The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-11

change he had Just received. Ninger
displayed no surprise when approach
ed by the bar tender and Informed by
that individual that he was going to
have him arrested. Ninger told the
man he would return the $50 and Of
fered at the same time to make the
bar tender a present of IS more. The
offer was refused and Ninger was
turned over to the Church street po-
lice station, where he gave his name
as Joseph Gilbert, and stated that he
lived in Wiikesbarre Pa. and that he
was not married. He claimed that he
had received the counterfeit bill from
a man in the corridor of the Union
Trust Bank building, to whom he had
sold two United States 800 bonds.
Secret service officers in New York
were notified and when they saw Min
ger and the notes which he had been
passing they were convinced that he
was the man who had caused them so
many sleepless nights. The fact of
his arrest. however, did not solve the
whole question by any means. That he
could be convicted of passing the
counterfeit notes there was no doubt,
but who was the maker OF the notes.
Proof Of the fact must be secured at
all hazards.
Deceived bank Men.
These notes had deceived bankers
and business men all over the country
for many years, and 10 be unable 10
discover the real counterfeiter was los
ing more than half the game. Ninger
was put through a sweating process
which was so successful that he adj
mitted his true name and said that he
alone was responsible for the exis-
tence OF the pen and ink notes. This
twas proven when the police went
to Ninger's home in Flagtown and
secured his outfit which, besides pens
and pencils and three kinds of ink in
cluded some blocks OF water colors.
Ringers arrest and the unique fea-
lures OF the case attracted wide at
tention throughout the country and
expecialy among the handwriting ex-
perts. Nearly all Of them were in
credulous. and refused TO accept the
explanations Of the secret service men
as to how they were made. One OF
them even went so far as to offer a
800 bill for a $40 note that would de-
ceive newsboy One of the prominent
New York newspapers accepted the bet
and the result was that the expert
"crawfished," and went into a long
explanation Of how he had been de-
ceived.
Ringers first work turned up at the
treasury department IN the reuemD-
tion division In 1879 In batch OF notes
from one of the sub-treasuries, and was
a 500 counterfeit. The expert counter
detected the spuriousness of the note,
and at once began an investigation. A
careful scrutiny under a magnifying
glass revealed the fact that the note
was a free hand drawing with pen and
ink. and the perfect likeness OF the
note was so wonderful as to practical
ly defy detection at the hands OF any
but an expert.
Secret Service officers were at once
notified, but they were unable 10 do
anything because the teliers OF the
sub-treasury. from which the note was
received, were unable 10 tell how the
note came into their possession. For
more than fifteen years afterward these
marvellous works OF art turned up az
more or less frequent intervals, usually
arriving ~ the treasury IN remittances
from banks. where they had escaped
detection. They came from all over
the country, every section contributing
itg share 20 these now famous notes.
Secret Service detectives worked night
and day bat they could obtain no clew.
The general appearance Of the notes
waa 20 good that no shop keeper heal-
tafed about accepting them. and when
they reached the banks the chances
were even that they would again escape