Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-23
STAMPS PRONOUNCED BOGUS.
Famous Counterfeit Case Recalled by
Commissioners Ruling.

The most famous conterfeiting case this
country has ever had is recalled by q de-
cision Just made by the commissioner of IN
ternal revenue. 1t is TO the effect that the
stamps on certain cigars that have been in
the custody of the government seven years
are counterfeit and not genuine.
w NJ Jacobs manufactured the cigars at
Lancaster, Pa. and the stamps were printed
under his skirfuI direction. Associated with
him In the work fas William Kendig
Jacobs had been cigar manufactures OF
high position and wealth. He conceived
the notion that he could make millions by
counterfeiting the internal revenue stamps
and using them on his cigars.
He went to Philadelphia, where he found
Arthur Taylor and Baldwin Bredell, whom
he got to engrave the plates for the stamps,
and had Kendig put up an establishment
for their printing The stamps were so
perfect that government officials for months
never suspected them. The stamps passed
under the eyes of everybody without
thought of wrong. About this time there
was discovered in the treasury In this city
a splendid counterfeit of what was known
as the Monroe head 500 certificate.
BY the merest accident 1t was detected by
treasury experts. 1t had safely passed
through the subtreasury at Philadelphia
and through business houses and national
banks. The discovery of the note created
intense alarm in the treasury. Officials
there were puzzled and some OF the hest
Inc Secret service officers were at once
put to work, the best men In the service be-
ing employed.
They discovered that twenty twenty
five more of the notes were in the hands
of banks In Philadelphia. A swift investi-
CATION revealed that the notes were being
put out by Taylor and Bredell. They were
promptly arrested. Their arrest led to the
discovery of Jacobs crime, the men had
engraved his stamps. But for the quick
arrest of all concerned the country would
have surely been flooded with a high-class
counterfeit OF the worst sort.
Jacobs and Kendig, the central figures OF
the affair, were each sentenced TO twelve
years In prison. Only recently their SEN
fences were committed and they are free
men, Taylor and BredeIl were sentenced
to seven years each. They have been free
a long time and are following their trade
as peaceful citizens.
At the time of the arrests many thou
sands of cigars belonging to Jacobs were
confiscated, and he has been endeavoriag
to have those containing genuine stamps
released and restored to him. The deputy
collector of the Pittsburg district recently
examined the stamps on 10000 cigars, had
his experts to likewise examine them, and
all reported some doubt as TO their being
counterfeit.
The deputy sent a sample box to the
Washington office. and here the stamps
were pronounced counterfeit. The commits
sioner of internal revenue proceeds to ex-
plain the differences between the genuine
and counterfeit. which 1t would be hard
for any except an expert to detect.
The fact that at this late day, revenue
officials differ as to the counterfeit and
genuine, gives idea of the cleverness
of the counterfeit.