The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-17
Prison Script is Raised

Marquetto--A thorough chcckin.
over OF tho larger denominations 81
script" used in the Marquette prisoa
completed yesterday afternoon, shcw.
cd that three pimble wittcd convict,
J had beaten the game some $50 10,
taiSing smaller denominations TO S.
and s.. The men concerned in hi,
operation in high finance are known
and thc details Of their little nyei
were told to The prison officials yes.
| jerday.
Most of thc raised bills" wcr,
marked NJ 80 s., thou-h some bosr
S. notes were also found in circu.
! ton. Tho bad bills were but a rma.
fraction Of the total amount of scrip
in circulation 50 the convict financial
system has stood the strain and conf
doncc in IL is uuimpaircd The bad
bills have been redeemed With good
ones, ana no convict is the loser
through The misdIrcctcd energies Of
his fellows.
Tn" prison script IS ISSUED in de-
nominations from one cent up to s.,
ana Is used 90 pay the men for uyo..
time ana generally la place Of money
at TN" prison. II is redeemed onI,'
when presented by couvicts ana pos
ScSsce no value for an officer or other
person. II is most generally used In
trading i'm the prison store. Each
piece of script carries q figure showiug
It's denomination i'm each corner ana
the denomination is spelled out in the
center. 1t is also signed by the clerk.
by whom it is rcdcemablc.
The roiHin" Of IN. script was clce-
ely 'nou.h don" 10 pass unnoticcd
unless person had occasion to sus-
poet that there was something wronr
with the Papcr and examined it Close
j.. III" original figures were blcach,d
ont evidently by use of some acid.
ana n'w figures wcrc printed i'm bv
ren work The figures ana letters FIN
'hc raised bills are slightly coars,r
than on The good ones, but the cop, D..
iag OF thu letters ana figure g. verv
cNacl ana l. uniform for AIN the
raised bills, Indicating that on.
penmaa turned uut the whole lot.
Thrcc men are known To- have boon
concerned In this get rich quic.."
scheme. Apparently one furnished
The dye used to make the red ink. ON.
The penmanship and the other wa
principally concerned in getting tho
bad money into circulation. p1csum.
ably they pooled the profits which. for
III" most part they blew in luxurious
y in the prison store
Between $1,000 and $1,000 of rh.
script is in circulation ANON, lin.
prisoners, ana this week when they
were requested 10 present their mon
cS for inspection some or tho mon
dog up anywhere from $50 to- 900 on il.
Although they can obtain ccrtiacotco
81 d'posit ana can open savings a..
counts many Of the mon prefer ar
carry ;hoir wads ON their persons
IAc existence Of the bogus script
caused u" Interruption OF the usu1I
course Of i'odc ana commerce i'm con
wei circles and the temporary sue
e'Ss OF tho "raiscrs' will have mo- II.
lect on the prison currency g,stgt,
other"isc than To- make tho mon who
h'l'dle IN" script lynX.cycd to src
tI'a' no moro phony stun is passed m
'h"m. some # the cunvicts VIII,
DoaSt considerable experience with
queer paper have been naturally much
'hasrihed ~ haying trafIickrd I'm IT,.
raised prison currency without hay
ing ony suspicion that they were b,.
ing stung in approved criminal s,ylc.