Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-08-22
Eight Men Arrested and
Outfit for Making Ger
tificates Seized.
A MOONSHINE PLANT
Chief Flynn Says Scheme
Was to Circulate Cash,
Destroy Machines.

NEW YORK, Aug. 21.-A conspir-
acy to manufacture and circulate
81 900. 900 of counterfeit silver GER
tificates and United States treasury
notes was frustrated here today by
William j. Flynn, chief of the gov
eminent secret service. and several as
sistants.
Eight arrests were made after raids
on a house at Grant city, staten
island, and one in East Ninth street,
this city.
A complete counterfeiting outfit
was found. consisting of Photographic
apparatus, photographic presses. cleo
trotyping. etching tools. paper and
colored ink.
An Illicit wine and liquor blending
plant also was unearthed. Two of the
men taken in custody were operating
this plant, it was alleged.
According to the secret service men,
the counterfeters apparently were
well supplied with money, their out,
fit alone having cost upward OF
$1,000.
underground" Channel Utilized.
The scheme. the government agents
said they were informed. was to man
ufacture the 100000 in spurious
bills, then destroy the plant before at
tempting to dispose of the bogus
money.
Seventy Photographic negatives OF
genuine bills had been made and the
impressions transferred to gelatine
and wax plates. Some of these, after
having been electrotyped. had been
etched. Pieces of silk and human
hair also were used in the process OF
making the counterfeits.
Chief Flynn declared that the ring
leader of the alleged conspiracy is an
expert photoengraver and etcher. 1he
work of fitting up the plant, 1t was
said began several months ago.
Through a channel described as
"underground" the secret service men
learned that a band of counterfeiters
under Antonio Monteforti were ar
ranging something new in the coun-
terfeiting line.
Heretofore the counterfeiting plants
have been cornered through tracing
the counterfeit money to its source.
st. Louis Agents Called On.
To make sure the conspirators
would not know they were being fol-
lowed secret service men were called
from Chicago, St Louis. Cincinnati
and other cities, and they followed
every move of the suspected men.
They were with them when they paid
for the presses. plates, paper and
etching material, and rented the old
hotel building in Grant City.
They said they watched Monteforu,
skilled photographer and etcher'
work on the plates, and saw other men
prepare the paper by pasting TWO
thin sheets together, between which
silk threads and hair had been scat
tered, to initiate currency paper.
IL was said the printing of the
counterfeit bills was about to begin
when Chief Flynn and his men ar
rived in automobiles and made the
raid. Their prisoners inclued Monte
forti.
The plan was under development
for more than a year, and several
men had been devotng their time eX-
clusively to that work. Elaborate as
was the engraving and printing
scheme the project of floating the
counterfeit bills Indian s. and Buff
falo $40, was more ingenious.
The leaders, il is said, had arranged
for a practical underwriting of their
supply by a group of twenty middle
men, who were to peddle them out at
As cents on the dollar to the men who
would pass them to the public.
At least fifty negatives of United
States bills, ranging from 81 to $40,
were found. Some had been trans
ferred to gelatin, then wax plates. and
from that copper plates were being
made for printing the notes Monte
| forti was found with etching tools
working on s. copper plate.