, 1874-08-09
l. CHEVALIER D'INDUSTR1E.

Among tue names which have become memora-
! bic, distinguished, and notorious, in Chicago,
there is not one that possesses. IS synonym for
rnscalty, the distinction that attaches to that OF
| Timothy Fuller. He is honest in one particular.
and that is, ho avows that be is dishonest. This
man Fuller is genius in his way. For ut least
ten years he has publicly followed tho business
of swiudling, and during that whole time, and
to this day, successfully defes the courts, grand
aud petit iuries, the police, public prosecutors,
and the whole executive and administrative de-
partment Of the Government Tho State Legis-
! lature aud the Common Council have tried to
frame laws that would cover Tim Fuller and Tim
Fuller's business, but have miserably failed !:
aud, among the many personal, political, and
| professional acquajntances of Mr. Reed, tho
Stato'y Attorney, there is not one who greets him
SO fearless!y as Timothy Fuller. Esq. the Con-
idence Nan Of Chicago. Once, and once only,
| did the law succeed IN holding Mr. Fuller
in it's tolls; but even in that case it was only by
the extraordinary measure OF Furnishing him for
contempt Of court that it was successful That
contempt caso WAS one OF his earliest exploits
! in Chicago. The facts may be thus summa-
| rized Fuller and man named Rainforth joined
| toans- Rain}orth, under some assumed name,
had his lie r surcd for several thousand dollars.
After being insured eome time, he got sick; then
| he got very sick. The agent Of the insurance
company WAS notified OF his i!lness, and visited
| the sick man, who was attended by respecta-
b!e-looking physician. The sick man suggested
that. if the insurance company would rather send
! doctor Of their own, he would be glad to hare
him; the insurance agent, il he had had any
suspicious, felt assured that the young man, even
il ho WAS going to die, was nevertheless truth
few woeks longer. and then died The insur-
ance agent Was invited to the funeral, but did
not attend; and, next day, the funeral took
place under the charge Of Timothy Fuller, ESD
Before dying, the sick man made will, in
which he disposed OF his worldly goods. and the
| prospective proceeds OF his ife-insu1ance
policy, in 1egacies among relatives and friends,
and wound up By appointing Timothy Fuller,
Esq, his executor, with full powers, etc. In
due time the will was admitted to probate. The
dead man appeared, il We remember Alright, nn-
der IN assumed name, Us witness to his own
will. The Court granted letters Of administza-
ton, nnd the executor applied for tue insurance
money 1t is not necessary to detail all that fol-
in come way, discovered; and the County Court
there being no other way to reach the conspir-
ators-treated the fling Of a false will, and tho
obtaining Of letters on an estate which never e1-
listed, as trifing with tho forms Of law and
contempt Of Court. For this contempt it sent
Fuller, and Rainforth, and the ''doctor," to the
County Jail for terms ranging from BLK to eight
cen months.
Since that time Fuller has had q front rank
among the confidence men OF this and other
cities. 1Ie is respectable-1ooking man, always
dressed well and neatly; wears Just now suit
Of gray cloth; and, with mutton-chop wiskers.
might easily be mistaken for member OF the
Board OF Trade or Of tho Board of Underwriters,
or even for banker or merchant Tim Fuller
is not thief in tho sense Of being pickpocket,
burglar, CT garroter; that kind Of crime he prob
ably spur7as. Ho would not steal nor rob from
the person; nor is he gambler. He il not that
and what he undoubtedly has right to claim, is
that in matter Of stand-up dealing between
man md man. he can make more and his GUS
toner make loss than can be done in deal be-
tween any other TWO persons. he claims that be-
lives by his intellectual vigor and his knowledge
OF human nature. He is large advertiser, and
his advertisements read something like the fol-
lowing:
$5oo--A manufacturer, doing business which
yields profit Of g. 900 month, will sell half inter
eat therein for $500 cash. This Is fraud but al
excellent chance for eatet Irising young man.
Apply, etc.
clerk, with 5000 cash to deposit with his employer,
can ind permanent situation 1t 81 . day to take
Charge Of Office. Work Light.
Fuller being a man Of genius. there ia no limit
to tho variety he can give to his advertisements.
Strnuge as 1t may appear, he finds plenty Of cus-
tomers; and sometimes so strong is the
competition that, to satisfy them, he is
Obliged 10 sell out tile business to two or
three, and hlre more than one Clerk
receiving, however, the stipulated deposit
from each~ In d few days the purchaser dis
covers TINT he has been sw1nd1ed; be rushes to
the polict,, who hear the oft~ropeated story
with sp4i1e. II q warrant be sworn out. and
Fuller arrested, thon the Rcnius Of the "intol-
lectual man" is shown. By some means~-and
no ono has ever get discovered them-the pros
ecution is certain to fail at some stage for the
want Of the evidence Of the awindled man. In
cne instance the case had reached the point Of
swearing the tral-iury, when it failed, and Tim
othy, expressing pious wish for the continued
good health Of ar. Reed, went forth unscathed
Ia perzon md character by q conviction for con-
{etsed swipdlng.
This man is, as We have said, genius in his
way. E:e is man Of temperate habits free
from ordinary vices, OF clear. cool head, quick
in 1udg' 2ept, prompt in business, agreeable in
conre1n alton, extremely plausible, and, above
all, has ineuperable objection to honest Ia
bor. pnaterring to use his superior mental and
social qualities as cheat md ywipd}ar. Hia