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Show HAVE LOST CUNNING COUNTERFEITERS TURNING OUT NO GOOD WORK. For Many Years There Have Been No Spurious Banknotee to Worry the Money World The "Monroe "Mon-roe Hundred." There Is ono lost art among criminals, crim-inals, ono trade which United States secret service men have seemingly wiped out to tho very last man. This Is tho art of counterfeiting currency, jayB tho Kansas City Star. Kansas City bank officials say that for eight years not ono spurious banknote worthy of passing comment has been handled In the money world. They declaro that thb day of successful counterfeiting has come to an end. "Not a banknoto which fools tho experts ex-perts Is on tho market," said B. F. Swlnney, president of tho First national na-tional bank. "There Is counterfeit currency, plenty of It," ho Bald, "but Ifn a kind detected almost at a glance. Inspection of It quickly reveals the flaws. Usually the work Is clumsy. Hut not since tho notorious gang in Philadelphia which matlo tho famous "Monroo hundred" was wiped out has there boon a really clever counterfeiter counterfeit-er at work. At least, wo havo no record rec-ord ot any. Tho "Monroo hundred" was a flOO sllvor certificate with tho face of President Monroo stamped upon lilt li-lt was of a series of 1901, check letter D, Tillman register, Morgan treasurer. treasur-er. It was an absolutely perfect counterfeit. coun-terfeit. Experts In tho treasury department de-partment were fooled by it. Tho notes became so numerous and wore accepted ac-cepted so extensively that the government gov-ernment called In Its entlro Issue ot tho bill, amounting to several million mil-lion dollars. Even now a 'Monroe hundred' Is occasionally picked up and Is almost Iraposslblo to tell whether It 1s genuine or not. "The only dlfforenco botween tho genuine bill and tho counterfeit was In tho shnpe of tho figures 3 and 4 and the length of tho bill. In tho figure fig-ure 3 tho lower loop did not extend up so far toward tho center of tho figure as It should havo extended. In the figure 4 tho spaco between tho baso and tho centor cross lino was narrower nar-rower than It should havo been. Tho falbo bill was one-slxtccnth of an Inch 'shorter than tho genuine. "Such IrregulnVltles would easily pass tho oyo of nn expert," Mr. Swlnney Swln-ney said. "Of course, If a genulno bill was laid before you, and you had tho opportunity to comparo tho two, after some study the defects could be noted. Hut think of tho number of money handlors who had tho counterfeit counter-feit bill who hud no opportunity for such comparison. "Tho gang which made tho 'Monroe hundred" was nrrested In Philadelphia In 1899. The plates which printed the bills were recovered and tho counterfeiters"' counter-feiters"' sentenced to long terms In prison. "With tho end of that gang," Mr. Swlnney snld, "thoro seems to hxvo been nn end ot successful counterfeiting. counterfeit-ing. Not since 1899 hna tho government govern-ment been forced to recall any currency cur-rency Issue. Crooks havo learned that to niako spurious currency which will pass inspection is n hard task. And thoy havo learned that tho penalty pen-alty Uncle Sam makes them pay when detected Is heavy." |