The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-25
JINK, THE PENMAN.
The Greatest of Modern Counter
feitcrA.

From the ST. Louis Republic.
William r.. Hazen, chief Of the secret
service division of the United States
treasury department, is at the Southern.
Mr.. Hazen ia a striking figure with his
coal-black moustache and grizzled hair,
and talks entertainingly of the criminals
he has to deal with.
1.-The most remarkable person / ever had
to deal with" said Mr.. Hazen last nighs
to a Republic reporter. lis Edmund MIN
ger, alias Jim the Penman, the pen-and-
ink counterfeiter of United states treas
ury notes, who was captured last May
after fourteen years of frultless search"
Tell me about him."
'Ninger is a Prussian, about AZ years
old. He came to America in 1882 as is
shown by the immigration records and
not long after his advent there appeared
in circulation a counterfeit that fooled
bank tellers as well as sub-treasury ex-
perts. 1t was a $50 counterfeit United
States treasury note, made entirely by
hand, and so perfect was the work and
so careful was the counterfeiter in his
operations that the most skillful secret
service agent failed to locate him. It
seems incredible that human skill can
achieve such results as We're accomplished
by Ninger, and his equal with the pen
has probably never lived and in all prob
ability will never appear again. The most
delicate effects of the engraver were re-
produced by this man with no other in
struments than "A pen, pencil, rev
camels hair brushes and pinch of coll
ors and his work was so wonderfully
like the original that AZ sometimes took
glass to detect the difference. / have taken
specimens of his money to the bureau OF
engraving and printing and submitted 1t
to the inspection of It's chief, and he pro-
nounced it simply marvellous. 1t seems
human
compass such results.
about how many bills did he turn out
a year?'
''He told me that it took him from ten
to fourteen days TO make bill, and at
that rate he turned out about forty
year. varying in denomination from $40
to 500. No detail of his work was slurred
Even the coloring of the seals was per-
fectly initiated, and his pen pictures OF
Lincoln and other eminent men were SO
perfect that ! have kept several OF them
as souvenirs"
Gould not this man have earned more
money by devoting his marvellous skill to
legitimate fields of endeavor?"
"Undenably; although he did not do
badly as IL was. When arrested he owned
a farm and dwelling in New Jersey worth
81 800 5000 in United States government
bonds, and over $1,000 in good money"
Ibid you ever ask him why he did not
employ his great talent honestly?"
yes: he answered that 1t was easy
work. and that he liked It, 1 fancy he
took as much pride and pleasure In the
execution of a note as a painter does In
producing masterpiece of art"
"Did you ever see him at work."
Eyes: after his arrest we bantered him
about his methods and expressed incre-
dulity at his ability to make note with
pen and ink Our very purpose was to
clinch the evidence against him. Ninger
seemed nettled at our apparent skepti-
cism, and said:
Bring me some bank note paper and
a pen and ink
this wonderful fellow. without even
copy before him, drew a pen-and-ink
sketch of Hamilton from memory, so per-
feet In every detail and outline as to
leave no doubt as to the authorship OF
the famous notes he had placed in circu-
lation Ringer pleaded guilty., 50 that we
did not need this evidence, but 1t would
have been clincher had 1t become neces-
sary."
"a mere accident He never employed
any confederates, and worked off his bills
personally One day, unfortunately for
him. he struck a barkeeper whose hands
we're wet. In lingering the bill the ink
blurred, and the barkeeper, VINO had
changed a $50 bill, started out for his man
and caught him. But for that he might
sim be at large, as he was careful 70 leave
no trail"
Had he a family2"
YES A wife and three children. / am
convinced his wife was ignorant OF his
criminal calling. lie worked two or three
hours a day and then locked up his ma
terial."
DOCS he seem proud Of his work."
''He does. indeed. I'll give you an in
stance. lie had one bill that some Of our
men thought was his work. / doubted K,
and asked him about IL. He laughed.
That's lithograph.' he said. 4 can do
better than that and then he pointed out
defects in the Autograph that resolved all
doubts. lie Is not without sense of grim
humor. He said to me one day You will
notice I never mark my bills Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing Washington. d.
c. / made them in New Jersey. and did
not think Il right to lie about them"
Ninger got six years In the pen. and Is |
doing clerical work for Uncle Sam.