The Colfax chronicle., 1904-04-16
FINDING coUNTERFEiTERs.
Branch of Government Secret Service
That Was the Beginning Of the
Present System.

The secret service bureau Of the treas
ury department is not an old concern.
1t has not been in operation many years,
compared to the existence of other bu-
reaus, but it grows in Importance each
year. There are now large number
of investigators, by some called detec-
tives, in the field, but the exact number
ifs not known and will not be made pub
lie, says the Washington Star.
Counterfeiting money is an old Of
fense. 1t was done before the United
States became government, but does
not seem to have become so widespread
until the United States began making
its own paper money during the civil
war. Prior to that time the offenses had
been dealt with by states and munich
palities, with such help as the general
government cared to give. The increase
in the crime, however, caused recogni-
tion by congress in 1860, when $4,000
was appropriated for it's suppression. to
be expended under the direction OF the
secretary of the treasury. The sum was
paid out in rewards to private detec-
tives, municipal officers and others In
strumental in bringing to trial and pun
ishment those engaged in making bogus
money. With the turning out of green
backs by the government an increase In
the appropriation and more organized
fight against counterfeiting were neces-
sary. In 1864 congress appropriated
$190 900 and placed upon the solicitor Of
the treasury the responsibility and su-
pervision of keeping down counterfeit
ing This really inaugurated method
ical system of hunting and Furnishing
counterfeiters. The solicitor OF the
treasury gathered about him corps OF
men experienced in criminal investiga-
tions and set them to work. The plan
worked so we'll that when John Sher-
man was secretary of the treasury nc
gave his approval to the organization OF
a separate bureau for suppressing the
output of spurious currency. Under
foreign governments the handling oil
counterfeiters is in control of central
lied police organization, which looks
after all kinds of criminal onenses
against the general governments. The
one bureau has surveillance over crimi.
nails of every class. The tendency Is ir
that direction in this government. The
secret service bureau Is now being used
by>a number of departments of the gov.
ernment.
The operations of the secret service
are confined by law to the suppression
of counterfeiting and the investigation
of back pay and bounty cases. This is
all the law permits the officials of the
service to work on, but every day they
are at work on other matters. That the
law may not be openly violated the Sc
cret service operators assigned to dc
other work are practically taken OF the
secret service rolls and the department
employing them is required to pay theii
salaries and expenses. Nearly all the
departments now recognize the efficiency
of the service and call upon the bureau
at any time for man. The department
of justice has used number of the oper-
ators in the last few years. In the course
of time this will become SO general that
this government will probably build uI
great criminal bureau, one that will
supply officers for investigation of any
crime. The post Office department now
has its own system of inspectors, who
investigate violations of postal laws, and
the effectiveness of this plan of pittine
specialist against specialist is regarded
as good one. This could be continued
though, If all the criminal organizations
of the government were centralized.