Evening star., 1935-09-22

cause they were an almost exact re-
production Of genuine ones. even to
the silk thread that is so difficult to
initiate. According to agents. they
were the best counterfeits ever made
in the United States.
Counterfeiting had been practiced
by the Count" only in the last few
years, when suckers" for other frauds
were harder to find. Prior to that he
had made several fortunes with a
money-making machine which took in
the greedy of both upper and lower
stratas of society. One of his victims
was an Italian fruit peddler who paid
$4,000 for the marvellous device. The
money-making machine was supposed
to turn out two perfect counterfeits"
for every real bill fed into it. In
demonstrating it the Count" used
real, fresh money.
He placed one bill in a secret COM
partment Of the machine before begin
ming its demonstration and it would
come rolling out before the amazed eye
of the buyer. So cleverly was this
managed that even a group of New
York gamblers paid $4,000 for one
Of the machines. Again in Texas a
sheriff and the county tax collector
bought one of the machines. In addi-
ton to the counterfeitlng charge.
Lustig has more charges against him
than seem possible for one man. 1t is
said. Since 1908 he has been ar
rested 38 times (almost once year
for his As years of age). His record
began in Europe and makes a trail
through the leading cities Of France,
Austria, Germany and England, where
he was arrested for embezzlement,
forgery, theft. fraud games and
numerous other crimes. Three de-
portation warrants are against him.
In the United States he has similar
charges; he escaped from Crown Point
Jail (the same one from which Dill
linger escaped with a wooden pistoD
while awaiting trial for grand larceny.
He was wanted under various names
fer questioning in the Nicky Arnstein
case, in the shooting of Jack Dia-
mond and a double murder in Queens.
A number of Lustigs gang were also
located and convicted at the time Of
his arrest
In getting their man" the Secret
Service has even employed the true
detective story idea. In July Of this
year an agent spent three months
posing as an ex-convct to gain the
confidence of counterfeit band who
we're turning out fake $40 bills. The
agent bought $400 worth of the bills,
using marked money. The transaction
occurred in a restaurant and several
other agents sat at an adjoining table
and watched the gang man and the
agent close the deal.
THIEF WILLIAM H. MORAN of the
Secret Service is a fair minded
man. He dislikes to talk over past
cases. He finishes one and says, Get
the next man." but he also says. "I
always give a man his chance. If he's
done his time and starts straight,
give him a break" However, once he
sets out for man he allows no rest
ing until the offender has been taken.
And when the chief, in referring to
Richard w. Adams, said Get him."
he meant it. Called No. counter
feiter by the United States Secret
Service, Adams was described by Chief
Moran as lone of the type we have
to keep in jail" because whenever he
is free he is making trouble for other
people"
One hundred agents were set upon
the trail of Adams. They watched
bank windows, dark alleys and sus-
picious haunts, they questioned thou.
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