The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-06-25
TlIEANTI-G WILLING FRAUD
THE FLEECING or THE MERCHANIs
or NEU YORK,

sOUuel 81 Tue EtiNl- s.nclf iNst lk1StOrN-
How Horace Greeley Approved their
Good Intentions nnd Endorsed their Assoc
citation Money Edrucd over SatHn's Back.
Tlc proceedings tnkcn by the wcll.known firm
OF ll,c.t Bros against II. II. West, the solf-syled
Precedent and Treasurer Of the Society for the Pre-
vcn.o1 o. Gambling, las to u certain extent, open-
ed tletycs Of the merchants who have subscribed
70 that Association. The article in Tuesdays suN
has been productive of flood OF Information by
which 10 appears that the aDt-yamblers have during
III I,t thee years. since january, 1867. received
from cedu'ous merchants the enormous sun Of ST.
o. in subscriptions to tlcr Association. The cause
Of strange and complete a deception must be
traced to tho easy, unsuspectng benevoenco of tho
Hon. Horace Greeley. lie was called upon BY the
PRECEDENT H. r. West, shortly before the formation
Of the Preventive Company. and this man laid before
him his plans, kept arfuly out OF view the fees and
rerquisites but dilatel on the incredible advantages
TO moral progress if the young men Of the city
were protected from the enticements OF gambling.
oILiNG HORACE oREBLEr.
with unctuous eloquolce the willy West drew
picture Of young man in lucrative and honorable
employment, pressed by some momcntary lack OF
funds yet surrounded, in his daily employ, by thou
lands Of dollars lie takes some Of the moneys in.
trusted to him, pambes, loses, wins, loses, loses.
loses. until he las absorbed thousands OF money not
bis own, Ia Gisch rgci becomes habitua gambler,
adds drunkenness to dishonesty, and dies in hos.
rital the death OF a ior. Then he showed the re-
verse u tho medal-how. by the agency OF the As
sociaiion, the Young men would be prevented from
attending gambling houses. aud one by one these
cancers on society uuld perish for lack Of some
70 destroy. The philosopher rubbed his head until
the organ OF bcnevolence glsteued like star, and
pleased smile oycrsprcld his features.
Mr.. West he broke forth, " I'm with you. cir
Destroy these internal gambling houses and society
Will debt IL so
my name freely, sir. for l sympatlizo win your
aims and respect your courage in attacking these
rhimefas Curse uese gambling deus. Halt OF
them are owned by sealy politicians. Root zen, out,
and Heaven will bless your honest endeayors."
THE PARTNERSHIP.
Fortified by the warm appreciation Of the Sage OF
man Of the name Of llosford entered into partner.
ship, had papers printed, and Immediately began to
declared lt could never pay. All references were
made to him, aud he stood the strain brlvely until
make Lin doubt Doubt sGon gave place to The
damning certainty that the whole thing was auda.
cions maud, which could never have been launched
without the pushing lac had given it,, Then he came
out with an indignant expose IN the Tiibuns which,
owing to It's limited circulation, lew people read,
ana II was reserved Tor THE SUN to hold toe swim
die 40 to puDlc gaze and enectually destroy its
power to intiict further loss.
TUE OPERATIONS or THE SOCIETY
were not confined to the simple securing OF sub
scrioiions. Fiat might have Satisfied ordinary
sNindcrs, but not sufficient Tor the aspiring
minds that organized during the the Howard
Relief Association, ny which the community was
relieved oi $4,000 In cash and goods. They re-
ceiyed from corporations $50 per ahnum suhsceip.
ton, from private nrms s95. ON the condition that
any clerks who INDUCED IN gambling should be at
once reported to their employers. They nsquented
the fashionable gambling tables In reality and ~ en-
they canght a c.erk. or junior partner, or even n
staid Old merchant, they immediately threatened him
bey. Then they blIckmailei tie more respectable
gambling places such Gen. Rams sons Beers's, SIS
Broadway. aud Chimhcrliu's, threatening to expose
Ia lie he frgU ~
hcy received gratuity. From these various sources
hey collected an enormous Income, which was duly
shared among the piOus protecting triuunyirato,
public benefit.
Secretary OF the Preventive Gambling Association,
made his dtbVt IN New York Ms tae
EEErER OF A POLICY HELL
IN n wall street. Faro wns his weakness and the
n reg nr heeeed from others lie lost himself among
the various tigers OF The cit, his tivorite animal be-
rg located at 573 bruadwIy. Business bc,ns dull
during tie war, he IN company with the
Ingenious Mr. Galway and Nathan Nesbitt.
started the famous Howard R5lief Asso-
ea'un for the benefit Of the WIDOWS and orphans,
whIch the worthy trio worked with such success IS
to secure, II is said, $1,000, When tle swlnde
Wa discovered merchants who had given heavy
ccck- AZ the call ct Viil'iny clad In the garments
Of charity. took some pats to punish the scoun-
mo thin air. But whoa the town had lorsott.a that
sAloit they came back, and began anOiaer swindle,
known Us the
GREAT BOGUS DIRECTORY,
by which they made an incredible amount They
chhlVCd $40 laCg for advertising, promisin that
1000 cope. Should he issued and receiving SEQ IN
advance. They are SAID TO have collected $1,000.
Thcy took the regular Directory OF the Inst ye.r,
made few unmpprNnt alterations In tie FIRST anu
last pages mad hand some ute-pase got their ad-
velt.cAcut~ all printed, bound tie whole anisOme-
~ together 20 the number OF 100 copies, and then
sent their agents round 10 collect tie REMAINDER ON
TIE siren IN OF the completed volume. There Is a
TunUr that they tr,cSed noted publishing house
out OF an endorsement of { ieir good faith IN tue
in - tlaV
confirmation. After this they started round the city
with
An OLD SOUTHERN ATLAS,
which thcy proposed 20 revise and for which they
solicited advertisements at 500 page, hal Ia adj
vance. They repre- ented themselves Us the pub
hshers the old yuu me, ana did &C tually make an
otaer enormous haul but tine changes at the
South would ncce>sitnte some considerable expense,
they gave uptLe other moiety and let the public oil
Tor what they had given in advance,
In 1867 the present sNindle was started but West
kept has hand In by yieIimizing Mr. Mcdonald, OF
lie pretended TO have arrested the robber OF the
SG,OjD bond business, but wncn the agent discoy-
vigor that he fed irom the State for some months
and went into hiding In some den In Philadelphia.
His place In tue association was temporarily ded by
CHARLES WAREHOUSE BARTLETT,
said to be the most cons umuate cheat that ever e1
isied. He WIS the repued HWyer TO the firm, but
could not resist tue temptation O cheating his own
those used by the Association, aud collected sub.
sctptiOus on his own account. When West ven
turei TO return he smelt a mice, and snmnArlly
kicked out Charles Waerhouse Bartlett, bitterly re-
m.ndng him OF the prOyerb, Honor among
thieves Bartlett then took to himself another
spirit like to hun named 5. Z. Collins, but both
were too short Of capital 10 hire even a room We
are informed that by paWning coat Of Blrtlett-,
they raised enough TO have sign painted, and OBJ
serving vacant room In 1872 Nassau street winch
was locked aud the proprietor abroad, they COUlly
took down his sign and nailed up their own. Hav-
lug established Their headquarters, they went around
NJ collectors Tor
BUREAU OF rvToRMAuoS,
furnishing merchants with a pretended card Of
genuine Charities for go. Having amass ed enough
TO warrant The cApeu-t tCF lad l.se cards printed
and II any merchant inquired why the Anti.
Gambling Association was United. Tor IL suI.
scribers were legion, they at once Occurred il H. he
bogus, referred to MIR. GrerIoy's article ia lie n T.
buiie, and declared that theirs was the only seuui,
shop Tor that very identical business 50 many ucr.
sons caWe to find their onice that tie jlnur touct
something must be up, aud after @ lelg.Icncd re.
search discovered the intrudins sign. which wore
artificial appearance OF ulquity, and Mas c. .c.
lated to deceive any lie tore IL uOWu, lat lie
SHOCK Vas excessive that Tor weeks after he con
SANITY offered to resign his position, declaring hm
eel incompetent to mold IL, since no lever La
Irrl for 50 many weeks the TRANSFORMATION ol
lr -lgUs
Is uted from Nassau street, Bartlett In October.
: i, -.arttl his nlce In 1l5 broadway, but