The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-28
WONEv WARKED WirH 4 PIN.
Detective says This IL Better Wethosi Than
Narking with O Pen.
From ne Washington star


How is money marked7" repeated a head
quarters detective Well. II Ia not mArke ed
IN the manner that the public thinks II L.
The average person. no doubt, believes
that money h marked by private marks placed
on The hills with pen and ink perhaps some
employers thus mark the bills they place In
the cash drawer witch IL being robbed by n
dishonest clerk. Of course. 'marke ed money
of this kind II good evidence In court on the
trial Of \ man upon which IL has been found
But a check mark in ink unless very eNpertly
nut or. might. with the aid Of n good lawyer
for the accused. he shown to have been per-
haps accidental. and thus would the ever
sought. reasonable doubt Of the accused's
part icipation in the robbery he raised.
There are several different ways OF mark
ing money by police experts to the end that
they may establish its positive identity Of
having been in their hands before the thief
extracted Il. Thu way personally employ.
and which II perhaps the safest TO secure
certainty OF convection. IA the pin prick
method.
Let us take the familiar silver certificate Of
the hve-dollar denomination for an i~llustra-
ton: one that has beep somewhat worn Is
better than a new note from the Treasury.
In the centre is the well known vlRnette Of
the head OF an Indian chief in dress regalia
Of feathers and %trappinRs. presenting a full
NV wv Wv wv lbN' NtiAF PNh o'A 'feN'
two punctures right through the bill and
directly through the pupils Of the eyes so.
| hand YOU the bill. and. even though you
saw me make the punctures. they are not
visible at a casual and even critical glance.
81 now raise II to the light and you eau see
the two tiny holes made by the pin point
as distinctly as windows in q building. I
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 diminutive twists
do not appear in the necks OF the two figures
Of s which are in both ends at the bottom
extreme ends Of the scrolls on either side
Of the word five which may be seen in the
direct centre Of the note al its lower edge.
The marking Of the note is now com-
plete. II is exhibited 70 one or two persons
in the secret for the purposes OF preliminary
examination and Identification. and then
placed in the money drawer. perhaps with
several others Of the shine denomination.
all exactly marked alike with the greatest
care. The thief may be on the lookout for
marked bills. usually ink marks. but he ia 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 cru
cial examination OF the money before taking:
it Ia usually done very quickly by paiming
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 a chance to ex-
change or to spend them.
And the pin pricks remain? Indeed
they Do; The s,n money Srd j. :. af ne, p,6m iG .cad +
handled, When they are exhibited in court
nd their .prelim mary preparation explained
nder oath conviction is practically certain, y"