The New York herald., 1922-01-29
Hon We Caught Wilken,
the Boy COuntefeiter,
Who Gave Us a
Deal of Trouble by His
CLeperneSS in Working
Alone and Initiating Bank
Note Paper So Closely
That Epen the
Manufacturers Thought
It Genuine

of others, but he would gladly appropriate
an idea and work feverishly on that idea
despite the fact that he might have one Of
his own that was far superior. There's
nothing so very uncommon about that,
after all.
He was making a rather fair salary for
a youth. He studied in more or less
abstract fashion. He ignored books but
delighted in observing and listening. His
mind was in a constant ferment Sooner
or later mind such as his will make a
strike. And that strike makes or breaks
the possessor OF the mind.
He lived in the Washington street studio
He was popular, good looking, well dressed
and, so far as his money went liberal
spender. His parties were not in any
sense debauches or carouses. On the
other hand, one did not become bored.
There was nothing about him that indi
Gated the slightest deviation from the
pattern young man you see on the street
every day-a snappy lad with keen mind
and tremendous enthusiasm for success.
One morning in February, 1910, he came
across small item in Boston newspaper
wherein 1t was stated that a milkman out
in Dorchester had found packet of one
dollar bills. The milkman took them to a
bank. The bank informed the milkman
that the bills were counterfeit, and very
obvious counterfeits at that.
And there, on that morning in February,
1910, the criminal career of Henry Wilken
was launched. AS he told us afterward, he
gave the matter much thought. Here he
was earning $25 or $50 week. There was
girl he liked and who liked him. There
were certain relations who looked upon
him as something of a CASTOR, a misft,
neer-do-well, drifter And there were
clubs that rich young men belonged to-
rich young men who were not particularly
topheavy with brains, but who had money,
and lots Of 1t. There was but one thing
for him to do-make money.
The millionaire Kid
As an Influence on Him
The boy was ambitious for success, for
wealth, for position, for luxury. At that
particular moment Boston was being pes
tered by youth who lacked everything
but several million dollars, and the city
knew him as "The Millionaire Kid" Will
ken had scraped acquaintance with the
Kid and the sight OF the latter,s spending
orgies merely added fuel to the fierce de-
sire tS~ wealth.
/ have told YOU that Wilken knew moth
ing about chemistry, paper making, en-
craving, printing, dyei..3 and photography
all Of them necessary arts o; he counter
feiter. assure you he knew absolutely
nothing about any one Of those things.
But he did the thing that must commend
itself to all successful men.
He stuck to his advertising job by day
and spent his nights in the public libraries.
He read every available technical volume
treating on engraving. Then he went out
and bought the tools of the engraver Next
he practiced until he became an engraver
quite as clever as any man in the Govern
ment service. That's likely to stagger you.
There are folks who will not believe that.
But here we have the records and the con-
fcssion. In moment shall tell you facts
that will Indicate just how clever he really
was.
He read chemistry and paper making un-
I'll he was something of a magazine OF in
formation on the subject. He limited his
chemistry to that part of the science that
has to do with paper making, He read
volumes on dyeng and struck up an ac-
qualntance with well known printer In
Boston. This printer did the better grade
of work and was so amused by Wilken's
enthusiastic desire for knowledge on the
subject that he permitted the young man
to browse about his plant of nights watch
ing the various processes
I merely mention all this detail to show
you how, when Wilken set out to make his
first counterfeit bill he had mastered
every phase of the complex industry. And