Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-21
GUARDING PAPER MONEY.
Checks Against Thefts of Currency
While In the Process of Printinq.

Checks Against Thefts of Currency
While In the Process of Printing.
The paper money of the govern
ment is brought in ironbound chests,
locked and sealed. from the bureau
of engraving and printing to the cash
room of the treasury and there deliv-
cred upon receipt to James A. Sam
pie, chief of the division Of issue, in
sheets of four bills each. They are
complete with signature and num-
bers, except for the seal, which is
printed upon them with power press
es in a small apartment under 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 handled them, and
passed into the adjoining room, where
the sheets are cut, the bills are re-
counted 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 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 its history
is recorded In an enormous book.
The combination Of checks is so
complete that Mr.. Sample would
know within twenty minutes If sin
gle bill were missing. but he has never
except twice in fifteen years. Only
two attempts have ever been made to
steal the money of the government
while it is in this stage Of it's 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
being observed and carried it with
successful in concealing it. The theft
was discovered within five minutes
and it 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 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 a colOred messenger whose
business was to haul the money about
on a cart slipped a loose sheet into his
pocket unobserved while passing be-
tween 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 it
was counted and registered automati-
cally in the press. When it 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. There
fore he alone was responsible, and as
he could not offer any satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION he too was dismissed from
the service, but was not prosecuted
because there was no direct proof of
his guilt.-Chicago Record-Herald.