New-York tribune., 1896-04-04
NINGER'S GREAT SKILL.
MANY OF HIS BILLS HAVE REACHED THE
SUB-TREASURY.

THE MANS WONDERFUL Pen WORK - HIS
CoUNTERFEITING OPERATIONS.
"A good many Of the pen-and-ink counterfeits Of
paper money made by Emanuel Nnger. OF Flag
town. y. j.. who has at last been found out and
put In jail, have reached the New-York Sub-Treas-
ury," sad Cashier George w. Marlor yesterday.
"Ninger engaged In counterfeitng great
many years The first production Of his that re-
call having seen was a twenty-dolar greenback. In
1879 ! never ten-dollar bill executed by
him. although he IS reported to have made bills Of
that denomination. He kept increasing the value
OF his notes After the twenty-dollar bills he made
fty-dolar greenback and then one-hundred-dol-
lar Treasury notes.
1T must have taken him several days-poss!bly q
week-to make each bill. The amount OF work on
each was almost Incredible The mans gift with
the pen was simply wonderful. He copied the
vignettes. coored seals and various designs with
the utmos. fidelity. Yet there was always some
thing lacking from his bills Sometimes IT would
be the fine lettering on the back defining the PEN
atty for counterfeitng, and again 1t would be
some thing else.
THE omissions were invariably from the back
Of the bill. The counterse.ter understood human
nature well enough know that the face OF a bill
Is always looked find out its denom!nat ton.
and that bank telers always count piles OF bills
face up. The paper used by the counterfeter was
an excellent imitation OF that used by the Govern
ment and the silk thread found in genuine bills
was Initiated with ink.
II am not sure that some Of his counterfcits
were not made genuine paper. He might have
taken a one-dollar bill and removed the printing
by the OF chemicals. and then with his pen
converted the paper into ffty-dolar or hun
dred-lollar bill. / should say that 800 OF his pen
and-nk money reached the Sub-Treasury yearly.
Ii was received from banks, which turned Il in
for redemption after It had become mutilated. or
else presented IT with good money in bricks FOR
transfer 10 other points. The counterfets would
fool almost any bank teller. but they would be
spotted by our experts. After they were punctured
with the word counterfeit by US. they would be
turned over to the Secret Service agents. | said
wears ago that these counterfe.ts were made IN
\ew-Jersey because occasionally when they could
be traced 1t was found shat they first made
their appearance in the vicinity OF the North River
ferries. .. 4,
The best counterfeit at present IN existence IS
that OF the two-dollar silver certificate containing
the head OF the late Secretary OF the Trearury;
william Window. II IS printed rom plates ana
IS almost perfect. The paper used for the counter
felt is not easy 10 distinguish from the genuine.
II lacks slightly In hrmness. The counterrslt nrst
appoarei at Milwaukee two years ago IL was
srread through the Northwest. Next II got down
INTO the south and from thence worked up Nortn.
FOR ten years previously there was in circulation
= counterfeit OF the former design OF the Two
doriar silver certificate bearing the head or Gen.
eral Winfield Scott Hancock