Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-08-20
LOCAL NE w . .
sWINDLING.
A Hamdsome seIl-The Confidence
Man as a OIrcus Agent.

H Man 08 n OlrCuo AWonts
The quidnuncs and wags of the town
have had ample food for gossip and fun for
day or two past, caused by the appear
ance Of confidence man on our boards In
new character. We do not pretend to be
familiar with the minute details of the In
cident; but the following, according to our
information, are the more interesting facts;
About half past four o'clock on last Fri
day morning, gentleman entered the Neil
House, ordered room, and registered his
name as &C. d. De Havens, Agent Eu-
ropean Circus Co." He proposed to 60 up
to his room, take nap and then take
breakfast. There was nothing remarkable
about his appearance, except that his dress
and demeanor answered very well to the
character he had assumed-that of Circus
Agent.
Atabout nine o'clock in the morning Mr..
De Havens arose and took breakfast at the
Neil. He then went to livery stable near
at hand, told who he was, and said he want
ed horse and buggy to ride round the
city, select suitable grounds and make 9TH
er arrangements for the adventOf the great
est sensation Of the season-the great Eu-
ropean Circus. He remarked incidentally
that, as he was boarding at the Neil House
his livery bill could be sent there, and in
corporated in his hotel bill.
All this seemed fair and reasonable, and
the horse and buggy were accordingly fur
nished. One of the proprietors of the
stables, at the request of Mr.. De
Havens, jumped into the buggy with
him and rode to the Street Railroad
Office at the north end, where he introduced
him to the Superintendent of the Road
Mr.. De Havens at once broached the sub
ject matter of his visit to Columbus; an
nOunced that the grand European Circus
would be on exhibition here for three days
on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Of
this week-and said that as 1t would be i'm
mensely popular, 1t would be Of great ad-
vantage to the Street Railroad, especially
If the sides of the cars, during each day of
its performance here, should have inscribed
on them in large letters-"The Great Euro
pean Circus To-day" This would be a
mutual benefit to the road and the Circus
Company.
Mr.. De Havens wound up with express
ing desire for some gentleman to accom-
pany him In his ride through the city for
the purpose of selecting suitable grounds
and making other arrangements for the
Circus. He would need an introduction
occasionally. After little persuasion our
friend, the gentlemanly Superintendent
concluded to accompany him on a short
ride at least. The first thing in order was
to choose a site for the great equestrian
exhibition.
A location in the eastern part of the
city was examined. Mr.. De Havens took
off his coat, and went to work like a man
in earnest. He paced over and measured
the ground accurately, and examined min
utely its adaptedness for the great tent, the
side shows, etc., etc. His decision was
finally that it was unsuited to the purpose.
The place south Of Goodale Park, where
the recent Colossal Circus was located, was
next visited. Here the same process of ex-
act measurement and minute examination
was gone through with. The decision was
in favor Of this as an eligible spot for the
Circus. 1t would, too, be ad-
vantageous to the Street Railroad to have 1t
there near its northern terminus.
So far, 80 good. The next thing was to
make arrangements at the hotels for suita-
BILE quarters for the company and their
Arabian and other steeds. Several Of our
most prominent public houses were visited,
at each of which Mr.. De Havens dilated in
strong terms upon the immense throng of
visitors the great European Circus would
bring to the city on each of the three days
of its stay. At the Zettler House, we learn,
he made arrangements for the board of forty
men and twenty horses, and at the Ex-
change Hotel for the board Of twenty men.
At each hotel, "mine host" was of course
smiling, courteous and liberal, and wine,
cigars and other refreshments were fur
nished in abundance to Mr.. De Havens and
his companion.
Our story has an abrupt termination
For this the reader must blame not us, but
the facts. Mr.. De Havens at length return
ed to the Neil House, and sent the horse and
buggy to the stable where they belonged.
BE then took "Freneh leave" forgetting
to pay his hotel, his livery or any other bill
he had made. Like fairy vision of the
night, he vanished from the city, and was
seen no more.
Authentic information discloses the fact
that the same confidence game has been
played by the same swindler in other cities
to the west of us, but generally on more
extensive scale. In one place, where he
passed himself off as &c. d. Lavere, Agent
of the European Circus Com pany," he ran
up bills and borrowed money on the
strength of his pretended agency, to the
amount OF two hundred dollars.
The County InfIrmary.