Long Valley advocate. (Lardo, Idaho) 1904-1907, 1906-07-26
MARKING OF MONEY
METHOD OF MERCHANTS TO
CHECK DISHONESTY.
Fin Is Used Instead of a Pen as Com.
monty upposed-Devices of
Police Experts in De-
tecting.

Hoy is money marked?" repeated |
headquarters detective to a Wash
ington Star reporters query. We'll, |
1t is not marked in the manner that |
the public thinks it is.
The average person no doubt be- |
heves that money is marked by pri
vate marks placed on the bills with
pen and ink; perhaps some employers
thus mark the bills they place in
the cash drawer which is being
robbed by a dishonest clerk. OF
course marked money of this kind
is good evidence in court on the trial
OF a man upon which it has been
found. But a check mark in ink UNI
less very expertly put on, might with
the aid of good lawyer for the ac-
cused, be shown to have been per-
haps accidental, and thus would the
ever-sought, reasonable doubt of the
accuseds participation in the robbery
be raised.
There are several different ways OF
marking money by police experts to
the end that they may establish its
positive identity of having previous
ly been in their hands before the thief
extracted it. The way | personally
employ, and which is perhaps the SAT-
est to secure certainty and convic-
ton, is the 'pin-prick method
LET us take the familiar silver
certificate of the five-dOllar denom1na-
ton for an illustration, one that has
been somewhat worn is better than
a new note from the treasury. In the
center is the well-known vignette OF
the head of an Indian chief in full
regalia of feathers and trapplngs
presenting a full-face view. We now
take this pin and make two punctures
right through the bill and directly
through the pupils of the eye-so |
hand you the bill, and, even though
you saw me make the punctures, they
are not visible at casual and even
critical glance. l now raise it to the
light, and you can see the two tiny
holes made by the pin point as dis
tinctly as windows in a building.
then apply the pin point very neatly
at the twist in the neck of the large
figure at the two upper extreme
ends of the note. You will observe
that these two diminutive twists &c
not appear in the necks OF the TWO
figures of which are in both ends
at Sthe bottom of the note. l ther
pierce the note at the extreme ENDS
of the scrolls on either side of the
word 'fve, which may be seen II
the direct center of the note at III
lower edge.
''The marking of the note is nov
complete. 1t is exhibited to one O.
two persons in the secret for the pur
noses of preliminary examination AM
Identification, and then placed In tn
money drawer, perhaps with severa
others of the same denomination, al
exactly marked alike with the great
est care. The thief may be on tn
lookout for marked bills, usually In
marks. but he is a slick one WI
will get on to the invisible but sure
" present pin pricks. You see' Uni
class of thieving does not admit Q
q crucial examination or the none
before taking; it is usually done yer
quickly by palming the bills, placin
them in some preliminary place
safety. to be later removed. Then "
count on detection with the bills o
the person before the thief mas
chance to exchange or to spend then
"And the pin pricks remain? Il
deed they do The money is aftel
ward carefully placed in enyeSp'
and is not promiscuously handle
When they are exhibited in court an
their preliminary preparation e
I plained under oath conviction Is pra