Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-01
GUARDING PAPER MONEY.
Checks Against Thefts of Currency
While In the Process of Printing.


While In the Process of Printing.
The paper money Of the government
is brought in irOn-bOund chests, lock-
ed and sealed, from the bureau of en-
craving and printing to the cash room
If the treasury and there delivered up
on receipt to James A. Sample, chief OF
the division of issue, in sheets of -four
bills each. They are complete with
signature and numbers, except for the
seal, which is printed upon them with
bower presses in small apartment un-
der the cash room.
These presses are worked by two
people, usually a man pressman and a
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 adjoining 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 into packages Of equal
amounts and taken to the drying vault
where they lie upon the shelves fol
several weeks, until the ink has be-
come perfectly dry.
Every safeguard that ingenuity can
contrive is placed around these trans
actions, and the chief of division can
tell which of his hundred or more sub
ordinates have touched the different
bills in the vaults. He knows who re-
ceived them, who printed the seal, who
wrapped and cut them; for every pack
age is numbered and its history is re-
corded in an enormous book.
The combination of checks is Sc
complete that Mr.. Sample would know
within twenty minutes if single bill
were missing, but he has never had oc-
casiOn to test this knowledge except
twice within fifteen years. Only two
attempts have been made to steal the
money of the government while it is in
this stage of its history.
On one occasion many years ago a
pressman passing a pile of notes upon
the table of his neighbor slipped the
top sheet under his blouse without be-
ing observed and carried it with him
into the lavatory, where he was sue
cessful in concealing it. The theft was
discovered within five minutes and II
was clearly 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 pub
licly charged with the crime. But ne
was dismissed from the service and he
knew the reason why. The bills were
never recovered. He probably destroy
ed them, as they did not appear in cir
culatiOn.
On another OCCASION eight or ten years
ago a colored messenger whose bust
ness was to haul the money about or
a cart slipped a loose sheet into his
uOcket unobserved while passing be-
tween the printing and the counting
rooms. This theft was also unseen, bu
the responsibility was fastened upor
him. The pile Of notes was complete
when it left the printer, for it was
counted and registered automatically II
the press. When it reached the count
ing room one sheet was missing anc
the package had not been out of the
possession of the colored messenger II
the meantime. Therefore he alone wa:
responsible and as he could not offel
any satisfactory explanation, he too
was dismissed from the service, bu
was not prosecuted because there wa:
no direct proof of his guilt.-Chicagt
PecOrd Herald