The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-12-15
By Louis Honig

men with whom San Francisco
y has had very little TO do, but who
now are worrying the minds OF
Ell persons suspicious about the gen
binencss Of the new currency, the .'blue
backs" Bow needless IS that suspi-
sion. how unfounded in circumstance, IS
best told by William J. Burns. king OF
detectives and the most successful
tounder up OF counterfeiters this ccun-
try has ever known. In fact.D was the
bagging Of the great couiterfeiters
that brought Burns his spurs and made
aim what ne is today. without de-
tracing from his recent great work,
aerhaps the most intensely interesting
Episodes Of his life are those which deal
with the men and women he met pro-
tessionally as a top notcher in the Sc
crct sorvfSa.
The fear OF counterfeit certificates
being put in circulation is a natural
ono" says Burns. especially as San
Francisco IS a coin using city and In
stinctively looks with suspicion upon
81 paper money. But the likelihood OF
On issuance Of counterfeits IS slim.
First of all. we know sust where every
tapable counterfeiter Is, and each and
every one OF them is carefully watched.
The man with experience in counter
feiting is the dangerous man. The
novice usually gets caught That helps
TO make a good counterfejter OF him.
lust at present there are no famous
Eers OF spurious money in these
parts and if they should foregather it
Is hardly probable that they will be
left unmatched.
1.-The second and a very potent reason
why complete confidence should be
placed in the clearing house certificates
without fear OF counterfeits creeping
Into circulation lies IN the paper used.
fhe clearing house officials have bought
up the complete stock Of the paper on
which they have run Off the five dol
Tar denomination, and no novice IN the
gentle art OF counterfeiting could imi-
tale The paper cleverly enough to avoid
detection. should # happen that the
la tes should be counterfeitsd Is
wouid have 10 be the work OF new
born genius. OF course I can't suaran-
tee absolute protection, and as IT is
some little time since have been in
the secret service 7 may not have an
accurate knowledge Of the whereabouts
Of al the great counterfeiters; but 1
feel confident that If any Of the iIk had
made this part of the country their
homo 2 should have been so Informed.
couutcrfeiting used to involve a long.
painful preparation and consumed much
time before the bill was put out" But.
like an other arts or sciences, such
progress has been made by the recent
dty masters that but very little time is
- sted from the moment the engraving
Is begun until the finished product is
distributed among the unsuspecting. A
case showing the wonderful celerity
with which counterfeits can be manu-
featured is the following, told by
Burns:
THE republican national committee
had experienced a great deal Of annoy
ance ia several Of its conventions by
the presentation OF counterfeit tickets
admitting persons to the convention
han. At last It was decided to engrave
the tickets in such thorough fashion
that counterfeits would be impossible.
This was done and the idea worked like
a charm-al but the $1,000 which the
tickets cost. At the next convention
the same problem stared the comr-tttee-
men in the face and they were at loss
what to do in the light Of the big ex-
pense attached to the engraved ticket.
"A well known Philadelphia engraver
hearing Of their dilemma offered to do
the Job for one-third the original ex-
penditure. oh, but you can't turn out
such perfect and effective piece work
such as this said one OF the commit
teemen. The engraver looked the Job
over and insisted that he could. How
long VIII It take your was the next
query Not long replied the en-
Eravor. Within three hours he re-
Sernod with fac-simile OF the en-
Araved ticket, so exact as almost to
defy detection. That was quick work.
IN the old days-the days OF Charlie
Ulrich the great-that lob might have
taken months"
Ulrich, Counterfeit King
or all the criminals that Burns has
tracked he holds Charlie Ulrich as the
most fascinatngIy attractive. To tell
Ulrich's complete history-which reads
like the very best OF detective romances
would require more space than the al
lotment OF this story. In all the big
cases in which Burns figured there is
none which presents a more interesting
parsonage than this German. man OF
wonderful technical ability, Of keen IN
teIligence. sharp execution and Infinite
rssourcefuincss. II took day and night
work FOR months to catch Ulrich, and
until Burns leaned over his shoulder in
The Cortlandt street ferry IN New York
city 10 read a telegram Ulrich was
about to send TO high official In the
state government Of New Jersey the
counterfeiter had never known that