The Strand Magazine, Vol. 07, Issue 42, June, 1894: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 07, Issue 42, June, 1894: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
The doings of forgers, if properly chronicled, would fill sufficient
volumes to stock the library of any average mansion with as sensational
a series of works as could be found--indeed, so would the operations
of begging-letter writers, for the matter of that. The previous
papers under the heading of "Crimes and Criminals" have particularly
dealt with the relics at New Scotland Yard, and although it must be
admitted that the mementos here of this particular branch of punishable
professions are not peculiarly extensive, yet they are unquestionably
highly instructive and interesting, and it is not proposed to deviate
from the pivot round which our previous observations have been made.
One glass case is practically given up to them. It is a "creepy" case.
It contains the last clothes worn by a famous forger, whose action
set the whole world talking for weeks--his silk hat, travelling cap
with ear laps, pocket-handkerchief, collar, etc. It is not considered
politic to mention his name. Close by is a poisoner's pill case,
whose nefarious deeds in a neighbourhood "over the water," and in the
immediate vicinity of Waterloo Bridge, made one shudder only a year or
so ago. Then we come to the relics which call for more minute attention.
[Illustration: PLATE USED FOR PRINTING FORGED RUSSIAN ROUBLE NOTES.]
Here are the plates for printing, gelatine moulds, and specimens of
notes, which form the relics of the case known as the "Forged Russian
Rouble Notes," which had a run between the years 1868 and 1876. A
glance at a frame containing samples of notes purporting to be for
one, three, ten, twenty-five roubles, etc., will at once convince the
observer that the Russian Consulate spoke truly when, at the hearing of
the persons arrested, at the police-court, he said: "They are really
splendid specimens of forgeries of the actual legitimate notes." In
company with these are treasures associated with what is known as the
"Ti Kroner Case." They consist of a cigar-box converted into what is
generally believed to be a photographic camera, a negative--broken
fortunately--of a Ti Kroner note, a note photographed on a piece of
substantial box-wood, several specimens of forged notes, and a note
pasted on to a piece of paper with three circles cut out of it. This
is peculiarly interesting, for "the operator" has pencilled in the
centre disc, "£10 clock here," in the left-hand disc, "£10 watch here,"
and in the right-hand circular space, "watch here." The excuse of the
person on whose premises these were found was that he intended to use
the Ti Kroner notes as a novel form of advertisement for clock and
watch makers!--to distribute these notes, drop one or two carelessly
in the streets, or leave them on the cushions of railway carriages;
and when the thinkingly lucky finder hastily picked one up, popped it
in his pocket, and waited until he got home to examine it, he found it
was only, after all, an advertisement for Brown, the watchmaker, or
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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