The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1906-07-14
MARKING OF MONEY
METHOD OF nE1cHAxrs TO
CHECK DIsHoNEsrY.
Pin Il Used Instead Of q Pen a. Com
monty Suppossd-Dsvicss Of
Police Experts In DE-
tecting.

"How Is money marked" repeated
. headquarters detective to Wash
ington Star reporters query. We'll.
It Is not marked in the manner that
the public thinks 1t IL.
THE average person no doubt be-
lieves 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 \ dishonest clerk. OF
course marked money Of this kind
" good evidence In court on the trial
Of 4 man upon which 1t has been
found. But check mark in ink. I'M
less very expertly put on. might. with
the aid OF good lawyer for the &C.
cised, be shown to have been per-
haps accidental. and thus would the
ever-sousht. reasonable doubt Of the
accused's participation in the robbery
b. 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
~ been In their hands before the thief
extracted 1t. The way personally
employ. and which is perhaps the SAT-
est to secure certainty and convic-
tion, is the 'pin-prick method
Let us take the familiar silver
certificate Of the fve-dollar denomina-
tion for an Illustration. one that has
been somewhat worn is better than
q 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 trappings.
presenting fullface view. We now
take this pin and make two punctures
right through the bill and directly
through the pupils Of the eye-so. I
hand you the bill. and. even though
you saw me make the punctures. they
ere not visible At 4 casual and even
critical glance. now raise 1t TO the
light. and you can see the two tiny
holes made by the pin point ~ dis
tinc<ly A. windows In 4 building.
then apply the pin point very neatly
ct the twist In the neck Of the large
aGure At the two upper extreme
euuS " Nuc uotc. uou VIII OuOGTVe
that these two diminutive twists do
not appear IL the necks OF the two
Agurss Of which are 10 both ends
at the bottom Of the note. then
piercs the note at the extreme ends
u the scrolls on either side Of the
word ave- which may Be seea 10
the direct center OF the note at it,
lower edge.
The marking Of the note IL nov
complete. Il IL exhibited 10 one or
two persons In the secret for the pur.
poses Of preliminary examination and
Identification, and then placed 10 the
money drawer. perhaps with several
others Of the same denomination. all
exactly marked alike with the great.
est care. The thief may be on the
lookout for marked BILLS. usually ink
marks. but he Is q slick one who
will get on TO the invisible but sure
" present pin pricks. You see. this
class Of thievinx DOS not admit Of
. crucial examination Of the money
before taking: II 10 usually done very
quickly by palminE the bills. placing
them 10 some preliminary place Of
safety. to BE- later removed. Then W.
count on detection With the bills on
the person before the thief has
chance TO exchange or 10 spend them.
And the pin pricks remain? In.
deed they do. The money IL after
ward carefully placed In envelopes
and 10 not proa,iscuousiy handled.
when they are exhibited In court and
their preliminary preparatinn o..
plsinsd under oath conviction 10 prsc-
ticaiIy certain"