Counterfeiter arrested.
--
Matthew Norton, who hails from
Memphis, Tenn., and who, at the time, was in possession of seven thousand dollars counterfeits, in Confederate Treasury notes, was arrested in
Atlanta, Ga., on the 14th inst.--This young counterfeiter is also a spy, having been observed for several days inspecting the fortifications about
Charleston.
He had among his papers a record of his oath of allegiance to the United States Government, and a passport giving him permission to go out of
Memphis with a wagon and team.
After his arrest
Matthew Norton confessed that he had passed about $3,000 of these counterfeits in the city of
Charleston, S. C. We append below such a description of them as will insure their recognition:
$100, 2
Cents Per Day.--This counterfeit is of the issue of
J. T. Patterson,
Columbia, S. C., duty July 4, 1862. In the genuine but one of the masts of the ship run up to the telegraph wire; in the counterfeit both masts run up to that wire; in the genuine the woman's hand is flat on the pail, she is carrying, in the counterfeit, she holds a knob or handle of the pail; in the genuine the signature of
J. F. Grayson is in a round hand, in the counterfeit the same signature is in a running hand; in the genuine the numbers rest on a line made for the purpose, in the counterfeit there is no line for the numbers to rest on.
Yellow Ground, 2 cents per day $100.--The date of this counterfeit is September 1st, 1892, and is nearly one eighth inch narrower than the genuine.
The engraving of the genuine was done on stone, that of the counterfeit on wood.
The face of
Mr. Calhoun is badly executed, especially about the eyes, they having the appearance of a very heavy frown.
The cotton the negroes are working on is darker in the counterfeit than it is in the genuine.
The medallion in the upper left hand corner, in the counterfeit, is open and light, in the genuine the same is dark — as dark as that which contains the likeness of
Mr. Calhoun.
In the counterfeit the words "one hundred dollars" are printed so close together as to appear almost like one word.
The word "with," in the phrase "with interest," is badly done.
$10
Bills.--The third and remaining class of counterfeits which were in possession of
Norton is of the denomination of $10. In the counterfeit of this issue the two Xx's are printed in solid red, in the genuine the same letters are in open work.
The faces of
Mr. Memminger and
Mr. Orr (we believe) is badly execute, being much lighter than in the genuine.
Mr. Memminger's eyes appear in the counterfeit rather popped instead of sunken as in the genuine.
The date of this counterfeit is September 2, 1861.
