Omaha daily bee., 1874-01-06
An hFFA5lE CONFIDENCE
OPERATOR.
How a Smooth onged William
Played His Game on a Lady.
Pretending that He had been Sent
for Her by Her Invalid Hus-
band, He Beats Her Out Of
$40, and Leaves Her at
Omaha, Five Hundred
Miles from Home.

playeu ~ one man uPoh "hoVhei, "a
there are so many villains in the
world who 'live by their wits" but
when we learn of a deep laid conf
dence %transaction, by which q woman
is led away from her home hundreds
Of miles by q smooth-tongued rascal,
and robbed of nearly two hundred
dollars, then are we led to lament the
~depravity of the human heart, and
to conclude that there is nothing too
wicked, cruel, mean, or cowardly,
that some men will not do for the sake
of acquiring money.
The name of the victim of the lat
est confidence game,-the details of
which were related to us this norm
ing-is Mrs. Alexander, h%ailing from
Quincy, Illinois, and now stopping
temporarily at the City Hotel. The
confidence operator styled himself
Henry +. May.
1t appears thai Mrs. Alexander has
an invalid husband, suffering from a
paralytic stroke, travelling in Cali
fornia for his health, and making his
headquarters at Sacramento. Early
last week, May, who had evidently
been in California, and there become
acquainted with Mr.. Alexander and
learned all about his family and other
matters, arrivedin Quincy, aud called
at the house ofMrs. Alexander, where
he found her and her sister at home.
"How do you do, ladies'" said the
affable May. "This is where Mr..
Alexander lives, l believe" He
looked up at the wall of the parlor
into which he had been ushered, and
seeing a painting of Mr.. Alexander,
he continued. "That's a splendid
picture Of Mr.. Alexander" Then
perceiving a likeness of Mr.. A. in
a locket that was attached
to a chain about Mrs. AS
neck, he said to her, "You must be
Mrs. Alexander, as l see his picture
in that locket. II is q very correct
one. Mrs. Alexander, l might as
well tell you at once that my name
is May, and I am the gentleman
whom your husband has requested to
accompany you to California to meet
him. lie desires that you should
visit him as soon as possible" Hav-
ing thus introduced himself, he went
on to state all about Mr.. Alexander,
and to relate little incidents about
him and his family, all of which was
done in order to win the confidence of
Mrs. A., and to prove that May was
an intimate friend of her husband.
Mrs. Alexander consulted her
friends about the matter, and as they
thought everything was all right,
they advised her to go. Upon ask
ing May how much money she need
ed, he replied about two hundred
dollars, with which sum she Accord
ingly supplied herself, and left
Quincy last Thursday with May.
She put 800 in his hands at starting,
and out Of this money he paid her
fare TO Omaha, where she arrived
Friday night, and stopped at the
City Hotel.
On Saturday he represented to
Mrs. A. that he was rather pressed
for money but that by telegraphing
to the mint at Denver, with which
no said he was in some way con-
nected or had money there, he would
be able to obtain funds upon arriving
there. He then asked Mrs. A. to
lend him 800, till that time, as he
absolutely needed the money to
travel with till they should reach that
point. Mrs. a., supposing that Den
yer was on the line of the Union Pa
cific, and having every confidence in
the integrity of May, let him have the
money, without any suspicion~ rising.
May then asked her if she had any
more money, ten or fifteen dollars,
and she replied that she had only
some small pocket change. Even
this strange question did not arouse
any suspicion. Yesterday afternoon
about two O'clock he left the hotel
with the intention, as he told Mrs.
A. upon leaving, of telegraphing to
Denver so that his money would be
awaiting him there.
May proceeded to the Union Pa
ci6c depot, where he was seen
to take the transfer train for the east,
whittier he departed with Mrs. AS
money, about $40.
About ten o'clock Sunday night,
she came to the conclusion that May
had deceived and swindled her, and
she then told her story to the clerk
of the hotel.
Mrs Alexander IA not very dis
over the loss; she was
greatly aggravated, however, to think
there was a man living who
could stoop so low as to play
such a mean and heartless trick upon
a woman. Yesterday morning she