The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-02-03
MERC CHANTS WARNED
ABOUT COUNTERFEIT
Postoffice Money Orders Now
Being Circulated West of
State of MARYLAND.

Clarksburg merchants and other
business men are warnee against
clever counterfeit post-oflice money
orders. Postal orcer forms for the
Maryland Offices have been printed
and are being circulated west OF that
state. A. NJ. Dockery, third assistant
postmaster general. has scat out the
following statement:
Counterfeit money order forms,
printed for Baltimore, Nd, office
number 500 were passed at Pitts
turg, Pa, January 16, 1915, and a.
Chicago. ILL.,, q week later. Serial
numbers were from c041O7 up and
purported to have been issued at Bal-
timore, Md, Jan. s, 1915.
1.-The printing OF the counterfeit is
good and well executed. There is a
slight difference in the size in some
of the letters OF the printed text and
in the figuren In che lefthand margin
al guard The NJ. o. b. dating sta1nl.
liz 1916 of an inch wider than on the
genuine order.
THE counterfeit is easily detected,
however, by the paper. which is what
is commercially known as .'laid"
paper, instead of safety" paper. The
paper used for the counterfeit is dark
err in color. thicker, and heavier than
the paper of the government postal
money order. The paper is not as
transparent nor as smooth on either
side as the government paper. The
counterfeit order held to the light
lhnInA ,rr1, e.Lr oil a.,
light and. dark vertical lines about
1892 and 1854 Of an inch wide, 'respec-
lively, running parallel from the
top to the bottom or tho order, while
horizontal lines about 1882 of an inch
wide and about 1916 of an inch
apart cross the vertical lines and run
from the marginal check side of the
order to the extreme right side cou-
pom portion of til. order. All the
lines are made in the paper during
the process of manufacture. No hor-
iSontal lines appear in the govern
n,ent paper and the vertical lines arc
stamped on the surface. No water
marks or other design "U. S. Postal
oMney Orders" as appear in the gov
ernment paper, can be seen in the
counterfeit order.
Liquid INK radiators in general
use will not materially change the
color of the paper used in the coun-
erfeit order or turn 1t white, while
the same eradicator will discolor the
government paper and turn 1t white.
eat Pittsburg, Pa, an order for
T$54.40 was rendered and accepted at
a jewelry store in payment Of $12
watch, the basAnce being received IN
cash At Chicago. ILL.,, the forger
rented a room in n respectable neigh
borhood and through Identification
by his landlady to letter carrier on q
small order, secured the carriers q.
X. and his initials with his number
en- the order This small order was
not presented. but having secured the
carriers indorsemen.. and number the
carriers signature was forged to or
ders for larger amounts, which were
presented and paid at stations.
Should counterfeit orders be pre-
scented, refuse payelnnt, notify the po-
lice officers and wire the post-ofica
inspector in Charge of your division
and also the chief post-oflice inspec-
tor. Business men should be eau
toned not 10 accept money orders
from strangers without satisfactory
references, and their assistance in ap-
pretending forger offering these coun-
terfeit orders solicited