The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-29
SECRET SERVICE BECOM
ING MORE AND MORE
A MENACE
WILKES EFFECTIVE WORK
Young Chief Formerly Chi.
cagO Police Reporter.

Washington. o. C.. June ea.-The erow-
ing eniciency Of the secret service OF the
United states treasury department is
becoming more and more a mer.ace TO
che green goods men. For this service
congress makes an annual appropriation
ostensibiy for the purpose Of protecting
the government from losses by counter
feitmg Although this was not the orig
mai pospore of this organization. q has
become to be such. because Of the per-
sistent operations OF this particular class
Of criminals. Allen Pinkerton was the
father Of this secret service. 1t was at
the time when his father was connected
with the Chicago Evening Post and at
tho beginning Of the great sectional
struggle
From the date Of its birth II har grown
IN Importance add effectiveness. II IS
Thoroughly organized and under super
vision OF John e. wilkie, chief. The en-
tire country Is divided into sections and
men are detailed for the work from the
head. which radiates throughout the en-
tire country Il is said Of Mr.. Wilxle
that he Is the right man in the right
place. He is said to tc not only a
born detective. but an organizer and
thorough discipnnarian. His memory Of
men asd events even OF the most un-
important Is remarkable. when he once
sees man, it is said he never forgcts
him
,,A a. . ..,t.t. 80 ~,
couEterfeiting that has occurred in this
country was that OF Kendig and Jacobs.
FOR az unusually long time these men
succeeded In counterfeiting United States
revenue stamps Of various denominations.
The counterfeits were so perfect that
the ordinary business man was unable
20 detect them. These stamps were
sold and the criminals realized. ii Is be-
lieved. nearly $500. 900 from their sale be-
fore detection. Having SO successfully
carried on this scheme, these men COM
menced counterfeiting greenbaclSs. IN
this work The counteif,Ns were 50 PER-
Zee, that for a time tho members OF the
secret service were batled. Some Of the
bills wero OF Large denomination and
among the gang engaged in the enter
prise were men OF hitherto good standing
IN The business community The dis
oovery was made just Ia the nick OF time.
for had Il gone on a little while longer,
il is claimed the country would have
been flooded with not less than $4,000
o0oof very dangerous eounterfeits.
The largest haul Of counterfeit money
was made by the secret. service officials
in 1891 II amounted TO s2155.O95. These
. counterfeit bills were captured by the
agents OF the secret service and brought
10 the treasury department az Wash
ington.
Not only are revenue stamps counter
heited but postage stamps TO the ariount
Of many thousands OF dollafs, nave been
engraved and sold BY Arps. Generally.
however, these are quickly iecogn nized
and gathered IN ~ the detectives. II
Is said that sons Of the best men Of the
country have been caught az this busi-
ness. Many OF these counterfeiters and
showers Of the queer are foreigners-
some Italians, some AuHtrians. some Ger
mans and Frenchmen. The az erage Ital-
ian makes desperate fight when ar
ANNA'A anu NAn ArN AiAN NAAkktA ANtAtAAT
To make this business successful these
people win first PASS on quantity OF
good money. which Is followed by the
had. and. she unsuspeoting victim 6is-
covers bis mistake too late.
The "heathen Chinese" is said 70 be
very clever artisan. and ne work OF
converting Mexican dollars, worth IS
cents, into a good dollar OF our money
has proven very profitable. Large sums
OF this counterfeit Of excellent quality
have been brought into the United states
from the Philippines and dumped In
California. This has been storped AZ
FIRST Il was supposed to have come from
Mexico.
RAISED bills" have deceived many
close observers. They are the result Of
very skiliful work. Sometimes a bin is
split and 81 no way altered Again they
are very adroitiy raised from 81 10 $40
and successfully palmed OFT There are
some very Interesting facts in regard %
the makeup OF United States genuine
billz This must have been apparent 10
every one at some time, who has watched
bank cashiers use them as whip crackers.
q single treasury note measures three
and one-eighth inches IN width by sew
en and one-fourth iachas ia length. A
fresh, new note win sustain length
WISE without breaking. weight OF
forty-one pounds, and crosswlse. a
weight Of ninety-one pounds
Il has been said that Immense sums
o. counterfeit silver dollars and half doll
lars have been al one time and another
brought into the United States from
Mexico. and that large proportion
reached this country Via El Paso. In some
some instances these silver coins were
80 nearly perfect tnat they were not
detected until they reached the treas
ury. witch silver az 80 cents an ounce.
the pnoht even for good dollars would
be limited only BY the amount disposed
Of Al the same time oounterfeited bills
in the denomination OF IS. $40 and ye0-
the most perfect ever seen by ihe gov
ernment-passed through the national
banks undetected untn they reached the
experienced eyes " the women detec-
tiYes in the treasury.