special reference is made
Is the uncovering of the conspiracy to de-
fraud the Interior Department, through the
manipulation of land certificates. and the
successful suppression Of a notorjous Oni,,rn
smuggling combination at Seattle where a
seizure of nearly $4,000 worth of opiI1m
was eHected by agents of the secret sery-
ice.
Total Arrests for the Year.
The total arrests for the year were 419.
and of the prisoners, 3O6 were born in the
United States. The, largest foreign con-
tr1butor was Italy,,te which Al were ac-
credited. In the number of arrests New
York led, with 81 arrests: Pennsylvania be-
ing second with 80, and Ohio next with 70
The total number OF counterfeit notes and
com captured during the year was 500
'Tol5, S44,3 800 being in notes and the hal
ance IN coin. Onen item among the cap
tured notes includes S25 800 in 500 gold GER
tlhcates captured from Marcus Graham. The
plates captured numbered 81, the dies SO
sets and the molds l54 pairs