Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-02-13

European papers, of recent date, relate
in detail the story of set of American
scoundrels, who for some time infested
Paris, having at last come to grief. The
chief among them was a man who term
ed himself James p Wells. Described
originally as Baptist minister in Mas
sachusetts, he fell, these papers say,
from grace, to flourish as the hanger-on
and rOper-in of whatever gambling hells
would tolerate or employ him. Finally,
he turned up in Paris and opened faro
bank and roulette table in the Rue Pen
sier, thereby enticing many young Amer
leans to undertake the perils of gaming.
He succeeded so well that he was en-
abled subsequently to open an extensive
and gorgeOusly furnished establishment
at No. 2 Rue Scribe, ostensibly as an
American restaurant and drinking saloon,
but really as gambling hell. Many
prominent American gentlemen visited
the place, and it became the rallying
cav capital Wells thrived and pros
pered so as to associate with a man nam
ed Popple, from Hartford, Conn, and
to employ number of broken-down
young Americans as ropers-in. Every
v.
the officers under the Empire, and with
pleasing impartiality headed an address
of American residents complimenting
President Thiers after the overthrowal
of the Commune He would probably
have continued to flourish up to the pres
ent time had he not turned q Creole
woman out of doors, and had she not
given certain information to the Pre-
feet of Police which led to descent on
the place and the arrest of the proprietor,
his assistants and a number of American
gentlemen who were engaged in the pur-
suit of losing money. The gentlemen
were discharged, but Popple and Wells
were sent to prison, at hard labor, for
three months; the ropers-in, named
Brown and Parker, being accorded two
months imprisonment This is the
story told of Wells and his antecedents
by the Partisan papers. In some of the
facts they err, as the so-called Wells is
we'll known to the detectives of the mar
BILE palace in Mulberry street New York,
as n successful thief, vino graduated in
crime from the lowest grades. His his
tory is a romantic story of successful
crime. He was one of the mob of
three who robbed a Boston Bank Of
$500, 900 some years ago, and subsequent
ly escaped. The Da0dus 0perGndi con-
sisted in hiring a place next door to the
bank, and penetrating the wall, "going
through" the side of the safe, and thus
securing the money. Wells was known
by the detectives of New York and
throughout the country as Charley Bull
lard. His picture figures as No. 1S5 in
the Rogues' Gallery at police headquar-
tiers. marked as burglar and safe blow
er" In former years he was a petty lar
cenv thief and shoplifter He was born
in one of the eastern States, and began
life of crime at an early age. He is
thirty-two years of age, and his ''smart-
ness is almost proverbial with the police.
Bullard first assumed the name of Wells
after the robbery of the Boston bank,
going to Liverpool. There he married a
pretty bar-maid Of the hotel where he
was stopping. He made a great display
of f12. 900 or f15.000, spent money free
lv, and purchased a quantity of diamond
iewelry from a celebrated pawnbrOker
named Abrams. Mrs Bullard after
wards had occasion to pledge portion
of the jewels, and, upon redeeming
them, she alleged that the broker had re-
tanned a certain brooch. Abrams was
tried on the charge, convicted and sent
to prison for twelve months. Billiard
then opened the celebrated establishment
in Paris, as has been narrated. He can
be identified, it is said, as the man who
hired the store next door to the bank.
The crime does not come within the
terms of the extradition treaty, and thus
he eluded arrest. The fear of being
placed under arrest has kept him abroad.
He has two wives in New York, one of
whom, well known to the police, is an
expert shoplifter This will probably
bly, prove interesting reading to the hun
dreds of highbred American gentlemen
who have partaken while abroad of the
dainty food, and drank the costly wines
presided over by this low thief, and pur-
chased with the proceeds of his crimes.