George P. Burnham. American Counterfeits. How Detected, and How Avoided. Springfield, Mass.: W. J. Holland, 1875.
In his preface, George Burnham characterizes the shape-shifting nature of the underworld, which is “shielded beneath the garb of outward apparent virtue, stalks abroad unblushingly at noon-day, in the midst of society, or riots under cover of darkness.” His American Counterfeits details crime in its many guises and includes portraits of criminals such as “Easy Roberts,” “the Staten Island Gang,” and “Cranky Tom” Hale. The book also tells how the Secret Service’s extraordinary efforts helped bring down a diamond smuggling ring, uncover a bogus lunatic asylum, and break the “Great Philadelphia Boodle Game.” Here, agents are shown in disguise as they infiltrate a counterfeiting ring.
