Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-07-09
GUARDING PAPER MONEY.
Checks Against Thefts of Currency
 While in Process of Printing.


 The paper money of the govern | ment is brought in ironbound chests, 1 locked and sealed, from the bureau of engraving and printing to the cash ! room of the treasury and there de. i livered 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 a woman feeder or assistant. When the seal has been imprinted upon the bills they are counted automati- cally, bound in packages of equal numbers by bands of paper, marked, signed by the persons who have handled them, and passed into the adjoining room, where the sheets are cut, the bills are recounted and in spected, so tha3 the imperfect ones may be thrown out. They are then bound into 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 transactions, and the chief of divis- ion can tell which of his hundred or more subordinates have touched the different bills in the vaults. He knows who received them, who printed the seal, who wrapped and cut them; for every package is num- bered and it's H.story is recorded in an enormous book.
 The combination of checks is. so complete that MT Sample would know within 20 minutes if a sim gle bill were missing, but he has never had occasion to test this knowledge except twice within 15 years. Only two attempts have ever been made to steal the money of the government while it is in this stage of its history.
 On one occasion many years ago pressman passing a pile of notes upon the table of his neighbor SlippCu lnS up ohSSI HIS blouse without being observed and carried it with him into the lavatory, where he was successful in conceal ing it. The theft was discovered within five minutes and it was clear ly apparent that he alone could be guilty, although the evidence was purely circumstantial. 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 appear in circulation.
 On another occasion eight or ten years ago colored messenger whose business was to haul the money about on a cart slipped a loose sheet into his pocket unob-I served while passing between the printing and the counting rooms This theft was also unseen. but the responsibility was fastened upon him. The pile of notes was com plete when it left the printer, for il was counted and registered auto matically in the press. When t reached the counting room one sheet was missing and the package had not been out of the possession of the colored messenger in the meantime. Therefore he alone was responsible, and as he could not off, fer any satisfactory explanation he too was dismissed from the service but was not prosecuted because there was no direct proof of his guilt.