The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-06

people out of every ie9, ke argued. are
amazingly careless Ills scheme was 70
take advantage OF thsiF careiessness
Now. If you were - ressd IN n novel how
lie lid this. you would throw the book
aside with Impotence and declare that 1,
was utterly prepcsterous. that IL was al
impossible scheme and that the public
could never be auped TO such g great ex-
/ tent.
Yet listen. This man Is today In L,id-
low street jail. Government officials who
nave been looking for him for nearly q
quarter Of century have hardly recov-
cred from their first shock OF Joy at cap
turing him And men who have sneered
at the stories told by these officials OF this
mans clsverness have been convinced that
the stories are true and they are over
wheifned with amusement.
This Is the story OF Emanuel Nfnger,
the cleverest courter1efter that ever lived.
In admiration for his wonderful shrewd-
ness one is almost apt 10 overlook his ras-
caiity. He did not counterfeit small bills:
he confined himself TO denominations Of
50. $50 and slo0
He did not attempt to initiate the orig
'nai: he initiated the popular idea OF what
the original looked like. The details of
engraving that nobody ever scrutinires
he overlooked. The prominent features
OF bank or government note that tmme-
dfately strike the eye he wrought very
carefully.
He was not an ;naitator: he was an I'm
presssonist.
Emanuel Ringer and his wife caxna to
this country from Germany twcnty-three
years ago. In Germany he had been q
grocer's clerk. but having developed con-
siderable ability in drawing letters he gave
Up that occupation to become = sign
painter. They settled first In Cincinnati,
but after living there ten years they NOV
ed to New Jersey, where they lived for
eight years in Westneld and during the
past four years In Fiagtown.
Although during all this time Ringer
supported his family. which had been in
creased by four children. by issuing coun-
terfeit money. 1t II only OF his work dur
ing his residence In Fiagtown that tho
government off1cials have been able to
learn anything.
When he e2me to this village he bought
two-story cottage. for which he paid
N,ooo HIS wife told people that he was
q sign painter by trade. II 10 believed THAI
through all these years she was ignorant
OF the real nature OF the means by which
he made q livelihood. His nesghbor on the
right believed that Ninger had been In the
Franco-PrusSian war and went TO New
York regularly to draw . pension. IT'S
neighbor on the left always had an idea
York TO collect rents from property that
he owned. And throughout the village tbs
impression prevailed that Mr.. Ninger own
ed no end OF government bonds. upon tho
income Of which the family lived in COM
Portable idieness.
Now. whether Mrs. Ninssr had any idea
OF the real nature OF her husbands daily
occupation the government officials hava
not been able to learn. They know, how
ever, that she never saw her husband ~
work, never knew his methods. and, if she
knew that he was a couuterfeifer. knew IL
Only IN vague Way. for the room tn which
Ntnger worked was the one room In the
house INTO which none but he could go.
Not even Binebeard himself laid stricter
injunction upon his wife not to enter that
one mysterious room of his castle In this
room. every two or three weeks. a counter
felt bill Was completed. As soon as he
had half a dozen or 50 on bis hands he
would go 20 New York to dispose OF them.
The Ringers now have four children.
three girls. axec respectively y. 10 ard 3
years, spd boy OF 6. The boy was his
fathers pet and every toy that the child
asked for was bought him.
N.nger was fond Of his home. lie cared
nothing for drink and the alIurementa OF
the city hal no temptation for him. AS
soon as ne had finished his days work In
New York he would come straight home,
with him
He did most Of hts work IN the morning
when the light was best. lie never hur-
r.ed: he never grew impatient HIS work
was as methcdtcai as that OF machine.
In fact. he was model workman
The way he did his work was as follows:
He first procured piece OF bond paper.
which Is OF about the same thickness and
looks very much like the special paper pre-
scrtbed by the secretary OF the treasury.
This he cut INTO the exact size OF the genu-
Inc note. He then immersed It In a weak
solution OF coffee. which made IL look old,
though not too 90. 1t gave II an appear
a year ard had been handled very often.
It male II look soft and mellow. though
not ragged or worn.
While II was still wet he laid Il uoou a
brand new genuine note. 50 that the edges
fitted exactly. and placed the two upon a
pane OF glass. Every word every letter,
every hair lire TN the lafhs work ana the
seal OF the United States stood out with
startling c.earness. Now. white the bond
paper was sim damp. he took his pane OF
glass ard placed * against the window
frame ~ an angle Of fortY-nve degrees
Here he had an excellent light. which
threw the fire sracery Of the genuine note
into strong relief.
with an extremely hard ana finely point-
bcrd paper all the parts. even the most
minute. Of The genuine note. Then, after
having carefully copied the note. he watt
I'd for the paper TO dry. When perfectly
dry he went over the Hires with his pen
ana ink and here hts marvellous skill. hls
steady nerve. his patience and hts shrewd-
ness were all brought into play.
IL you VIII examine the border OF 900
bank or government note you viii find
that * II made up OF the ffniess lines and
shadinrs that human skill couia devise
To copy this border faithfully wosid take
six months OF steady work. But who ever
looks at the border Of note7 Who ever
takes ths trouble 20 see whether IL ~
merely shaded blur or Is made up Of al
most inperceptible lines
Nirger knew this. He made no attempt
20 reproduce the hairiike tines OF the gov
ernnent engravers. He produced. howev-
err border which. at first sight made ex-
actly the same effect upon the eye as TIA.
% she genuine note. His was made IA a
few minutes.
II .cok the engravers months TO do N.
Holding them side by side there Is no
trace Of resemblance between the twa. Al
q distance OF two or three feet you could
not have told the difference between
them.
With the portrait. however Etrger took
more pains. His imitation OF I'll. portrait
Of Alexander Hamilton OF tire x2o note
that IL In the possession OF the govern
n'snt officials would almost deceive an
expert.
When he tad finished his per-and-tnk
work he went over the whole with cam
Ell s-hafr brush TO pslt ia the coio-e. These
cosors we're wonderful limitations os the
original The silk threads which in the
original notes are worked TITO the psalr Of
the paper. Nfnxer initiated with thu pen
with red and blue ink
His greatest triumph. however, was
shown IA lila imitation OF the treasury