The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-26
CAREER OF A GREATFRAUD
ms Exploits ON BOSTON tND WEE
IORk RiILRO.IDS.
Bold Attcmpt to u 81 tud Insurance torn-
panics lie Slows Presideni Natsau n
Wonderful Uiugru The Head Devil

HdhlfN iit = lows ffeatutul VI atsuu
Wonderful Diagram The Head Devil.
from he Boston HrrM.
week ago there was published in tho
SUtddU H,ribi a shor chuutcr ON " NJ cknal.T
moving hoy 80 u d priv t. detective, one
Major Ezra :. Goodwin. had at'eihn fot to -
tor large sum OF money from Nr. fcrlinlnd
Geld w-kv wa plo' That Goo win had uatur H.
10 prosecute Geidowsky on charge 81 settine
IRE 10 a building OGeldowsky's factorvl. and de-
frauding underwriters ont ot some 5000 in
bl1ckmaing Jon, GDor win and his confederate
were 'pprehcnded nv ihree officers " the st In
detective force and sent to jail, where they now
are avail INK lrial.
AGooGwn Is short and rather thick--et man,
weighing perh % 100 rounds, and L. about forty
W ira Of 'ee. He mas round face. is dark com
plrxiUned. has a restless dark eye. with tue
front centre of his hcai not exactly bald OF
Ike the ground side Of a water melon. and
sparsel covered with short ana crispy hiir. lis
Conversation ! powers. such rs they arr, tie uses
To good advantage, as they have frequently
helped him to gain the confidence Of honest
men white he robbed them OF their money. His
career In this city has been somewhat eventual.
cneckered, but superb; about as superb A. "A
score or more OF our best hotel kecpers aud
indlidies could make IT, without seeing any VI
his dollars
Ills career as a swindler IL not 40 interesting.
peril ps, IA his detective experience. In Seps
timber ls12, through the agency Of some innu-
entail outside parties, Major Goodwin was 40
pointed SUPERINTENDENT of accidents on tho
METROPOLITAN road. lie paid bat little attention
To the legitimate dulles Of his commission, lIt
IN sneakins, un ierVrpund way, can TO inves-
tigate the conduct Of the conductors. lie en-
gagged suite of rooms at tue Winth up House.
including priv5ts OH ie, aad kept a number (
hacks that were always AT mia command. incluI-
IN ono ~ Barnard coupe5 tnat was engaged at
SIS per day.
oBrAISfSG TESTIMONY.
whilc prosecuting his so-cnlled search after
crooked ami tmcvlug rpuductnrs, ne went 80
( + ~ To get a number Of men VINO nd been dts
huged irpm the 20 I'D for nishpnc.ty to make
en- rginQ the officials of the 70 al with specific
acts of fraud and thcit. H. promising 20 give
these men fat juus on the road for their sworn
s;aiements. In this way he obtainr - mas II
tesumony against men In charge of ships aud
yards and stables. charging them with taking
tue property 81 the road. Ills hdck lids we.o
Immense, aud % create the Impression that he
was uue irtniug a bis swindlc he wuuii start Il
the dead hour of night. drive uH t. Ja1Uiira
men at two and tn oe O'Clock ~ TIE niu-nins oi
the prctence uf g"t Ing evidence, firall, ms 10.
vcsiigdtiOus aud changes took IN the Supeun-
! tendent ana his exrerl.ncrt clr.k vino "a ris
/ evidence showed. were receiving liz iOym,y
| Tor Duttlng men on th' road. Is % MT lt,iilg
here, ~ claimed tnat tn - was a lac 80 OF
! crooked trans ions In the office 20 the &C. So
uter and lsO thil tue council flr the re- d, "a
sIiv,r.narcd gentleman, whOi l. above IDS, &c. "a,
! damage, fur accidents. Ia hort. his invest -
| tiuus werD 500 scIr"du- that nearly every person
| oil r -iN connected win the road WIS IN some
| WY .ng ged in Gclia .1i.s the cOfpprttt II, AID
in, litile whi.e thcy wlald steal tae al.
Ia due time tins testimony as laiu before Tin
! President OF the io1d. who ntntd daN ips
GOODWIN 10 hpil his court aud Il wa hcI,
! Goodwin aupc As prU-ectiih- a..1lA.y
ag.lust the whDis II them. IL t9YA nut a little
| while % show that tna whole thug WAS fiffo
! Aid tudt Nal " GOODWIN was "A lidlli. 4NU
he h ia prepared 20 make false anid ,y,t- went
! back ga him and he rctireG In dis-u-'. Yui lrcw
40 shekeis Tor his services, a. his uN I'D hl
been uusteed 10y ian lords aud ltndladir-. w
ellers ,nu talluis. while tse road ndtS refused
t. settle any of Ills stable D!s Ur OH e. Die. ao
| cid manage. however. 10 dis Il-c OF hi- o.. --
! stinony to other . rites. who though it
might some time be vain 'pl' To theni. tor Tue
sum Of SSUJ. winch he pucActed.
WORKING THE ERIE RAILWAY.
on leaving boston he mlnased, through mo
influence Of prominent DustOn LAWYER. to eet
appointed 10y Mr.. Watson. President Of the Lie
road - special detect We on that r. al, calling
! himsclf chlef Of the Erie drtcctN, force,
HIS hrst NOV after securing tins position WA
T. rent the basement ~ notorious house near
| rwenty-third street. New York city, winch he
| had lifted ~ In grand st,lc with the richest Of
! office furniture. including one Of Hefrngs
| highly ornamental safes. lie then commenced
| IN regular metrOpolitan style 70 tax" evidence
| against everybody on The road. his oil 'ct beng
! 10 show ~ the grdia. II lur. aud Irpduce Rings
end OF the road 10 til. other. FIR tnls purpose
| he hal prepared a ar-e Of gram, rtp.escutiHg
thirteen different RIMS Wit dian,s eXteuA-
ing from the centre or boss liin., where ne lo-
! Gated the head devil to the twelve uutlNiug
Rings re-, rr-euting the men aId s.attins Wntlo
Tue hour and grain fraud, were uein-c rlled on
with his graphic ana stunning drian> Of how
the Rings we're worked AMI MANAGED oy tho
| hut Mr. Watson did not see II, and Ills " lao
Investigation" Ike that ON the Me fo9oitan
tug boat in the North river, claiming m ia
mad svidence that the Tug was the r,per,y Il
|
| acts "a that road, and cane very ut.r sending
him to prison on Oh RE Of piracy
SMASHING THINGS.
on Sund ". while at work on hi. 1,lr and
| or lin Rings he had lawyer at his OH - I'd draw
! M papers for a suit AZ inst Mr.. q the head
/ devil HIS detailed pan OF oprr lions to
| attach As S2tI).OOJ worth ut pgup,ttN.sma-h
[ the Ring. clear OAK the yard, ana az the - We
| time 20 for SIS property in J,r-.N, W.no
| him bv tire is of losiug MS property s.Iied ON
| A. the mead devil, and then th-t- ~ 90 Nc
! "A new deal. III - was To have tn .nai- &c q
the grain department AZ $4,000 per aInJm and
all his other y Is were 20 have good I { N ces-
A would have to throw M his coutr 81. and
the company " uid force him To paw nlrk me-
a cumulated steaings, which amour. "a 60 al
Immense sum. \ tir. IA - wds mis- right bower.
VINO told frequently of the attemptsui tne King
10 drive MIN from the ylrd, and nn as ~ the
brihe offered him, Wnicn they thoIghi IA do
HIM one of the u. H knew that the head
devil cOgniZint of all the thieVinE. liil pad
his confederAtes well. He III -lhll trltd item
to have tho company stop n, bu' ne hd no
chan,e until they gave INN the risht man. MAJOR
Goodwin.
lie had IA ledger prepared "a his " oi"trphN"
in which were assigned "a cert an ia uhtf ~
pages Tor each IN IN, with arerotu ot reports
ABOUT him. The mead devll all ;hiri had Inc
most pages ana was the finest wr,ttcA i.'. hs
book was for him 'eif and h" used - ,AN - tit
would he his ca ital when he lcit the Ere road
and would show what NJ nj done.