The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-01-14
A Romance of Rascality.

The Boston Ad0ertiser says The history
of Bowles Brothers & Co., tells so like
romance, that, if the facts had not happen
ed under the eyes of every one, nobody
would believe it possible that such things
could have taken place. Some six or seven
Captain Kidd, with the world before him
and his fortune to make, and established
his famous banking house at Paris. How
he managed to struggle through the first
few years is a mystery, considering how
little trust money could at that early day
have been placed in his hands, since, as far
as appears, neither he nor any one else
put anything into the concern perhaps,
for the reason among others, that no one
had anything to put in; indeed, he must
have fallen long ago had it not been for
surprising piece of good luck. He indu-
ced Mr.. Appleton, Of Boston, to be-
come partner; at first, with limited
liability but there now seems little room
to doubt that subsequently he persuaded
him to take such part in the business as to
render himself generally responsible for the
debts of the firm. 1t is but just to say that
nothing among all the black frauds that
have recently come to light has as yet cast
breath upon the reputation of this unfor
tunate gentleman he has only been the
greatest victim of gigantic swindle.
ThenceforwarG the lines of Mr.. Bowles
were cast in pleasant places. He establish
ed nucleuses-as he called his branch
banks-in such of the great capitals as
| pleased his fancy, Of which nuoleuses none,
there is reason to suppose, paid its expens-
es, except, perhaps the one at London.
He also built an "eyrie" at London, MIR.
Charles Bowles, it is supposed, being the
eagle which inhabited this very agreeable
nest, invested largely in real estate in Ge.
neva, and entertained the world in genera
in the prettiest little villa imaginable by
the side of the lake. No dirty question
of money ever stood in the way of this
worthy man, either in his business or hi'
pleasure-and considering how he came by
it, this is no way surprising He was o
large mind, and, perfectly cosmopolitan, HI
taxed all the world and fleeced with amaz
ing impartiality the American and the
Japanese A business conducted on thu
basis was, no doubt, very pleasant, but i
could not last forever, where every one
drew what he liked and Mr. Appleton alon
deposited The crash was inevitable, anC
at last it came.
1t is long since anything SO disgracefu
has taken place. 1t is sad enough that
man should be rascal but sadder still t.
find the world so imbecile as to make sucl
rascality possible. Here was Mr.. Bowie
without money or credit, and known b.
all to be an adventurer, who succeeded il
some half-dozen years by shear impudenc
and advertising in extracting some million
of dollars from the public. III were no
so deplorablc it would be ridiculous. 1t
the old story of Dick Turpin and the gen
tlemen of his class, who thought it easie
to take other peoples money than to max
their own. Highwaymen, it would seem
are not altogether passed away, althoug
their operations are carried on on u large
scale, and travellers are waylayed in rathe
different fashion; and Mr.. Charles Bowie!
instead of being punished for felony lilS
his illustrious predecessors, has p"obabl
only rendered himself liable to seven year.
imprisonment for a misdemeanor.