Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1904-08-19
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.
Ii has not been In operation many years.
compared TO the existence Of other bu-
reaus but II grows in Importance each
year. There are now large number
of investigators, by some called detec-
tivos, In the field. but the exact number
is not known and will not be made pub
lie, says the Washington Star.
Counterfeltlng money Is an old Of
fense. II was done before the United
States became government. but does
not seom to have become so widespreau
until the United States began making
It's own paper money during the civti
war. Prior to that time the oflenses mad
been dealt with by states and munici-
palties with such help AZ the general
government cared to give. The increase
In the crime, however, caused recogni-
ton by congress In 1860, when $lo'ooo
was appropriated for It's suppression, TO
ba expended under the direction OF tho
secretary of the treasury. The sum was
paid out In rewaTts TO private de'ec-
tives. municipal officers and others IN
strnmental 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 III
the appropriation and more organized
esht against eounterfeiting were neces-
sary. In 1864 congress appropriated
300 900 and placed upon the solicitor OF
the treasury the responsibility and su-
perylsion OF keeping down counterfeit
Ing. This really innugurated a method
ical system OF hunting and furnishing
counterfeters. The solicitor OF thc
treasury gathered about him corps oI
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 no
vaye his approval to the organization or
a separate bureau for suppressing the
| OUTPUT OF spurious currency. Under
foreign governments the handling OK
| counterfeitera Is In control OF q central-
| lied police organization. which looks
after all Kinds OF criminal onenses
sgalnet the general governments, The
ene bureau has surveillance over crimi-
nails OF every class The tendency is In
that direction In this government. Tho
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 ID
all tho law permits the officials OF the
service to work on but every day they
are at work on other matters. That tho
law may not be openly violated the sep
cret service operators assigned 70 do
other work are practically taken on the
secret servi~- rolls and Tie department
employIr IN m is required tu pay their
salarics and expenses. Nearly all the
depaf fnents nov recognize che efficiency
of tile service ard call upon the bureau
a. any time for nan. The department
r. Cf Justice has used n number OF the oper-
efs 10 be iAs, few years. In the course
OF !. NE this VIII become so general that
this go, Srlment will probably build up
great criminal bureau. one that Will
!. supply officers for investigation OF any
crime. The post office department now
hos It's own system Of inspectors. who
invest cato violations OF postal laws, and
I the effectiveness OF this plan OF pitting
specialist against specialist Is regarded
as a good one. This ec uld be continued.
though, If all the erin nal organizations
) OF the government were centralized.