The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-15
A DEALER IN LEGAC1ES.
A suindler Orertaken and Punished.

A SWindler Oyertaken and Punished.
On the faith of mysteri Gus will the
prisoner, who was yesterday convicted,
had coutriyed to extract within very
short time two sums OF 93So each from
English gentlemen. The prisoner was
mt I'D for trial under the name OF
Charles Howard, alias the Count Won
Howard. AS the Count Won Howard.
he seems to have lived unsuspected for |
some months in German hotel. The |
Count had other names. He was Herr |
Won Howard Seeteld, and he was Mr.
| Judford, and he took care to have what |
| Falstatf wished for, commodity OF
good names, always on hand. His prin-
Cipal mode Of operation seems 10 nave
had bold simplicity about it, He wrote
10 somebody i'll England, telling MN
that he had found long-lost Will, by
virtue of which great sums OF money
| ought to come to the person addressed,
and he asked for 93 0; and III two in-
stances. at least, he gov the money.
| This was the sum OF his oper"tlonsS Dut
of course he wrapped mis- proc eedlng5
IN IN somewhat more OF mystery. he
wrote, for example, to Mr.. John Harvey;
a merchant i'll Upper Thames street,and
the prosecutor IN YESTERDAY case, IN
forming him that in 1870 IL man Of wealth
yey would be entitled TO Il considerable
sum of money. The writer signed him
self "F. u. Judford," and explained that
he had in some strange and provluen-
tial Way become acquainted with the
fact that such WIN had been found;
that il would have been destroyed by in
terested persons but for the loresigh
and care OF the present holder; anu ina
the holder, who had lntrusGed these
facts in the strictest confidence 10 the
writer. only wanted IL moderate per-
centage lor himself. They writer as
sured Mr.. Harvey that this important
statement was only contiIed TO that gen.
tlpmAn in the profounde5L re lance upon
! his secrecy and honor, ana that II he
would pledge himself to discretion al
that stage Of correspondence, every
thing should be gradually made clear
and satisfactory. Mr.. Harvey dld
l. pledge himself to these preliminary con-
l dilions oil secrecy, auo lheh Ine colfe-
/ spoudeuce went on.
$ When it had reached certain ST.
the M sterious Mr.. Judford eXplalneI
e that the holder of the will wanted G3SU
b as his percentage, but he pledged his
d honor ttiaG no coin OF this money, IL pald
: over to him, should pass out OF his hand
e into those Of the holder Of the Will, until
j. the latter person had first placed into the
It hands of the lncOrruptlDle Judiord the
b precious testament itself and the Other
y documents necessary TO make g0oa MI
Z Haryey's rights. MIR. Harvey believed
d ali these statements, relieu upon thr
Il honor of Mr.. Judford, and forwarded
e the money, In one sense Mr.. Juu for,
c, proDably kept his word. He promiset
of that until the will was forthcoming n
st would not give the money to any person
'e ana we nave no doubt that he retaine
H. il Tor his own use. The Will did no
make its appearance, and Mr.. HarVe
+; mad only in the end TO apply to tn
le police. Somewhere about the sam
time Capt. Williams, who formerly rel
le resented Barnstable in Parliament, wa
he taken by the same person in the sam
ne way, and tleeced OF an equal sum {
c. money.
~ The prisoner seems to have been pu
nv suing such ca reer OF fraud Ter sever
ne years. He appears to have lived
es writing letters to people and obtainln
il, money from them on all manner OF frau'
is ulenL representations, and to have org
nized his whole exlstence into sort
st mechanism for such purposes. AmeriC
or is said TO have the honor of giving hi
"a birth, but he was for three yeaIsi Ell
IT. moved in our war Office under ditferel
an name or string of names, and therefo
TO- he may be supposed to have acquire
of some of his education In this countr
He had variety of ingenious devices
of having his letters posted from plac
ul- where he was not then living, so as
he render it hard for the police TO get
re- him. This very craft proved injurio
he to him yesterday, for it appear
I'M that some of his letters which purport
at 70 come from a writer living on the col
lis tinent had actually been written in I'll
si- country, and thus all difficulty about t
yn jurisdiction of the English Court was 6
he over. Yesterday closed his career for
ng considerable time. For the one char
an which was brought under the jurisd
in tion of the Court he was sentenced
lat penal seryitude for i've years, and to
ow main under the supervision Of The poll
nd for five years more. He has in 9th
ed ways, as well as the plundering of t
IN, incautious, initiated the career OF Cal
sat Macheath and other famous figures
en- robbery's more romantic and dar1
OF days. 1t would seem that Polly al
IRE Lucy and various other eredulous you
in creatures were deluded by the arts
the Count Won Howaid. The delusi
se; in these cases is less surprising than
ut the others. The incarceration of t
lst Count Won Howard saves society for
ne while from him, but we venture to thi
at that if he had as many comrades as t
as, famous Captain in the 'Arabi
We Nights,n the whole thirty might in s,
lg, cession play the same pranks, and ST
ny, find dupes and victims.-[Lonoon New