Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10
REAL JIM THE PEhMAN
Emanuel Ninger Was a Most
Expert Countertelter
WITH PEN AND BRUSH
WAS ABLE TO TURN OUT MANY
FAKE BILLS.
His Arrest Due to an Accident-Hls
Remarkable Methods OF
-. q
Operation.

Written for The Evening Star.
Chief Wilkie looked around the walls OF
his den in the secret service bureau in the
Treasury Department and pointed to the
photograph of Emanuel Ninger. HE was
the most expert penman ever Knew or
that the secret service officials ever came
In contact with" said Chief Wilkle, ana
then he declined to talk further 1or quota
ton because 1t is the policy or the secret
service never to do anything to display 10
the world the criminal record OF a man
who is apparently trying to live down the
black pages Of his life.
Chief Wilkie was right. Emanuel Nlneer
was the Jim the Penman" Of real hfe'
and in a way the most remarkable CRIMINAL
of the age. He had no extensive plants LOT
engraving and printing counterfeit notes.
and his only stock consisted of paper, orol-
nary writing pens, pencils, red. green ana
black inks. With these he baffled the Sc
cret service officers of the government for
fifteen years, and was finally detected py
mere accident The wet fingers OF new
York saloonkeeper came In contact WIN
the ink upon one of the freshly-made blils
of Jim the Penman," and the ink blurred.
The fact added to the suspicious OF the
saloonkeeper, and led to the immediate ar
rest of Ninger, who has served his sentence
and Is a free man somewhere, no longer
engaged in counterfeiting the currency OF
Uncle Sam, but always under suspicion by
the organization over which Chief Wilkle
presides.
1t was in New York city in March, 1895,
that Jim the Penman' of the counterfeit
ing profession came to grief. He started
from his little home in Flagtown, N. j.,
Saturday morning, March %, 1896, and had
in his possession six $40 notes and one $50
note, which together were the product or
fifteen weeks work. His wife and four chill
dren did not ask him any questions when
he left home that morning. He had been
mystery to them for many years. He
forbade them entrance to the room in his
home in which he worked, and said nothing
to anybody about his business He had no
confederates, and even his wife did not
have any idea about what he was doing.
Passing the Notes.
Ninger experienced no difficulty in pass
ing five of the $50 notes. The sixth one
came near to getting him into trouble. He
went to John Weymans grocery store, 1852
Sd avenue, New York city, called for a
bottle Of whisky and gave the $40 note
remaining In payment. Shortly after his
departure the cashier, In counting up her
cash, noticed the blurred condition of the
number upon the note when it passed under
her moistered thumb and, quickly realiz-
ing that something was wrong, had an
investigation made
By that time Ninger had got out of sight
He walked rapidly down town to saloon
at 81 CORTLAND street. There he got a
glass OF Rhine wine and cigar and asked
the bartender TO change the $50 note for
him, stating by way of explanation that he
wanted to pay off his farm hands. He
was accommodated, hastily gathered UP
MS change and hurried out He seemed to
be somewhat excited, and the bartender
became suspicious and took the bill from
| the money draw for closer examination.
In doing SO his wet finger passed over the
serial number and the result was the
burr Putting on his hat he started in
pursuit OF N1nger and found him in the
New Jersey Central railroad ferry house
| counting over the change he had just re-
| ceived Ringer displayed no surprise when
approached by the bartender and informed
| by that individual that he was going to
have him arrested. Ninger told the man
he would return the $50 and offered at the
OF 80 more The offer was refused and
Ninger was turned over to policeman
| and escorted to the Church Street police
station, where he gave his name as
Joseph GILBERT, and stated that he lived In
| Wilkesbarre Pa, and that he was not
| married. He claimed that he had received
| the counterfeit bill from man in the cor
| ridor OF the Union Trust Bank building, 70
whom he had sold two United States 800
! bonds. secret service officers in New fork
We're notined and when they saw Nlnger
and the notes which he had been passing
| they were convinced that he was the man
who mad caused them so many sleepless
nights.
Admitted His Guilt.
| 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, put
who was the maker of the notes? PROOF OF
| the fact must be secured at all hazards.
fhese notes had deceived bankers and pusi-