Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-10-08
From English Journals.

A SUCCESSFUL lMPosToR:-The system
of robbery and pIunder through the me-
dunn of forged bills of exchange, is not
confined to the metropolis; the princi-
pals having their agents or confederates
in the couutry. At watering place in
neighboring county, an instance of it,
involving the strongest suspicion of for
gerry, has very recently occurred, not
often to be met with in the annals of
swindliug, and we'll worthy of being
made known to put the public on their
guard against similar acts of deception
and plumber, A gentleman, an adept in
his vocation, sent down trttsty, we'll tu-
tored servant, to take apartments for
him, and make known his great wealth
and large establishment. He soon after
came himself in a handsome equipage,
hired, as it has turned out, for the occa-
sion, aud claimed kindred with the chief
gentleman of the place, remarkable for
his easy access and unsuspecting good
fortune and thus getting an entie to his
house and table, he prosecuted his claim
of relationship with great perseverance
and equal publicity; searching the re-
cords in the town-hall, the court-rollso of
the manor, opening tomb in the church
that had been undlsturbed for nearly
two centuries, and making out as public
as possible, his pedigree. Having thus
made his great wealth and family con-
nections known, he wished to distinguish
himself for the more amiable eudow-
ments, and issued printed cards, with his
seal upon them, for gin and snuff par
ty, with bail and supper to be given
at the Assembly Rooms, to all the poor
men and women above sirty-fpe in the
place, at which he did the honors with
his servants in their full dress liveries,
and graced by the beauty and fashion Gas
.spectators) of the neighbourhood, with
his good-humoured, accommodating re-
lation at their head. He received the
company, as their names and rank were
announced from below, and repeated on
the landing place above, with all the
etiquette of the zyelI-bred man, which he
,aped q msrpiLIe and the scene which
took place, as the ball proceeded, the
gin operated, and the hoary, party-color-
ed couples, coalesced in the loving
movement of the cushion-dance with hur-
iy-burly, screaming and fainting of the
ladies, when the mob without broke in
upon the mob within, would require the
pencil of Hogarth, to do Justice to it.
Of this extraordinary entertainment,
which he had announced at the time to
be good old yearly immemorial Gus
tom Of his ancestors. who had taken
pleasure in the comforts and happiness
OF the poor, be caused a faithful state
ment TO be inserted in the County Pa
pers, in which he extolled his great gen
crosby, ample fortune, and noble fami-
iy and his servants too, on their part,
aFailed themselves of the favorable OPP
portunity for making it known, that
their master was so rich that he did not
know gvhat to do 0cith has money! His
name being now up, he went to see all
the estates on sale for many miles round
offering large sums that he knew would
not be accepted, and taking care to make
those offers as publickly known as pos
SHELBY such means he acquired great
notoriety for wealth, and his important
concerns requireda legal agent of known
integrity. His good-natured relation in
troduced him to an eminent solicitor of
a nelghbouring town, by whose assist
ance ne hired a mansion till purchase
could be made, and by whom (his care
less open manners lulling all suspicion
asleep he was introduced to the bank
of the town, where he had fnesse
enough TO get large bill discounted,
with the produce of which, and some he
had got discounted at the watering place,
ne opened an account with one of the
chief banks in the county, to which he
passed of more of his bills, where he
was equally successful; and thus max
ing the one bank subservient to the
fraud on the other. He would probably
have played off the same trick at most
of the banks in the county, but, being
alarmed at information from another
quarter, he hastily drew out his money
and went off, leaving almost all his debts
at the watering, and other places, I'M
paid; and even the master of the as
sembly-rooms minus for keeping up the
good old immemorial custom of his an
cestors 1t has been since ascertained
that, while he was exercising his voca-
ton in the country, he was practising it !
elsewhere (seldom residing more than
week at a time in the same place. par
ticularly in London, where, pro6ting by |
The knowledge he had acquired of the |
landed property of the county he gave
out mat large estate had fallen to him
az heiF-at-lau that -, ,,,o,