Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-04
BOGUS COINS TAKEN
Automatic Stamp Vendors
Cruelty Deceived.
LOOTED WITH LEAD DIMES
Representative Snapp Raids Exhibit
at the Post Office.
MIR. LAWSHE AN ACCOMPLICE
Secret Service Supplies the "Phony'
Money to Prove Lax Credulity
of Machines.

-Four of the new stamp-vending ma
chimes standing in front of the Post
Office Department. which the government
is trying Eat the inventors expense,
were convicted this morning of receiving
counterfeit money. The machines yielded
more than one dollars worth of good
stamps and postcards, and received in eX-
change only variegated assortment of
near-money ranging all the way from
lead slugs to bogus pennies and dimes
most expert money handlers.
This was the third test TO which the
machines have been subjected within the
week, and, as on the two other occasions.
so again today, Representative Howard
NJ. Snapp of Illinois. a member, of the
House committee on post Offices and post
roads. was in the center of the firing line.
For the experiment this morning Repre-
sentative Snapp secured the aid of the
United States secret service, and Chief
Wilkie not only designated one of his
agents, George F. Foster. to take part in
the effort to defeat the automatic think
ing machine but he furnished for use
in the test whole pocketful of pennies
which had passed through any number of
banks only to be detected as counterfeitS
at the subtreasury. and a number of
series to simulate Uncle Sans smallest
cXtant silver pieces-the dime
Waterman on the Job.
chimes Representative Snapp secured
80 cents worth of stamps and post cards
for a dollars worth OF lead slugs. An
other time he was equally successful with
plugged dimes. good Canadian dimes
and other coins of similar character. An
amusing incident occurred in connection
with the first experiment when a man
who was standing near on the post office
steps became suspicious at seeing an APP
parent stranger stuffing coins into the
slot machines in rapid succession. The
man was post office Waterman and did
not know Representative Snapp.
Having exhausted his store Of counter
feits. Mr.. Snapp gathered up the stamps
and turned away. only to be encountered
by the Waterman. who demanded an ex-
PLANTATION. The telltale glass front of the
machines exposed to full view the
''phony'' money which had been foisted
upon the machines. 1t was only after he
had accompanied the representative to
the office of Chief Clerk Travis and heard
the confession of intentional duplicity
and saw the surrender of the practically
pilfered stamps that the watchman was
satisfied.
Before making a similar test this morn
ing Representative Snapp. who was ac-
companied by Secret Service Agent Fos-
Postmaster General Lawshe and the lat
ter accompanied them to witness the pro-
spective downfall of the machines. On
the way the party was augmented by
Postmaster Barnes. Assistant Postmaster
Davis and Chief Clerk Travis.
Lead "Dimes" Fool Machines.
AS preliminary all four machines were
entirely cleared of accumulated coin of
the realm. OF the four. one penny ma
chine is a purveyor of post cards and an
other, accepting coins OF the same de-
nomination. gives forth a one-cent stamp
for each copper inserted in the slot. The
postcard machine failed signally to de-
tect the fraudulent nature Of the coins
carried by the party of investigators, but
if the automatic vendor was human it
might draw considerable satisfaction from
the knowledge that even the secret service
representative could be sure most of the
coins were counterfeits only because they
were plainly marked for Identification.
1t was said that the dime" machines,
one of which sells five two-cent stamps
protected by system of magnets so that
iron and steel slugs would be refused
but the magnets had no effect upon the
lead pieces, and it willingly gave of its
store this morning in exchange for bits
of lead of the same size and weight as
dimes.
When the Post Office appropriation bill
was pending before the House. Repre-
sentative Snapp was instrumental in hav-
ing stricken from the bill an appropria
ton of $25, 900 to enable the Postmaster
General to investigate these machines
further. Now he Is prepared to tell the
House several other facts about them.