The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-10-14
No CHANGE FOR
COUNTERFE|TERT TO
BEAT UNCLE SAM
Some Little Detail Overlooked
inevitably Leads to De-
lection of Criminal.
EACH ISSUE is DISTINCTIVE
No lndfsic1al Engraver Completes
Plate for Any Series of Notes
Interesting Cases Which aroVe
ImpossibiIity of Success in
Counterfeiting.


New York.-The government is an
organization. 1t has organized forms
and means for making currency. These
forms and means are fashioned on the
scientific plan that there are no exact
duplicates possible in nature or in the
manufacturing of product. No two
battleships are exactly alike, any more
than are two roses that grow in the
same garden.
AS an example in the making of our
money, Let me say that an engraver
in the government service can make
one plate, and only one plate, from
which a given series of bills are print
ed, says the chief of the secret service
In the New York Telegraph. That en-
graver may nearly duplicate it, but
never will be able to reproduce it
exactly. or even approach the origi-
nal work by reproduction to such
degree that there will not be a diff
ference that is detachable. So with
the dies for stamping the government
copper, silver and gold coins.
Then, too, it is not so remarkable
that duplicates are impossible, when
one considers that there are thou
sands, in some instances tens of thou
sands, of delicate strokes by very
fine tool necessary in the making of
single plate for the manufacture OF
series of notes. Perhaps scratch is
too heavy, or maybe too lightly made
Such an error would be fatal Con-
slider, too, that only one plate is used
by the government in printing given
series of notes, and only one die is
used in making a given issue of coins.
Plate Work of Many.
1t may be interesting for the reader
to keep in mind that no individual en-
graver completes a plate for any Sc
ries of notes. One man engraves the
vignette; another does the script
work; third man the square letter
ing, and yet another takes care of the
mechanical lathe work, etc.
In the light of common reason there
is only one conclusion possible-gov-
successfully for any sustained period
unless the secret service agents cease
their tireless vigilance. And yet, in
the face of all these organized Obsta-
cles, individuals and small groups Of
men have risked their freedom, and
no doubt will continue to do so, in an
effort to cheat Uncle Sam by foisting
spurious coins and notes on the public
There is the case of the German ar
fist who noticed an oil painting, a rep
resentation of ten-dollar bill, paint
ed in the panel on the wall of a res
taurant where he had been accus-
toned to dine. He tried, at first. ''just
to initiate the painting" His imita-
ton was in pen and ink, and so we'll
done that he felt curiosity to know
whether he could deceive any person
with the product. He tried and sue
ceeded in the deceit.
Then for Ia years he devoted him.
self mostly to sketching on bond pa
per of the proper size a number of
bills, including ten, twenty, fifty and
even hundred-dollar notes, in imita-
ton of the United States currency. 1t
would require his continuous efforts
for two weeks at time to complete
hundred-dollar note. And yet again
he would take vacations for six
months at time from his counterfeit
ing labors, in the meantime devoting
himself to legitimate art.
Goes Once Too often.
His method of showing" or dispos-
ing of the notes was to get rid of
them in liquor stores near the New
Jersey ferries on the New York side.
He would choose a rush-hour crowd in
which to approach the bar, order a
quart of whisky, and a drink which he
would swallow at the bar while engag-
ing the bartender in conversation. He
would at the same time lay down his
counterfeit bill, get it exchanged hur-
riedly and hasten to New Jersey.
where he had built himself and family
a house.
For the most part the bartender did
not notice the counterfeit note, not
even when counting up, and it went
to bank or finally to the subtreasury
before it was detected. All trace of
the distributor of the bill was, of
course, lost by this time.
However, the pitcher went to the
well once too often. One evening
about five o'clock our German artist
went into liquor store on Courtlandt
street, not far from the ferries He
bought quart Of whisky as usual
and a separate drink. and laid
twenty-doIlar bill on the bar. 1t so
happened that the bar was moist with
whisky spilled from an overturned
glass. When the bartender picked up
the bill from Che moistened bar, the
ink on the note, dampened by the al
cohel, soiled his fingers and he gave
the alarm.
Had the artist used what is termed
waterproof ink, he would not have
been detected in that instance.
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