Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-11
PLAN TO MAKE GEORGIA Sell. SUSTAINING DEVISED
Tzv0 Men Sought Here as
C0unterJe1terS Get Laugh
On Officers: I'LL n Joke

A squad of city detectives, secret
service and department of justice
agents staged a raid on the Ken
Sunday night in quest Of counter
feiters, and after surrounding the
premises and investigating for six
hours, they learned that they were
victims Of false information"
Reports of gigantic counterfeit
ing operations" by Harry Preside
and James Parkwood, both of New
eral authorities. Anonymous infor-
mants had told them Preside and
Parkwood had room at II Cone
street, and that they had boldly and
openly manufactured 500 counter
felt notes before crowds of people at
the corner of Wall and Pryor
streets"
A small machine similar to the
kind used by counterfeiters, a quaint
ity Of paper cut to the size of fed
eral reserve notes. and a large sup
ply of watches and jewelry were
found in the room occupied by Pre-
sido and Parkwood. They were not
at home, and the machine and sus-
plc1ous looking paper were confiscat-
ed. All appearances indicated the
officers had made a big haul, and
they detailed agents to shadow the
two defendants until a warrant could
be issued Monday for their ar
rest.
According to J. H. Morgan. pro-
prietor of the Kenwood, Preside and
Parkwood came in near midnight Sum
day He informed them Of the raid
on their room and told them coun-
terfeiting charges were docketed
against them. ''But they only laugh
ed and went on up and retired" said
Morgan.
Monday morning, newspaper men
visited their room and listened to
their explanation.
Parkwood did the talking. and this
was his story:
1--WE travel out Of New York and
sell watches and novelties. Here is
our license to operate in Atlanta
The suspicious looking machine the
officers took is used by us to attract
crowds when we begin our sales at
the Wall-Pryor street corner. We
plant real hundred-dollar bill in
the bottom Of the machine, insert a
blank piece Of paper in the top, turn
crank, and of course the 500 bill
icS fNIHS 1n6
how we do it; they become inter-
ested, and then we get busy and sell
our goods before the gang gets away.
1--WE always show our machine to
the police chief in each town we
visit. Chief Beavers looked it over,
looked both of us over, too, and gave
us permission to use it in Atlanta.
We have been here eight weeks, and
are doing a rushing business. We
don't know who reported to the Off
GERS that we are real counterfeiters.
Anyway, it's a big joke"
Parkwood and Preside displayed
their stock of watches and jewelry,
which they declared was worth more
than $4,000.
Preside said he turned Tout" a
crisp 500 bill before a large crowd
Saturday afternoon, and then tried to
auction it. 81 couldn't get an offer
above so cents for it," he said, land
I even let some Of the people in the
audience look it over. They said it
looked genuine, but they couldn't
understand how we did it,"
Chief Beavers had a kiG laugh
when he was shown the mechanism
of their machine, both men said.
Department of justice agents did
not discuss the raid" Monday morn
ing. 1--WE have their machine, and
are expecting both men to come in
today to see us. 1 may be that they
have really made some impressions
on the blank pieces of paper which
are run through the machine. This
would be violation of the law, even
if it were done without wrongful in
tent If this was not done, then they
have not violated the federal law"
agents of the department said.
Parkwood and Preside said the
"raid" on their room had not fright
ened them out Of town. They in
tend to remain here for several weeks
longer, cas- business is very good"
they declared.