The sun., 1905-08-20
TO MAKE MONEY ORDERS SAFE
POST OFFICE HAS A NEW KIND
WHICH CAN'T BE RAISED.
Forged Orders Have Flooded the Country
OF Late-Uncle Sam Not the Loser
How the Games Are W0rked-Trades.
men VIII Always Take Them at Face.

OF Late-Uncle Sam Not the Loser
How the Games Are W0rked-Trades.
men VIII Always Take Them at Face.
That gang of clever crooks which has
been acquiring some wealth and more no.
toriety by raising the amounts on postal
money orders has about reached the end OF
its rope, and within a month or 80 its men,
bers will have to HE themselves to the tall
grass and concoct a new scheme for OBJ
tanning their livelihood, says the Washing
ton Star. This method Of getting coin Of
the realm has been in vogue many years,
but during the last twelve months it has
been extremely popular, and the Post Office
inspectors have been 50 busy running down
the thieves that they have had little time
for anything else.
Postmaster-General Cortelyou has been
working on this problem, with the able as
sistance Of Mr.. Hitchcock, and 1t is now
announced that q new form OF money order
has been devised which, if it does not defy
forgery, will make forgeries and alterations
extremely difficult. Before Mr.. Cortelyou
left on his vacation he approved the new
form, and work on the preparation OF plates
will be begun Immediately.
Twice before, since the postal money or
! der system was established, In 1884, has the
style of the order been changed-once in
1894 and again in 1897. These changes were
made not to prevent forgeries but to SIM
plify the system. Now the system is SO
simple that it has been found necessary
to make it more intricate. Just what the
style of the new order will be could not be
ascertained to-day, but Mr.. Cortelyou re-
Gently stated that when the Department
determined upon a form it would be pretty
nearly proof against the tricks of the crooks.
The operations Of the forgers have not di-
rectly caused loss to the Government, for
Uncle Sam is amply protected. The Office
issuing a money order makes carbon copy
Of the original, and this Is sent to the paying
Office to guide its clerks. When any change
has been made in the original order the
discrepancy is apparent at a glance when
compared with the carbon copy. This pro-
tects the postmaster, but L the postmaster
should make mistake and pay an order
that has been raised he will have to pay the
difference out of his salary. So the Gov
ernment cannot lose directly
The scheme OF the forgers and raisers
has been to purchase an order for rs or
so cents, payable to themselves, under fic-
titious names. Then they erase the amount
with acid and All in any amount they de-
sire, usually between $50 and 500. Then
going to merchant they will purchase IS
or $40 worth Of goods and tender the money
order in payment. receiving the change,
which represents the net profit to the crook.
A money order is usually looked upon as
q certificate of deposit, showing that the
bearer has the amount named in the order
on deposit with the Government. Conse-
quently it has been an easy matter to work
the merchants. When the merchant takes
the order to the post offioe to have 1t cashed
he discovers the swindle.
A Post Office inspector relates an incident
showing how one saloon keeper near Dem
yer, COL, captured couple Of crooks who
tried the money order forgery on him.
According to the inspector, the proprietor
Of the saloon had been in Denver ali day
and drove back to his home late in the
evening, arriving about midnight. He
tied his horse to post and went into the
saloon to see how things were going on.
men had just left the saloon after buying
q round OF drinks and Offering in payment
a money order for $50, which the barkeeper
cashed.
The proprietor examined the order, and
although he could detect no alterations his
to get the men. Going out to his buggy
he turned the horse toward Denver, believ-
ing that the men would walk rather than
take the railroad. Half way between his
home and Denver he overlook two men
who answered the description given him by
the barkeeper: Driving up to them he asked
| II they we're going to Denver The men
said they were and the saloonkeeper offered
them -lift' This was accepted and the
three men in the buggy travelled on toward
Denver. Reaching the city the saloon.
nearly 2 A. M.-but that he had friend
| in the saloon business In Denver whom
| he could awaken and he believed they could
all get drink. This offer was also ac-
oepted and the two crooks held the horse
while the "host" awakened his friend
Presently the doors Of the Denver saloon
opened and the country saloonkeeper
invited his friends In to have drink. They
came and were met inside the door by the
two saloonkeepers, each with a six shooter
! In his hand. The police were called, the
money recovered and the crooks sent to
| the penitentiary.
With the new scheme the department
! hopes to prevent this sort Of crooked work,
and it has been intimated that among other
| changes the exact amount Of the order
will b splugRed' out with q punch similar
IA khonn nv NaNd by bAnlka.