Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20
BAD MONEY MAKERS
South America Employs Secret
Service Men.
COLOMBIA COUNTERFEITS
Steel Plates Were to Be Made in tho
United States.
ARRESTS MADE IN NEW YORK
Spurious Bills Said to Have Been
Printed in Cuba and Sent to the
Republic of Colombia.

NEW YORK. December 2O-when Sc
cret Service Agent William ]. Flynn read
In an evening newspaper on September ID
last an advertisement of a first-class steel
plate engraver to go to Cuba he thought,
after his recent experience with Capt
Boynton and the scheme for financing a
revolution in Venezuela with bogus Vene-
zueian money, that 1t would be well to
nave one of his own staff apply for the
Joo. 1t took about three months to get
enough evidence to warrant the arrest yes
terday afternoon of Simon Boehm and
samuei otero for planning to make for.
tune Tor themselves at the expense of citi-
zens of the republic Of Colombia
secret Service Agent w. H. Dohm. who
is an engraver, was asked to apply for me
job in Cuba. He answered the ADVERTISE
ment and got reply signed with the initial
OF boehm, who also signed a otter APP
pointing an interview with Dohm Dohm
opened MS eyes when he found out that he
was 10 go to room l120 in the Mortar buiId
ing, on the floor above the New York head
quarters of the secret service, and at once
informed Mr.. Flynn that he wou,d make
MS reports to him elsewhere than I'm room
1904 on the floor below
On Dohms first visit to room ll2o Roebn,
sald that he was associated with Pratto
N Co, importing and exporting agents 70
me Argentine Republic and the Rio 40 Ia
Plata country He introduced young Mr..
Otero, who is said to be a native of Rolivar
1 ,, according to Mr.. Boehm, Otero
was the representative of several foreign
capitalists who had a scheme to go into
cattle raising. N
Dohm's Secrecy.
1t was essential that the strictest saorecv
be maintained. Could Dohm he dano,aoJ.
upon to keep his mouth shut? Dohm COR
tainly could, provided he got those good
wages which Boehm said he had M oh.
lectlon to paying. The thing looked so
good to him, indeed, that he didn't mind
breaking up his pleasant associations in
TINS country and going down to Cuba.
Having won the confidence of Dohm
boenm unfolded the scheme to make money
IN i've stock. Dohm was to go ahead and
make set Of steel plates, which were TO
De taken to Cuba and there employed In
the counterfeiting of 100000 of the 100 nesos
notes issued by the Colombian povarnnoant
he wouldn't have to go to Colombia at an
SO there was really no risk as the other
gentlemen concerned would See that the
money got into circulation in Colombia
1t would be an easy matter to turn the
notes into 10000 600 of real money and
then buy cattle.
Dohm said he wouldn't like to go to Cuba
until the United States had pacifed that
country. He kept things hanging on uutiI
on December Boehm. as a guarantee OF
good faith, paid him over 500 on account.
"iN 'ii btStiuDeT II another S2UJ With
TINS evidence the arrest of the two men
was ordered, but it was deferred until yes
Ierday in the hope of landing another
South American.
In Custody.
When the prisoners were brought before
Commissioner Shields by Marshal Henkel
Boehm declared that the arrest was a mis-
take. He refused to give any information
In regard to himself beyond saying that he
was connected with the firm of Pratto e.
Co, in which Salvador A Pratto is soc
partner. Otero had Joel f. Marx who was
retained as counsel, call up the office of d.
A. De Lima & Co. commission merchants
at IL State street, and ask a member OF
that hrm to furnish the bail. The request
was declined and both the prisoners were
sent to the Tombs for the night in default
of 5000 bail
Dohm did not appear in court. Neither
Boehm nor Otero seemed to know that they
had been negotiating with secret service
man.
At the office of F. Zittel, agent for The
Morton building, it was said last night
that Salvador A. Pratto leased office room
llZo about year and a halt ago He
came highly recommended by the consul
general OF Venezuela at New York whose
government, 1t was said, he was supposed
TO represent in this country as special
commissioner Mr.. Pratto was described
as special commissioner for Venezuela at
the st. Louis fair. or Boehm who looks
like prosperous middle-aged merchant
nothing was known beyond the fact that
he had desk room with Pratto & Co.
Otero said he would appeal to the Colom-
bian minister at Washington. As the Co.
lombian consul in this city was advised bv
Secret Service Agent Flynn several weeks
ago of what Otero and Boehm and their
alleged hackers were planning to do ii is
not expected by the secret service that the
washington representatives of Colombia
will put themselves out to intervene
carlos b. Figueredo, the Venezuelan con-
sui general here, said last night that he
mad never heard of Pratto. He said that
the name is Colombian