The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-13
Prisoners at LeavenwOrth Even
Used Federal Presses.
Biggest Counterfeiting Scheme
Known in History.
PASS $50, 900 IN BAD CHECKS
All Happened in Disciplinary
Barracks Before Guards.
Officers Peacefully Ignorant of
Mems Actions.

LeavenwoFth, Kan, June "a
Right under the noses of armed
guards, and within the walls of the
United States disciplinary barracks at
cocted what IS believed to be the big
gest counterfeiting scheme known in
the history of the United States Sc
cret service. Prisoners working in
the printing office of the barracks
used the government presses to print
hundreds of bogus checks on the
United States subtreasuries at New
Orleans, Boston and New York.
The scheme is now uncovered, and
many of the alleged perpetrators are
under arrest, thru the efforts of Fred
NJ. Tate and James A. Savage, secret
service operatives of the Kansas City.
office, co-operated with by other Sc
cret service men in the east.
Passed 100000 in Checks.
And, as a result of the Illicit work
of the government printing presses,
the public has been swindled out of
approximately $4,000, maybe more;
for all the checks may not have
turned up.
!. The surprising feature of the
scheme is that, with SO many men
involved, some inkling of the work
did not leak. out from within the
prison. But it did not. guards stand
ing dumbly by and prison officers
peacefully ignorant, thruout the prog
ress Of the work.
Used "Safety Paper"
Some time ago a large amount of
government check paper, called
safety paper" was received at the
prison. 1t was to be used for the
printing of checks to be given men
working on the prison farm. But the
paper was not used. plans being
changed before the paper was printed
1t was locked up in the prison. Some
of the men working in the print shop
located the paper, got a key to the
place where it was kept, and stole it.
With consistent regularity prisoners
have been escaping from the barracks
Some OF them carried a supply of the
counterfeit subtreasury warrants out
with them. pinned to their under
clothing. And finally. the checks be-
gan to appear at business houses.
To make detection difficult, the
fake could not be discovered until the
checks were sent to the sub-treasuries.
This gave the passers about two weeks
in which to make their getaway.
First Check Passed in X. C.
The first check to be called to the
attention of Tate and Savage was
passed on a tire company in Kansas
City. They saw it was printed on
government safety paper" and the
description of the man who passed it.
agreed with that of Robert Jones, an
escaped prisoner from the barracks.
Savage went to the barracks and com
pared the signature with that of Jones
on prison record papers. They were
similar. On the service record of
Jones appeared the name of his wife,
who at the time of his enlistment in
1917 was living in Chicago. The
secret service men at Chicago were
notified. kept watch on the house and
~
Friday. arrested Jones.
From this point, the going became
easier. and other arrests followed
quickly, all kept secret to prevent con-
federates from learning of them.
In Many Cities.
But before the arrest of Jones, Tate
and Savage spent sleepless nights rum
ming down false clews. Another man.
whose description fitted that of Jones.
was trailed to Chicago, closely ques-
toned and finally released And
checks began appearing rapidly in
other cities-St. Louis. Kansas City,
Detroit Cleveland. Buffalo, Boston and
New York.
And, finally, one was cashed at "a
Leavenworth, Kan, bank. bearing the
name of an officer at the prison and
SO closely resembling his signature
that the bank teller pronounced it gen.
uine.
81. oO many conflicting descriptions or
the men who passed the checks were
given as TO convince the secret service
men several were working.
Expect Indictments in Kansas.
Warrants for all of these men, as
we'll as several others, whose names
are withheld, have been issued by
Fred Robertson. United States district
attorney for Kansas. All the men will
be taken back to Kansas to await
probable indictment on charges of
counterfeiting or conspiracy to coun-
terfeit government subtreasury war
rants.
Tate said last night he expected 9TH
er arrests to be made soon.