Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-11
TO CHECK THE CROOKS
New Form Of Money Order
Has Been Devised.
WORK ON THE PLATES
CHANGE APPROVED BY THE POST
CHANGE APPROVED BY THE POST
MASTER GENERAL.
Forgeries and Alterations, It Is Be-
Heved, Will Be Made Extremely
Difficult If Not Impossible

That gang of clever crooks which has
been acquiring some wealth and more noto-
riety by raising the amounts on postal
money orders, has about reached the end of
Its rope, and within a month or so its men,
bers Will have to HE themselves to the tall
grass and concoct a new scheme for OBJ
tanning their livelihood. This method of
getting coin Of the realm has been in vogue
many years. but during the past twelve
months it has been extremely popular. and
the post office inspectors have been so 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 a 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 Wednesday, he APPROX
ed the form, and work on the prepara-
ton of plates will be begun Immediately.
Previous Changes.
Twice before. since the postal money Or
der system was established In 1864 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
simple that it has been found necessary to
make II more intricate. Just what the
style of the new order will be could not be
ascertained today. but Mr.. Cortelyou re-
Gently stated that when the depar tment de-
termined upon form it would be pretty
nearly proof against the tricks of the
crooks.
The operations Of the forgers has not d.
lx cad
Uncle Sam is amply protected The Office
issuing a money order makes a 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
glance when compared with the ca rbon
copy. This protects the postmaster. but if
the postmaster should make mistake and
pay order that has been raised. he will
have to pay the difference out of his salary.
So the government cannot lose. directly.
Scheme of the Rogues.
The scheme of the forgers and rasers
has been to purchase order for %
30 cents, payable to themselves, under fic-
titious names. Then they erase the amount
with acid and fill in any amount they de-
sire, usually between $50 and 500. Then
going to a merchant they will purchase s.
or $40 worth of goods and tender the money
order in payment. receiving the change.
which represents the net profit to the
crook money order is usually looked
upon as a certificate of deposit. showing
that the bearer has the amount named on
the order on deposit with the government.
Consequently it has been easy matter
to work the merchants. When the mer-
chant takes the order to the post office to
have it cashed he discovers the sWindle.
A post office inspector related an incident
yesterday, showing how one saloonkeeper
near Denver. Col, captured a couple of
crooks who tried the money order for
gerry on him. According to the inspector
the proprietor of the saloo:: had been In
Denver all day and drove back to his
home late in the evening. arriving about
midnight. He tied his horse to a post and
went into his saloon to see how things
going The barkeeper Informed
him that two men had just left the saloon
after buying round of drinks and offer
ing in payment money order for $50,
which the barkeeper cashed.
The Raisers Captured.
The proprietor examined the order and
although he could detect no alterations. his
suspicious were aroused and he determined
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
IL they were going to Denver. The men
said they were and the saloonkeeper Of
fered them d lift This was accented
and the three men in the buggy Travelled on
toward Denver. Reaching the city the sa-
loonkeeper announced that 1t was quite Ia te
nearly a.m.-but that he had friend
In the saloon business in Denver whom
he could awake ard he believed they could
all get a drink This offer also was ac.
cepted and the two crooks held the horse
while the host awakened his friend Pres
entity the doors of the Denver saloon opened |
and the country saloonkeeper invited his
friends IN to have the drink. They came
and were met inside the door by the two |
saloonkeepers. each with sx-shooter in |
his hand. The police were called, the money ,
recovered and the crooks sent to the PEN |
tertiary.
With the new scheme the department hopes |
to prevent this sort of crooked work. and |
it has been minated that among other
changes the exact amount Of the order |
will be plugged out with punch similar
to these now used BY hankA