The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-06-23

twenty-dollar greenback wasn't worth
tuppence. He also expressed the opin.
ion, that there may DO others of its
kind masquorading around Manila,
where this one came from, and other
tropical countries. Perhaps in tho
stockings Of some dusky Philippine
maidens-if they ever wear stockings
may be some more Of these bogus
bills. Perehance some old grandfather
In MindRnao or Guam, who keeps all
his wealth up in a cocoanut tree for
fear the banks may "bust,V has some
Of these spurious notes, nong with
Spanish doubloons and other ancient
pieces.
The note purports to be n silver
certificate Of deposit, department Of
finance, republic Of Hawaii. Upon it's
face is the statement; "This certifes
that there have been deposited with
/ the Hawaiian treasurer twenty dollars
in silver money payable TO the bearer
on demand. - (signed) w. q. Ashley,
registrar Of public documents; s. M.
Damon, minister of finance"
Bills Strange History.
Also on the bill are the words:
" Issue of 1895, act No. 49," The note
purports TO have come from the print.
! ing press of the American Bank Note
/ Company, New York, but that eminent
concern never, it is believed, turned
out such piece of work as this. Even
IL the number Of the note did CORE.
spond with one Of those issued--which
1t does not--the paper 1t is printed
upon would give It away.
However, the man who received the
note was not an expert on the kind
OF paper the American Bank Note
Company uses, nor was he aware of
the number of notes of tho twenty.
dollar persuasion, which had been is.
sued by the Republic. He was n simple
soldier, in other words a volunteer
from North Dakota, who went through
here to the Philippines TO fight Agui.
naldo shortly after Dewey had taken
Manila and the Filipino rebel had
turned "crusty."
The man in question was Corporal
Thomas A. Swiggum, of Co. "C,U First
North Dakota volunteers. He says he
got the bill here and tried to change
II in the Philippines but found nobody
willing to give him twenty dollars in
cold hard cash, nor even in Mexican
dollars, which are cold but are only
half cash. Therefore he wrote, under
date Manila, june 10, 1893 to the post
master at Honolulu, asking him IL he
could get the bill changed for him.
Hidden for Years.
The postmaster at that time happen
ed to be J. M. oat. What he thought
of the bill can only be conjectuTed
but the fact that he. placed IL away
among some other documents and let
1t rest thereafter pretty well indicates
that he judged 1t to be a forgery.
And now, thirteen years after the
Dakota volunteer mailed IL TO the late
postmaster, the bill is again brought Il
light. The present intention is to place
II in the archives along with the bogul
fyedollar bill which Mr. Hapai detect
cd as sailing under false colors-it hal
a yellow back-soveral years ago.
just how many more spurious note
Of the dead and gone Republic may b,
In circulation 1t Is, Of course, impos
sible 10 determine, but they win hav,
hard time getting beyond the careful
scrutiny Of Treasurer Hapai ~ eve
they are presented for redemption.
Good notes Of the dear, dead day
beyond recall will have no difficulty
The legislature, two years ago, appro
priated money for the payment of un
redeemed gold and silver eortincateg
and tho treasurer will take up all thos,
old bills which can BIO shown 10 al
good, 80 long as the appropriation lasts
-.