THE BITERS BIT.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1921, Page 2

THE BITERS BIT.

COUNTERFEITERS CAUGHT BY RUSSIAN “GOLD.”

Berlin, Feb. 14. “When Berlin thieves fall out, honest men may hope to catch them tripping.” This maxim has just been discovered by eight ingenious printers arrested for uttering false bank notes. These skilful craftsmen had gone into the bank note printing and issuing business, with a zeal hardly exceeded by the Government itself, as in a single week it produced paper money to the face value of one million marks (about £4,500). The notes were exceedingly well done, and certain banks have become badly victimised.

Recently two of them got into touche with Russian emigrants in one of the fashionable cafes of Berlin which the gang made use of for the transaction of its business, and the Russians, in talking over a bottle of wine, let them into the secret that they had brought with them out of Russia gold coin amounting to 401 b in weight. The craftsmen thought this a pricelss opportunity for putting some of their own notes into circulation against excellent cover. The Russians were ready to sell, and after some hard barganining they bought the gold, not, howavar, before they had taken it to

jeweller, where the sample coins werq assayed. Having handed over the notes from their own bank of engraving, the printers put away their acquired gold reserve and proceeded in force to the bank to exchange for bank-notes of the kind more commonly preferred in the best financial circles. At the first visit, however, they were informed by the teller that theii! gold was good imitation, but not good enough for the bank-notAs, as it wa« really only hard solder. The eight craftsi men, dumbfounded, could only burst forth into recriminations against on< another, during which the police wer< fetched and the men are now awaiting trial.

The story is whispered that the Rus*i sians were but skilful men employed by the police, who manipulated real gold at the jewellers and glittering dross out* side. It is even said that the jewelled and the exchanging bank were also in the “swindle,” as the eight craftsmen thought fit to call the transaction.