The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-07-14
GUARDING PAPER MONEY
Checks Against Thefts OF Currency
While in Process Of Printing.

Chicago Record-H Herald.
The paper money Of the government
Is brought IN ironbound chests, locked
and sealed, from the bureau Of en-
craving and printing to the cashroom
Of the treasury and there delivered
upon 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 power presses In small
apartment under the cashroom.
These presses are worked by two
people, usually a man pressman and
woman feeder or assistant. When
the seal has been imprinted upon the
bills they are counted automatically,
hound in packages of equal numbers
ty 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
ere 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 dry
ing 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 trans
actions, and the chief Of division can
tell which OF his hundred or more
subordinates have touched the differ
ent bills in the vaults. He knows who
received them, who printed the seal,
who wrapped and cut them; for every
package is numbered and it's history
is recorded in an enormous 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 Is years. Only two attempts
have ever been made to steal the mon
ey Of the government while it is in
this stage OF it's history.
On one occasion many years ago a
rressman passing q 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 it
was ;leally apparent that he alone
could be guilty, although the evidence
was purely Circunstantial. No one
saw him take tho money. Therefore,
lie 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 ap-
pear in circulation.
On another occasion, eight or ten
years ago, colored messenger, whose
business was to haul the money about
on a cart, slipped loose sheet into
his pocket unobserved while passing
l,etween the printing and counting
but the responsibility was fastened
upon him. The pile OF notes was COM
plete when it left the printer, for it
was counted and registered automat-
ically in the press. When it reached
the countingroom one sheet was miss
ing and the package had not been out
of the possession of the colored mes
Senger in the meantime. Therefore, he
alone was responsible and as he could
not offer any satisfactory explanation
lie, too, was dismissed from the SER
vice, but was not prosecuted, because
there was no direct proof Of his guilt