Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-03-30
HERE is A REAL
DETECTIVE STORY
Bold Counterfeiting Case Furnishes
Example of Modern Sleuths'
"SimpIe" Methods.


"SimpIe" Methods.
Kansas City, Mo-That the Govern
ment's secret service men often move
in mysterious ways their wondrous
work to perform was demonstrated
here a day or two ago in counter
feiting case supplied by bogus bank
note producer whose clever work and
whose whereabouts were shrouded In
dense cloud of mystery. And yet, all
things are simple and quite compre-
hensible when one knows how as
the master magician tells us when he
condescends to expose a seemingly un
explainable bit of legerdemain. Habit
ual criminals have their favorite
methods of lodging the law, but so, in
many cases, have the secret service
men their own peculiar methods OF en-
trapping and bringing offenders to the
bar of justice, as the following facts
well bear out: ....
Two weeks ago, one of the local
banks caught during the day coun-
terfeit $40 bill. 1t was such clever
counterfeit it would pass anybody but
an expert. The next day ten or fifteen
more of the bad bills were found in
the city. ....
Fred N. Tate of the secret service
was notified. That same day reports
came from St. Joseph, Omaha and 81.
Loui.; of the appearance Of the counter->
felt bill. 1t was such a clever imita-
ton of the genuine currency, the bills
had passed in great number until a
warning was sent out to watch for
them. ..-... s..
Then the Governments machinery
to protect it's currency began to work.
But there was nothing mysterious
about its working-to one on the "in-
side" In the office of the secret SER
vice here, Mr.. Tate sat all afternoon
smoking and looking at specimens OF
counterfeit currency. Huge clouds OF
smoke rose from his pipe. That kept
up all day. The reader of detective
tales who believes the secret service
works in a "Hawkshaw" way would
have been distinctly disappointed. But
at last the pipe dropped from the lips
of the man sitting at the desk in the
Federal building. From the pile OF
greenbacks in front Of him he took up
two bills and compared them carefully.
Then he studied them again, noting
every little curve and characteristic
mark. He stepped to the telephone
and called the United States prison at
Leavenworth.
"Was James Ward, alias Stewart,
alias Nolan, in prison?" he asked, in
quiet tone Of voice.
No. James of the three aliases had
been released in June. Then tele-
grams went cut to certain officers in
certain cities. How they located him,
that part the Government keeps as
secret. Suffice it to state that the
counterfeiter was arrested at Spring
field, ILL.,, and his outfit for raising bills
was found with him.
A telegram from Washington came
TO the local secret service office little
while later:
Good work Congratulations"
And so another cOunterfeiter was
caught and put out of business. How
was it done? Simple enough-as has
been said-if you belong to the secret
service. Every counterfeiter has some
distinguishing characteristic in his
work-some little curve or break in
line that gives him away. The secret
service agent compared the new coun
terfeit with dozens of old counterfeits.
At last he found the telltale dis
tinguishing characteristic. And the
rest was easy.
James of the three aliases and
counterfeiting device Lad served three
terms before. So there were plenty of
samples.