Show I R Master aster Strokes of ofu u I q I Great tal Detectives Defectives tS I m DETECTIVE E ZEN n AND ANT TilE THE REDEEMED REDEE MONEY I Can good money be called bad and I If H so 50 when does it become zed and a a. fraud orthe on or- the thc United States a government f vj j I That was as the puzzle which confronted conj con- con j fronted United States Treasurer Hyalt Hyatt Hy- Hy att alt in Washington some 40 years ears ago al Jt It was discovered that unauthorized 2 money was being circulated i in the them m District of Columbia and in accord- accord 3 1 Jj ante ance with custom the thc United States 3 rR secret service took the matter in hand jj Jt a at t once In some manner It s seemed med to U be beM I M connected with the redemption bui bul bureau bu- bu i l reau of the thc treasury and Chief Hazen 11 had an interview with the 1 3 of that bureau He was standi stand stand- I 3 i ing inS there discussing the various em em- plo cs when he noticed a woman drive up in a rather fine looking carriage II a and d enter the building To his surprise surprise surprise sur sur- prise she came into the large larse room roomI I Jj Ja and took her place at a desk des with the theother theo I o other er clerks The superintendent noting not- not tug trig the curious look on the face Cace of the detective e answered his unasked 1 I I question I That is Mrs Harris one of our oldest and most valued i Chief Hazen said nothing more but g 5 M when he left the building he began g an immediate investigation into therM the tI a rM standing of Mrs Helena Harris I In Ill order to understand the situa- situa 4 Lion Hon we cn must t compare the theU customs a and the standards of living of today I I y y with those that prevailed pre 40 or 50 SO j. j years ago Today many mechanics 1 drive to work in their own automo- automo j automo-j I 7 I 1 biles half a century ago a a. person that owned OO a ho horse and carriage was as I looked upon as having either money j 1 or a big salary j I The secret service man learned that a 4 Mrs Harris made exa exactly 1000 a as s year ear He lIe found Jound that she lived In a aI I t very ery attractive house and that she also Iso owned a a. country home In addition ad addition ad- ad to this she had sent her sonto sonto son sonto to Europe to be educated How she shedid shedid shedid did it was a a. question in economics the detective was unable to answer He was suspicious and his suspicions were t intensified when he discovered that in her social career she lived under a different name from that which she used in the department She had been in the service for tor nearly a a. quarter of a century and was noted for the rapidity with which she could count money and the accuracy of her accounts The department in which she worked known as the re- re division had charge of the thel soiled worn and mutilated money I that was sent in to be redeemed from various parts of the countr country She was was was' one of at the first to handle it before it was finally destroyed ed and new money substituted for Cor the old For days daj's Mrs Harris was carefully watched and then one morning the treasurer was able to trace to U her desk an Important error in the re redemption redemption re- re account An immediate investigation in investigation In- In into this particular error I proved that in three da days s 's she had taken in old and mutilated money that should have been sent Uthe to U the macerator to be ground into pulp How lon long this had been going on onno onno onno no one could guess but it was estimated estimated estimated esti esti- mated that she had been taking the discarded notes at the rate of a ada aday aday da day for Cor a a. long time Every possible check had been placed on this old currency and toda today the s system stem is so o perfect that it is 15 literally impossible to commit such a a. fraud When confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted with the evidence e she burst into tears It is true she said I did take the old money I was tempted and could not resist But 1 if you will give me the opportunity I will make it good She did make the good by mortgaging her property to cover coyer the deficit In the investigation that followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed it was found that she had perfected perfected per per- a most ingenious method of I I 1 I j I j I makin making new mon money y out of old TaIng Taking Taking Tak Tak- ing 10 worn bills she would t tear ar paste and manipulate them so o that one good bill would come out of the fragments What was left of them was passed on to the macerator It was US the jl jigsaw puzzle put into practical use Officials who examined the notes she Thad had put together with so ro much Ingenuity in ingenuity ingenuity In- In and patience were amazed J Jat at the result It is a a. strange commentary on human human human hu hu- hu- hu man nature that the clue which led to her arrest should have come about through her display of vanity in riding rIdIng riding rid rId- ing up to the department in her own carriage But for Cor that she might have gone on for a much longer time A certain amount of or sympathy was felt for her but it was necessary to punish her as an example to others who mi might ht be tempted No one can cantell cantell cantell tell what a jury fury would have done in her case but she was destined never to face one She was stricken with a malad malady which caused her death beCore be before be- be fore Core she was as brought to trial Copyright by Public Ledger |