| Show CONVICTS MAKE COIN Scandal in Eastern Pennsylvania Penn-sylvania Town BOGUS MONEY IS FOUND Scheme to Turn Pen Into Mint Nipp d in the Bud United States Secret Servico Inspectors Inspec-tors Get Possession of Metals and Chemicals Used Philadelphia ScpL 13 Following doubly upon tho t exposure of gross irregularities In the I olppr department of the eastern Slatf I penitentiary l came tho t announcement t tonight that llhaal I coinage of minor sliver sli-ver pieces has boon carried 1 on by convicts in the big institution No dotalls of the counlerfelllng scheme can be learned from any of time officials connected with the prison or from the Government fr01 GOcrnmenl officers that have been assigned to tho case Tho fact that such a daring scheme has been carried out In tho penitentiary was made public by George Vaux Jr one of tho prison inspectors who summoned newspaper news-paper mel 10 his home and voluntarily made the disclosure Pic gave out I brief statement which Is as follows INSPECTOR TELLS STORY Dr W D Robinson and Mr Vatix Tr who arc at present the visiting Inspectors on duty at the eastern State penitentiary made tho statement hut I It his come to their official knowledge that within a short time an attempt has been made by certain convicts now confined In the penitentiary peni-tentiary to manufacture counterfeit silver colntj But a few pieces were made and a number of these have come into the liaR sesslon of the Inspectors together with tosethel tIme metals and chemicals used the at I tempt thus being nipped In tho bUll The evidence In the case Is not yet complete hit l that has been secured has been submitted ties to the United States authori lcsDYIES DIMES QUARTERS HALVES Mr VatJv refused absolutely to give any more details than contained hIM statement state-ment From other sources however It was learned that dimes quarters and halfdollars were the coins manufactured monufucurcd The discovery was made several days ago and United States secret service officials were immediately called In Their hives tigation It Is learned I Is still in progress their principal object being to learn whether there was collusion between the convicts and employees of the Institution THE CIGAR SCANDAL I is believed the discovery of counter feiters In the prison was the result of the Investigation now being carried on as a result of the charges of Irregularity Thcse became public last week and Warden Bcsslngcr and the overseer of the cigar i department were temporarily re lieved from duty and the penitentiary placed In charge of Rev Joseph Welch the chaplain I Is alleged that thousands of cigars made by I the convicts are unaccounted un-accounted for that thousands of them did not contain tho Internal stamps and Unit In many Instances the law requiring prisonmade clgaru to be stamped con victmade was ignored INSPECTORS INVESTIGATE Tow lonE this huts been curried on hit hi-t to be leurnod The government of the penitentiary ia I Invested In i board of live Inspectors appointed by the Governor who HOW without salary This board is now making an inspection oC each branch of the Institution and has employed an expert ex-pert accountant to go over the books REVENUE OFFICERS CALL In addition to this the Internal revenue officers are carrying on a separate Investigation Inves-tigation Dr William D Robinson oleo ole-o the Inspectors in speaking of the affair af-fair said that tho Inspectors have not found anything that militates against the personal Integrity and ability or the warden but had found abundant evidence that the old methods so long In vogue are faulty and antiquated Warden Besslngcr has been permitted to engage an accountant account-ant of his to accounts protect his interests In the mutter o |
