The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-03-14
From The Mem Torh: Tribune March 7.
A FAMILY OF SWINDLERS,
The Elias Crowd and their Rascalities

! 'OiNNAII OhEAT-THE SAWDUST
| GAME-THE BOGUS SMUGGLING DODGE
a FRAUDULENT TEA AND COFFEE
CoMPANY-THE GENEVA WATCH
SWINDEE.
Further investigation, made yesterday
by TTIBuNE reporters, demonstrated that
there still remained other schemes of
| fraud concocted by the Elias crowd no
less extensive and heartless than those
which The TRIBUNE has already exposed.
1 he first floor of No Is Bond-st, con
slsting of two large parlors, is ostensibly
the othce OF "Great Gift Enterprise, ]"
which, according to circulars sent to all
parts or the country, is benevolently
designed ''for the benefit of the wives
and children of Cuban patriots who, at
the hands of Vamaseda's S Spanish soldiers,
have suffered untold hardships and, in
many instances, horrible deaths" The
man who manages the affairs of the Office
is Jno. IL. Constantine, with many aliases,
and late of ''saWdust fame at No. 81
Canal st. He is also the genearl agent
Tor Ellis Ii. Elias, the philanthropist, who,
under the modest disguise of Mason,
Morgan & Co., conducts the Emigrant
Protective Agency, The circulars which
are disseminated, after drawing harrw-
ing picture of the sufferings of the Cuban
patriots wives and children appeals in
affecting language to Cuban sympathizers
for their aid in carrying out the efforts
to assist the sufferers. The appeal pro-
ceeds to say that, ''for the price of 81, the
holder of a ticket may not only be entitled
to listen to concert, given by many
Prima Donnas who have volunteered their
services for the cause, the concert to be
held on the lst of April next" (sug
cestive day,) "at the Academy of Music,
but also be entitled to draw one Of many
prizes, some of which are valued at $50
900 aud at the same time feel that he is
contributing largely to the liberation of
the Cubans from the Spanish yoke" This
enterprise is nominally presided over by
Sonora Elena Alama. all efforts to com
muuicate with whom, however, have thus
far proven unayailing. Ia using the above
name the shrewdness Of these rascals is
again exhibited The name of Aldama,
the Cuban leader whose estates, worth
millions, were conGScatcd by the Span
iards, instantly fires the Cuban patriots
heart, and by writing the name of the
reputed Sonora like that of Aldama with
the omission of a single letter, which
might not be noticed, or be esteemed
typographical error by the reader, Elias
endeavors to convey the impression that
the famous patriots wife is the great
mover in the enterprise, and calculates
that money will accordingly pour in.
The back parlor was occupied, yester-
day, ty persons engaged in sending cir
culars out Of the city, while the front
room was reserved for inquirers after
tickets, but the revelations in THE TRI-
BUNE caused the occupants to act very
cautiously, and even to refuse to sell
tickets at the Office They offered, how
ever, to forward them to any place out of
town, upon receipt by letter of money
sent by any person to whom they had ad |
dressed "A circular.
The Elias crowd are about engaging in |
additional fraudulent enterprises, such as
u project for paying the French war debt,
and other schemes, which it will be the |
future duty of The TRIBUNE to expose.
Some of their past operations are detailed |
below.
In former times the Eliases operated |
in the Western States. Cincinnati was
their headquarters The last one left that /
city iu January, 1870 after swindling the
out of about $4,000, by
means of most impudent gift enterprise.
A younger brother of Ellis IL. Elias had
at that time a jewelry store on West
Fourth St, Cincinnati. In November,
1869, he advertised extensively in the
Cincinnati papers that he intended to re
tire from business, aud would dispose of
his valuable stock, which everybody was
invited to inspect, by means of a gift con-
cert, which was to come off at Mozart |
Hall, on the 10Th of January, 1870
The tickets for this concert were to cost
81, aud the purchasers were entitled, be
side, to chance in the drawing which |
was to be held at the end Of the concert /
In his advertisements Elias impudently
referred to a number of prominent Gin
cinnatians for the probity of his character |
Although it was speedily ascertained that |
none of the persons referred to knew any
thing about him, the tickets sold rapidly, |
and on the day of the drawing Elias had /
sold all except about 1000. The draw
ing took place, no one drew prize, and,
on the following day, Elias fed with his
whole stock to New York. The iDdigana
tion Of the Cincinuatians was intense, and
The Conan,ericie Gdzette, Enquirer, |
Times and ChronicGl denounced the ras
cal in unmeasured terms, but the police
failed to do anything.
On the 18th OF November, 1870, Col |
Whtley's detectives arrested Joseph |
Cisco, James Wilson, Samuel Florence,
Adolph Mart, Charles H. MeGill, Charles
BruG, George Mitchell and Patrick Dave,
on the charge of Offering counterfeit
money for sale. These men stoutly denied /