The Washington herald., 1913-10-03
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Two Continents

mills where the paper Is manufactured
the most stringent precautions are taken
TO prevent any OF the paper being stolen
or course. there have been many at
tempted robberies, but onIy once, in the
year OF 1862, were thieves successful in
obtaining any Of the paper. Shortly
afterward forged notes were in circuia-
ton. The Counterfeiters did not enjoy
their triumph long, for within a short
time they were captured. The printing
is done on the bank premises. The notes
are printed in pairs, and come OF the
press cut and dried.
Stock notes Of different values from s5
to Gl,OOO are kept in safes in one large
room, and the average value of the cur
rency on hand is between EsO,0Oc,OOO and
| so, 900, 900. Some $1,000 notes OF various
values are paid into the bank every day.
I They are sorted, first into their respective
vaults. then according to the dates, and
finally into their numerical order. Every
note has a place Of its own in the bank
/ register. and Immediately the notes are
sorted their return is registered.
\ special staff of examining clerks are
busy trying to detect forgeries. OF late
years there have not been many cases OF
forged notes. But during the eighteenth
centuries the bank suffered severe lOsses
from counterfeit notes. The story Of the
first forgery forms a unique chapter in
the book of romance. a linen merchant
named Vaughan was passionately in love
with girl whose father was a man IF
considerable wealth. The love-sick swain
knew that the quickest way to win the
girl was to give her proof that he was
a man of means. To this end he en-
] Tor hiTr1
$40 Bank OF England notes. When
twelve of them had been worked OF he
presented them to his beloved. Unluckily
the imposition was soon discovered and
poor Vaughan was hanged.
! One of the cIeverest note forgeries was
! committed by a schoolmaster. who manu-
| factured the counterfeit entirely with
pen and ink. He also was unfortunate
enough to live in the hanging" days,
and. the crime being brought home to
him. he ended his days on the gallows.
| Notes that have been received and booked
in the register are cancelled. This is done
| by cutting of the signature Of the chief
cashier. Thus mutilated, the notes are
packed into sacks and kept five years,
when they are burned. \ five years &C
cumulation amounts TO about 10000, 900
notes, representing tremendous values.
EnGlands cricket championship this
year recalls that one OF the earliest
matches on record took place in Kent
Play extended over two years and in
volved the players in a law suit.
The story is told in a newspaper OF
1925: "On Monday is to be determined the
suit OF law on hartford Heath by
cricket match between the men of Chink-
| ford and Mr.. Steed's men. They had
| hearing about two years ago before the
Lord Chief Justice Pratt, when the merits
of the cause appeared to be that at a
match between the above said players
the Chinkford men refused to play out
the game at a time the other side had
the advantage, but the judge, either not
understanding the game or having for
gotten it, referred the said cause back to
| Dartford Heath to be continued where
they left of" The result of the re.
| ferred back cause" is not recorded.
Julius Caesar, who. on one of the clos
| ing days of August in Sc B. c., started
upon his first weekend visit to Kent,
has had some notable British namesakes,
| including a famous cricket player. Per-
haps the best known is Sir Julius Caesar.
master of the rolls in the time of King
James I, about whom an amusing story
| is told that once made all London laugh.
The unpopular Earl of Clarendon sat up
all night with his friends and retainers
armed to the teeth because he had found
| in his vest pocket a slip of paper bidding
him remember Caesar" This bore ref
| erence not to the tragic fate of the great
Roman, but to some sinecure treasury
office promised to son of Sir Julius
Caesar. The tomb of Sir julius Caesar,
with a quaint epitaph in the form of
legal document, is among the many
curious monuments of St Helen's Bish-
opsgate FLANEUR.