Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1896 — FIVE TONS OF BOGUS MONEY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FIVE TONS OF BOGUS MONEY.

Seised by the Secret Service Department Of the Treasury, At Washington within the next few days will be destroyed five tons of counterfeit money, machines and other necessary articles used in the manufacture of the “queer.” This amount of “stuff” has been gathered by the secret service division of the treasury, and occupies so much room that its destruction has become necessary. As much care is taken of the bogus money as there is of the good. Every cent must be accounted for. Three of the most trustworthy men in the Treasury Department will be selected to superintend the destruction of the eounterfeit. Every package will* be opened in their

presence, and they will watch the counting of the contents, which must correspond to the memoranda in the record book. Finally, all of the coin, as well as metal tools and other apparatus, will be carried down stairs and put aboard one of the big ironclad wagons which are used by the department for carrying money. By a special arrangement with the Secretary of the Navy, one of the great blast furnaces in the gunshop will be placed at the disposal of the committee. The weighty packages will be taken from the wagon and stacked up in front of the iurnace, which is like unto that one which was seven times heated. Into it the stuff will be unceremoniously shoveled, the coin .first and then the counterfeiters’ machines, engraved steel plates for false

notes, implements of various kinds, etc. Such things as jimmies and brass knuckles go with the rest. In the lot will be a great quantity of metal tokens, representing money, such as are used by manufacturing and nflning companies, particularly in tbe South, for paying their employes. Together with the lot go in not a few things of odd sorts. Among them are advertising tags of tin, made in rude imitation Of silver quarters. These are not intended to serve a criminal purpose, but the secret service gobble* Them just the same. In the collection now on hand are a number of so-called coin clusters, intended for paper weight*. They represent clusters of gold and silver pieces. What is cast into tbe furnace, including tile machinery, etc.. Is reduced to unrecognizable shapes and sold to junk dealers. Thus far nothing has been said of the way in which the paper counterfeits are destroyed. They are put into a big tank with hot water and acids and are cooked and stirred about for many hours, until at length they are reduced to the condition of pulp. The pulp is dried, pressed into tliickohoets and sold for paper stock. The process is the same as that which is applied to’the damaged paper money redeemed by the treasury. Into the great vat a few days hence will go large quantities of “flash money,” which term is used to describe the printed advertisements in imitation of the national currency. with which the country is at all times flooded, notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the Government to suppress them. They are confiscated wherever the detectives of Jhe secret service come across them. Calendars bearing likenesses of silver certificates and hat bands with representations of gold coins come under this head. Not long ago a large number of soda water checks resembling nickel piece* were seized in Chicago.

BURNING COUNTERFEIT MONET.