The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-29
AN INFAMOUS SWINDLE.
One Hundred and Ftfty Poor Men Defrnuded
statements of the Victims.

The n. Y. Times OF to-day has the followlnri-
Persons passing through William street on Satur-
day merning could not have failed to observe a large
gathering OF abe-boded, respectablc-lo liking men,
clad evidently in their holiday Clothes aud the ma
jorty OF them carrying small portnanteaus or water
proof bags standing about in the vicinity of No. 90,
between Pine and Cedar streets. When these men
notice, but as noon approached aud fresh additions
were every moment made 10 their numbers the
curiosity OF persons doing business in the neighbor
hood or passing along the street was excited.
our reporter making inquiries as TO the cause OF
this gathering received from one Of the men the fol-
lowing statcmCnt:--
"My name is William Delaney, and / reside in
NorkvIlc; am a laboreT by occupation, and have
had regular work all the year round i'm Central Park.
Some days ago ] saw in a daily paper an advertise
ment for l6O men to proceed to New Orleans TO WORK
onsthe evee there Myself and three friends, who
John Swaney, and William Mccormick, determined
10 answer the advertisement, and accordingly
'' pm street the TsSt syea N9 60 naae M
lpolnting to No. COY and there a party
IN charge who told US that by paying down s. eacn
we would secure passage on the Rapidan, Pier No.
56 North River, and that on our arrival in New Or
ieans we should receive S25 per day to work on the
lcvGe II the situation was not suitable we were to
get back our s.. We agreed TO pay the 50 each and
on dOlDg so receipt was given to us. We were told
to come down last Wednesday week TO embark hut
we were then told that the sailing Of the vessel was
postponed I'LL Saturday the 27th. As you see, we
have assembled only to lind the once closed up ana
al OF us, to the number OF 150 swndled out OF our
money
Another man John HowelD made similar state
wayfOr S20, received as passage money for himself
and three cOmpanions:--
Nov. TO- 1863.
Received from John Howell the sum of twenty dol
lars, on account Of passage to New Orleans, for
$40. TOTTRN & Co,
A person in the throng who refused to give the
writer his name stated that he suspected it TO be
bogus affair, but nevertheless called at the Office in
reply to the advertisement. lie saw there party
who said he was ''Only the clerk" The terms, as
stated in the newspaper, were repeated. The appi-
cant saw, likewise man apparently hiding in the
back room. After COnversing some time with the
clerk, the latter told the applicant he thought he had
better 20 on his own account, as their project was
not Intended for men like MIN, but for the poorer
class OF laborers In the meantime, several other
applicants came into the office, and were booked for
passage on paying S5 each.
The suffering that must result from this shameless
fraud, not only to the men themselves, but to scores
Of innocent women and children cannot at once be
get down. Some idea may be formed from the fact
that many OF them had broken up their humble
homes and laid out the little means they possessed
10 procure necessares for the voyage. Others had
given up situations with the prospect of betterlng
their positions and all had lost several days work in
making preparations for their projected Journey
The Rapldan, on board which a passage had been
promised them, sailed for Savannah on Saturday,
without her l5C s. passengers.