The Press., 1906-08-15
MARKING OF MONEY.
Il Is Done with a PIN and Not With
Zen, as Supposed.

1t Is Done win a Tin anu MOI WIN
a Zen, as Supposed.
"How is money marked?' repeated a
headquarters detective to reporters
query "Well, it is not marked in the
manner that the public thinks it is.
'"The average person no doubt be-
lieves that money is marked by private
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 dis
honest clerk. OF course marked mon
ey' of this kind is good evidence in
court on the trial of a man upon whom
it has been found, but check mark
in ink, unless very expertly put on,
might, with the aid of a good lawyer
for the accused, be shown to have been
perhaps accidental, and thus would
the ever sought reasonable doubt of
the accuseds participation in the rob-
berry 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 previously
been in their hands before the thief
extracted it. The way personally en-
ploy, and which is perhaps the safest
to secure certainty and conviction, is
the pin prick method
"Let us take the familiar silver GER
tificate of the five dollar demon
nation for an illustration; one
better than a new note from the
treasury. In the center is the head
of an Indian chief in full regalia
of feathers and trappings, presenting
full face view. We now take this pin
and make two punctures right through
the bill and directly through the pupils
Of the eyes-so. l hand you the bill,
and, even though you saw me make the
punctures, they are not visible at a
casual and even critical glance. now
raise it to the light, and you can see
the two tiny holes made by the pin
point as distinctly as windows in a
building. l then apply the pin point
very neatly at the twist in the neck
of the large figure 5 at the two upper
extreme ends of the note. You will
observe that these diminutive twists
do not appear in the necks of the two
figures of which are in both ends
at the bottom of the note. then pierce
the note at the extreme ends Of the
scrolls on either side Of the word "f1ve,"
which may be seen in the direct center
of the note at it's lower edge.
1.-THE marking of the note is now
complete. It is exhibited to one or two
persons in the secret for the purposes
of preliminary examination and iden-
t1fication, and then placed in the money
drawer, perhaps with several others
Of the same denomination, all exactly
marked alike with the greatest care.
The thief may be on the lookout for
marked bills, usually ink marks, but
he is a slick one who will get on to the
invisible but surely present pin pricks.
You see, this class of thieving does not
admit of a crucial examination of the
money before taking; it is usually done
very quickly by palming the bills,
placing them in some preliminary place
Of safety, to be later removed. Then
we count on detection with the bills on
the person before the thief has chance
to exchange or to spend them.
"And the pin pricks remain? Indeed
they do. The money Is afterward care
fully placed in envelopes and is not
promiscuously handled. When they
are exhibited in court and their pre-
liminary preparation explained under
oath conviction is practically certain"