Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-03-16
ALAS, POOR SWANWICK.
BegraeefnIIy bidsAdieu 20 los Angeles
and few unsettled Diils---
Sharp Practiee--.
Forgery.

#T. +. Swanwick, late publisher and
proprietor of the TRADE Circular and
Comm erciaL Reporter, has decamped,
leaving large number of esteemed
friends to mourn his loss. Some two or
three months ago Swanwick made his
descent upon our city, coming directly
from San Bernardino but previously
having been resident of San Francis
co. He claimed that he had been the
commercial editor Of the Attd but this
statement is not looked upon as very
reliable. He was evidently a man of
fair abilities and withal possessed
AN OILY TONGUE
with which lie managed to cajole our
business men out of good many dol
lars. The Trade Circular started out
with very fair business prospects and
there is no doubt that if Swanwick had
conducted himself properly. he might
have secured a good living from the
enterprise. His manner of doing busi-
ness was to secure written contracts
from his advertisers in the form of
notes agreeing to pay stipulated sum
and these he hypothecated to pay fol
the publication of his paper as well as
his board bill and sundry other eX-
penses. As the man was utterly i'm
pecuniOus when he came to town this
was O very convenient as well as
INGENIOUS SUBSTITUTE
For ready money. But now we come
to the crooked transactions of The am
bilious publisher. After placing these
advertising contracts in the hands Of
other parties as security or as pay
ment of accounts he would visit bis
advertisers in person and collect his
bills from them in the ordinary fash
ion, never pretending to surrender a
contract. Thus it will be seen that
the gentleman of sharp practices
found double use for his collaterals,
and altogether made q handsome prof
it on them, although the result was
rather hard on his patron9. Several
of these contracts were placed in one
of our city banks in this way and sew.
eral were turned over to the st. Charles
hotel, where Swanwick boarded. AL
though he exercised such wonderful
aptness in settling bills, he ref:ained
from the practice as much as possible
where his own bills were to be settled.
He owed the Mirror job Office, where
his paper was printed, some $500. He
was also indebted to Dotter & Bradley
for considerable sum, besides owing
host of small bills about town. The
young man who transcribed the real
estate transactions for his paper is out
and injured to the extent of twenty
five dollars. Swanwick found
A CONGENIAL SPIRIT
And companion of his labors in the
person of one +. A. Gill, a brunette Of
taking appearance, who it seems gave
q ready assistance and cooperation in
the crooked newspaper transactions.
And now comes the denouement.
Swanwick and Gill visited the steam
ship office of Goodall, Nelson & Per-
kins previous to the sailing of the
Orizaba, and Gill procured passage on
that vessel for himself and n nephew
(?) whom he called John Pitman.
Suffice it that the nephew was
NONE OTHER THAN sWANwICK
Himself, and last Wednesday, the two
were snugly packed in stateroom of
| the Oriziba and sailed for San Fran
cisco. AS an additional blind, while
| the trio were in the steamship office
procuring passage, Swanwick talked
much to his partner about buying
presses and type and hurrying back to
attend to his business. No doubt the
brace of scaawags will soon return
with fine Office.
ANOTHER CHARGE
Against them has been developed
since their departure which is nothing
lesss than forgery. 1t seems that
Swanwick had forged the name Of w
w. Robinson upon one Of his adver
Using contracts and that he had trans.
ferred this paper with others to the St
Charles Hotel in payment for board
Other transactions of the same kline
may come to light. A warrant was
yesterday sworn out against the run
aways and they will doubtless be over
hauled by the authorities at San Fran
cisco. 1t would turn out q rather
awkward joke if the press and mat
erials which the gentlemen bring
down should prove to be handouts OF
a ball and chain. We trust that thi.
little experience willprove lesson tC
our business men who are too ready
to patronize every mushroom circular
enterprise which is started by som:
strolling adventurer, thereby with
holding their support from the legi
innate newspapers. through whose
efforts the city is mainly dependen
for her present prosperity.