The New York herald., 1921-10-16
FIVE ARRESTS HALT
Big C0UNTERFElTING
PLAN,SAYS OFFICIAL
Gang Also Plotted $4,000
Bond Theft, Says Secret
Service Head.
AT WORK ON PLATES
Men Said to Have Met in Pris-
on and Joined Forces
When Released.
AT WORK ON PLATES


on counterfeiting charges stopped, ac-
cording to John S. Tucker, Secret Ser
vice agent in charge Of the New York
office. plan to steal $4,000 worth of
bonds from the vaults of New York
bank, another plan to defraud fences"
who buy the proceeds Of post Office
robberies. another to sell bogus War
Savings stamps, and fourth plan to
counterfeit removal permits for booze.
Several months of work in an expen-
sive bungalow in an exclusive section
of West Allenhurst, N. J., went for
nothing, Mr.. Tucker said when the
arrests were made.
The prisoners were booked at Police
Headquarters under names said by Mr.
Tucker to be fictitious. The names as
he gave them are Giles M. Ranney, alias
Ramey, alias Davidson, arrested at the
Hotel York, Seventh avenue and Thirty
sixth street; William Butler, alias W.
J. Bennett. arrested at the Hotel Mas
sau, 56 East Fifty-ninth street; J. Grey
son Banner. alias Young. also arrested
at the Nassau; William T. Neeley, alias
Beck, Of the Hotel st. Paul, Columbus
avenue and Sixtieth street, and Guy
Plum, whose address was not given.
The latter is 23 years old
First Met I'm Prison.
Ranney, Butler and Banner met. ac-
cording to Mr.. Tucker, in Atlanta prison,
where the first was serving term for
counterfeiting $40 Federal Reserve notes,
the second Tor impersonating a Gov
ernment agent, and the third for violat-
ing the Harrison drug act. When Ran
ney got out last spring he met the other
two and they picked up Neeley and
Plum, went TO Allenhurst and, Mr..
Tucker charges, hired an expensive bun
galow and went to work.
The first scheme, Mr.. Tucker says,
was to counterfeit batch of bonds that
had lain undisturbed In a New York
bank for ten years. The counterfeits
were to be substituted for the genuine
by q confederate, but the confederate
backed out and the plan fell through.
according to Mr.. Tucker. Then, Mr..
Tucker says, they began to make plates
for all the denominations OF United
States postage stamps from 5 cents to
81, intending. he says. to mix with
them enough genuine 2 cent stamps to
allay suspicion and sell them to dealers
In stamps Illegally acquired. They also
made plates, Mr.. Tucker averred for
the 1913 series of War Savings stamps.
However. none of the. plates made by
the photo-engraving process would print
evenly over all their surface, and ex-
perimenting still was going on when
cold weather drove them back TO the
city.
Purchase of Chemicals n Clue.
A purchase alleged to have been made
by Ranncy of chemicals, which the sell
Ter told the secret service about, put the
Government operatives on the trail The
secret service agents did not find the
Allenhurst bungalow. however. until
after the five had left, but they did
nnd q piece of a plate. some chemicals
and some Ink, which led, the agents
declare. to the finding of a whole set of
plates. Other plates, the agents say,
were round in the rooms of various
members Of the combination. and fol-
lowing their arrest. Mr.. Tucker said
statements were obtained from all ex-
cept Neeley giving details Of the plans.
In room which Ranney left, at an
uptown address. Mr.. Tucker said,
wocdcut made by an engraving house,
which read Charges Less for More"
puzzled the agents. Ranney explained.
according to Mr.. Tucker. that If this
was sawed ND and glued together prop
erly IL would duplicate the signature Of
Charles r.. O'Connor, formerly Prohlbi-
ton Director, and would be useful on
removal permits.
Plum was arrested recently for an
attempt to blackmail Sailing w. Baruch
The scheme. Mr.. Tucker said, was con-
cocted by Butler. who is known as a
blackmailer, and who once got 100000
from wealthy Philadelphia woman at
Atlantic City.
| Butler or Bennett, Mr.. Tucker said,
! financed the recent scheme. The rent
OF the Allenhurst cottage and other ex-
penses. he told Mr.. Tucker. according
to the latter, cost him more than $4,000.
a mistake by Ranney in paying his
room rent on one occasion with n check
that afterward went to protest aided
In tracing the quintet, Mr.. Tucker said.
| Ranney was traced to Philadelphia.
where he was connected with Plum.
and the trail was then lost for a time,
Ranney was located and arrested by
/ Secret Service agents, who let him &c
later after giving him the impression
that they had nothing on him.
Mr.. TuCker ealu ne uiu nol ueheNc w.
men had succeeded In putting any oil
the stamps on the market. as they had
not been able TO make n perfect plate
| OF any denomination. Some OF the
stamps. he said. were very good. hut
| others on the plates were indistinct
and. as the stamps we're to be sold tc
the fence" in sheets. all had to be
right.
They will be arraigned tomorrow be-
fore United States Commissioner Sam
uel Hitchcock.
Hvuuyrn nv 0xyN rovTI uAII