The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-05

Ateef feaying the grocery Ninger walked
raplaiy downtown to the saloon at No. 81
CorIanot street, where he obtained a
glass OF Rhine wine and a cigar and asked
lne bartender to give him change for $50
OH, explaining that he wanted 1t to pay
Oh ms farm hands. He was accommo-
GATED and hastily gathering up the change
hnrr1ed out. His actions aroused the sus-
plclens of the bartender who took the bill
from the money drawer for closer eX-
animation. In doing so his wet fingers
passed over the serial number and dis
tinct blur was the result. Putting on his
hat he started in pursuit Of Ninger and
found him in the New Jersey Central
ferry house busy counting over the change
he had just received.
When told that he was to be arrested
Ringer exhibited no surprise, but offered
to settle the matter by returning the fifty
dollars and making the bartender a pres
ent of S. more. His proposition was in
dignantly refused and Ninger was turned
over to policeman, who escorted him to
the Church street police station, where he
gave his name as Joseph Gilbert residence
W1lkeSbarre, Pa, said he was not married,
as his wife had gone away, and in his
country it was not considered a marriage
when wife had left her husband. He
explained the possession Of the counterfeit
bill by stating that he obtained it from a
eonpany's building, to whom he sold two
500 United States bonds
The secret service officers were notified
or the arrest, and upon seeing the counter
fe1t note they were convinced the man
VINO had caused them SO many sleepless
nights was at last safely lodged behind the
bars Wrappers on the several bundles
round In the prisoners possession enabled
tne detectives to locate five of the 800
notes passed that day, yet the case as it
lheh stood did not solve the problem in q
manner at sfactory to the government Of
HcefS. The charge of passing counterfeit
n teS would safely 1 e against the prisoner
put was ne the maker? If so, proof of the
TACT must be secured at all hazards. After
several hours sweating" and becoming
thoroughly convinced that there was no
escape from the web of evidence the off,
GERS had succeeded in weaving about him
the man admitted that his true name wa
fihanuel Ninger, and that he alone was
responsible for the existence of the men
and-lnk counterfeits. On the strength Of
ms statements the detectives proceeded to
NinseI nome In Flagtown and secured
MS outht, which consisted ONLY OF a few
pens and pencils, some green and bIaoI,
INK, several small blocks of wafer color,
ana Two or three sheets of bond PAPER
Inc arrest OF Ninger and the unfo1e
features OF the case caused a great deal
VI newspaper talk, and especially at
tracted the attention of handwriting ,,x-
perts, all of whom were increduious
refusing to accept the explanation of +ba
secret service man as to how the conn
terLelts were made, one of them going
SO lar as to offer 500 for a pen-and-fnI5
lnltatlon of $40 note that would de-
ceive a neWsboy.
Inc TACT that Ninger made and PASSED
an OF the notes. himself, having no con-
Ieaerates to share his secret. coupJed
with the skil1ful manner in which he
oio MS work, made 1t possible for him
10 continue so long without detection
He worked in a little room on the second
moor OF the modest cottage in which he
resided, with mis- wife and four children
at F1agtown, n. j. No one. not even
MS wife, was allowed to enter this room
While he was at,work. His method was
substantially as follows: First. he pro-
cured bond paper of about the same
.Quaiity as that upon which the genuine
NOES are printed; of course, without silk
: threads.
Cutting this the exact size Of the gem
ulne note, he immersed it In a weak so
tuition or coffee. This Impaired to the
paper the appearance Of age, or rather
as though 1t had passed through several
/. hands. -
lille the paper was still wet 1t was
= paced over the face Of the genuine note
the edges being exactly together. the
two were then placed fat Upon a pane
OF glass; land every. figure and s. letter,
portrait and vlgnette, together with the
signatures and seal, were brought out in
bold relief, and could be plainly seen
through the transparent bond paper
Ihest pane of glass was then placed
against the window frame at an angle
: OF forty-hye degrees The light of
course, shohe through rendering the
tracery of the genuine engraving dis
tfnct. In this position the operator com
menced work, first with an extremely
hard and sharp-pointed pencil. With If
ne carefully traced all parts, even the
most minute, Of the genuine note After
the bond paper had become thoroughly
dry the same ground was gone over with
pen and ink. 1t was here that the mar
Vicious touch and skill of the pennan
was displayed, attesting the accuracy of
ms eye and the steadiness Of his nerve
The colors on the note were applied
with a camePs hair brush and these
colors SO perfectly initiated those af fine
genuine as to contribute materially m
the excellent general appearance" Of the
nefe. Red and blue ink marks were rna5a
to take the place Of the silk threads which
are worked into the pulp of the genuine
paper. The treasury seal, which has a
place on all of Uncle Sans paner ,c,,r-
rcrcy, Is almost invariably placed over
portions CT the main design OF the mite
thus adding difficulties to the tracing of
It's intricate lines, but Ninger coined If
with wonderful skill and fidelity.
Inc same care and attention were NOT
devoted to the back of the note. 1t was
almost entirely executed with the br,,sb
"a -. curse, Inc general design was strict
~ adnered to, but the geometrical lines
or the lathe work were not attenn+ad
with any Gesree of exactness. Here again
lre aftlSt relied mai llly upon the eoIorino-
to add to the deception.
Inc INNER sing of the counterfeits In n
weak solution Of coffee is an old trick ~
coanterfe1ters, but it viii probably be adj
liiteeo that this Is the only old thing
ABOUT the producing of these pen. ink and
brush notes P-' LIN diiu
Inc omission OF the imprint Of +be
bureau or engraving ana printing from ali
OF theSe pen notes had often bean e
marked upon and when Nineer was aelT.
ed 1or an explanation of this. he 1anob-
IIeiy saiu; Ihey did not make them. -
ne MAD purposely omitted the imprint
~, io,c.tlenes We're returned against Min
ger, both in New JERSEY and Ta[,- ~ III
Inc FORMER charging the manufa ct,,ro -
counterfeit notes, while the latter was for
passing them. 1t was endeavored 10 49,
New York surrender the prisene,, - NJ.
Jersey In order that he might he tried ~
the more serious charge, but to this Nov
ork declined to accede. Ninger's flefanso
was both novel and ingenious II wae
contended that no one was defranded
llireugh MS operations. because each mote
was work Of art, and as such was
moltn more than its face value. In sun
port OF tnls argument a witness was NJ
oaeea' who testified that he was in -
session of one of the twenties wtiob 10
would not part with for five fines +t he
amount It pulported to represent T he
5aetense, however, did not save bir, 'l 10
ne WAS promptly convicted ara -. --ii' as