Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-02
Passing Worthless Money.
.HE United States secret service ha,

THE United States secret service has
experienced considerable trouble OF
= late with people who get hold or
bills of defunct banks or Of special is
sues Of currency made way back in the
sixties by municipalities which were aft
erward abandoned. Chief Wilkie says
these bills look very much like real
money. They were printed from en-
graved plates on a good quality OF bond
paper. and on first glance have the ap-
pearance Of good money. Quite few
people in the east have Of late been easy
victims for those who have made a fine
living handing out money Of this kind.
It appears that for some time past
these people have been operating princi-
pally In the west, where the genuine
brand Of United States paper currency
Is not 30 well known as 1t is In the east.
Because the people of that section are
beginning to show a preference for pa
per currency OF late it is predicted this
will make it more difficult for the pro-
moters of this class of fake money to
find victims. Up to the present, however,
it seems that the west and some parts OF
the east have been q fruitful field, not
with counterfeit money, but with worth
less money.
The peculiar part of this handling of
fake money Is that in the majority of
cases 1t Is no offense against the federal
government, because the bills are not re-
productions of any United States obiga-
tons. So that while many complaints
have been received by the secret serv-
ice, all they have been able to do is
to ferret out the guilty parties and
authorities and cooperate with them and
prosecute under the state laws for fraud.
In addition to municipal bank notes,
Chief Wilkie says. there were certain
state banks in existence before the ma
tional banking act went into effect-state
banks that were organized principally
on hot air 1t is understood these banks
spent a good many thousand dollars in
having prepared very fine issue of notes
in denominations Of from 81 to $3.50, made
by old-time banknote companies. These
notes were never issued and were after
ward sold for waste paper. The notes
fell into the hands of curio collectors
and had q very wide circulation In sew
eraI instances some of the dealers who
apparently made a business Of handling
out-of-date money. coins, etc. took to
selling them to anybody in large lots
not for curios. but, because of their re-
semblance to United States notes, with
the real thing.
only a short time ago the United
States secret service succeeded in cutting
of one Of the sources of supply Of these
fake note. Judge Lands of Chicago
heard Of several cases where this kind of
money had been passed, and also that
there was a large supply of 1t in the
hands Of a local dealer in Chicago. much
Of whose business was transacted with
men who made illegitimate use of it.
The secret service located some 100000.
which it Is very probable will never find
its way into circulation again.
A short while ago the secret service
found q man on the streets of New York
with a wagon load of the worthless notes
of a defunct state bank of New Bruins
wick, N. J. The man claimed he had
bought the notes as waste paper and IT
was his intention to resell them to curio
collectors good many of the notes
had been passed in New York and New
Jersey, and from reports received by the
secret service 1t would appear that quite
a large number OF the people of those
states were found to be easy victims. A
government officer secured possession of
the notes and burned them. He took
chance on the owner being able to prove
he had been damaged to any extent. The
man never sued, probably because he re-
allied that any argument that the notes
could be sold for any considerable amount
of money would force the conclusion that
they had been sold for illegal uses and
trouble. BY the dealer in Chicago being
put out Of business and this haul in New
York, Chief Wilkie expects there will be
less trouble Of this kind In the future.
In connection with this same class of
money, there are still quite few people
who accept old Confederate notes and
advertising currency for the real thing.
The advice is given by Mr.. Wilkie that
II people will use more caution IN accept
ing bills which do not have the unmis-
taxable appearance of the genuine
be SO much fake money placed in circu-
latiOn.
One Of the reasons that people all over
the country are becoming more familiar
with United States paper currency is
because the government stopped paying
expressage on silver coin shipped to
various parts OF the United States AL
though this expressage amounts to but
s. on the thousand, in handling great
quantities Of money this bill assumes
the banks are using paper currency
wherever possible. BY this means the
people are becoming educated in the
handling Of paper, and. 1t is predicted,
will very shortly prefer 1t to either gold
or silver.
The governments ruling on the ex-
pressage question went into effect some
time ago. Heretofore. to get the great
amount OF coin out OF the minis and to
was made to pay the express charges on
silver to various parts Of the country.
People In the east never did care to
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