The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-07-30
WATCH OVER MONEY
PRECAUTIONS TAKEN DURING
ITS PRINTING.
Theft Of Currency Before Il Is Ready
for Distribution Is Almost In
possible-only Two At
tempts Ever Made.

The paper money Of the government
Is brought in iron.bound chests, locked
and sealed. from the bureau Of en-
craving and printing to the cash room
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 a small
apartment under the cash room.
These presses are worked by two
people, usually man pressman and
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 per
sons 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
for several weeks, until the ink has
become perfectly dry.
Every safeguard that ingenuity can
contriye 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. lie knows who
received them who printed the seal
VINO wrapped and cut them; for every
package is numbered and its history IS
E-og.ded in an enormous book
The combination of checks is so
complete that Mr. Sample would know
within 20 minutes IL a single bin were
missing, but he has never bad oeea-
sion to test this knowledge except
twice within IS wears. Only two al
tempts have ever been made 10 steal
the money Of the government while IL
is in this stage Of its history.
On one occasion many years ago a
pressman passing pile Of notes upon
the table Of his neighbor slipped The
top sheet under his blouse without
being observed and carried it with him
into the layatory, where he was sue
cessful 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 eolored messenger whose
business was 10 haul the money about
on cart slipped loose sheet into his
pocket unobseryed 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 IL
was counted and registered automati-
cally in the press. When it reached
the counting room 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, ana as he could
not offer any satisfactory explanation
he too was dismissed from the service
but was not prosecuted because there
was no direct proof Of his guilt