The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-05
GUARDING PAPER MONEY.
Checks Against Thefts Of Currency
While in the Process Of Printing

Checks Against Thefts Of Currency
While in the Process Of Printing
The paper money OF the Govern
ment is brought in iron-bound chests
locked and sealed, from the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing to the
cash room of the Treasury and there
delivered upon receipt to James A.
Sample, chief of the division OF Is
sue, in sheets of four bills each.
They are complete with signature
and numbers except for the seal,
which is printed upon them with
power presses in a small apartment
under the cash room.
These presses are worked by two
people. usually man pressman and
woman feeder or assistant. When
the seal has been imprinted upon the
bills they are counted automatically
bound in packages Of equal numbers
by bands of paper. marked, signed
by the persons who have handled
them, and passed into the adjoin-
ing room, where the sheets are cut,
the bills are recounted and inspected,
so that the imperfect ones may be
thrown out. They are then bound in
TO packages of equal amounts and
taken to the drying vault, where they
lie upon the shelves for several weeks
until the ink has become perfectly
dry.
Every safeguard that ingenuity can
contrive is placed around these tran
sactions, and the chief of division
can tell which OF his hundred or more
subordinates have touched the diff
ferent bills in the vaults. He knows
who received them. who printed the
SEAL who wrapped aud cut them;
for every package is numbered and
its history is recorded in al enor-
nous book.
The combination of checks is so
complete that Mr. Sample would
know within 20 minutes If single
bill were missing but he has never
had occasion to test this knowledge
except twice within 10 years. Only
two attempts have ever been made
to steal the money of the Govern
ment while 1t is In this stage of its
history.
On one occasion many years ago
pressman passing pile of notes
upon the table of his nelghbor slip
ped the top sheet under his blouse
without being observed and carried
1t with him into the lavatory, where
he was successful in concealing it.
The theft was discovered within five
minutes and Il was clearly apparent
that he alone could be guilty. al
though the evidence was purely cir
cumstantial. No one saw him take
the money. Therefore he was not
arrested and was never publicly
charged with the crime. But he was
dismissed from the service and he
knew the reason why. The bills
were never recovered. He probably
destroyed them, as they did not APP
pear in circulation.
On another occasion eight or ten
years ago colored messenger whose
business was to haul the money
about on q cart slipped loose sheet
into his pocket unobserved while
passing between the printing and
counting rooms. This theft was also
unseen, but the responsibility was
fastened upon him. The pile Of
notes was complete when II left the
printer, for 1T was counted and reg
istered automatically in the press
When 1t reached the counting room
one sheet was missing and the pack
age had not been out of the poses
sion OF the colored messenger In the
meantime. Therefore he alone was
responsible and as he could not Of
fer any satisfactory explanation he,
too, was dismissed from the service
but was not prosecuted because
there was no direct proof of his
guiit.-Chleago Record-Herald.