The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1876-07-19
The Morristown Gazette.
WEDNESDAY. JULY 10. 1876.
SEEING THE ELEPHANT.
Adventures of a HambIen COun-
ty GFeenhOrn i'm the metrOp-
oils, and Led Astray and
Plucked by SharpeFs.

~
oils, and Led Astray and
Plucked by Sharpers.
From the Knoxville Daily Tribune, July 18th.
Several weeks ago a young man
giving his name as NJ. NJ. Coffman
who halls from Hamblen county
made his debut i'm Knoxville in the
capacity of book agent and veudei
of pictures. He put up at Herman
Stern's restaurant, on Gay street
and for brief space enjoyed life a:
seen through bar glassee He had
money, and spent it freely, but not
with sufficient lavishment to satisfy
the harpies who infest that resort
and during his sojourn. the unsus
pecting countryman was feeced out
Of S120.
Soon after he was invited to visit
a house of iIl-fame on Crozier street,
but was reported. arrested by Con.
stable Brooks, who took him before
W. f. Yardley, by whom he was
fined. He was soon after arrested
for carrying pistol. and the scoun-
drels who had been plnndering him,
doubtless fearing that their rascality
would be exposed, induced him to
believe the police and civil officers
had warrants against him and fright.
ened him into leaving town, to avoid
going to Jail. as he supposed.
The deluded rustic was followed
to Chattanooga by Alexander Bia-
giotti, who personated an officer, and
claimed to have a warrant to bring
him back to Knoxville. Naturally
Coffman was averse to returning,
which suited the self-styled officer
exactly. and he offered to release
him for fifty dollars. He refused to
pay so large a sum, but finally CON-
promised on twenty dollars, which
amount he paid to Biagiotti, who re-
turned of course, without attempting
to bring the fugitive back.
In the meantime Coffman had
some transactions with the bank at
MOrristown, which were of an irreg-
ular nature, though exactly Of what
character we are not at liberty to
say, by means of which he obtained
about thousand dollars. The bank
officials soon ascertained the fraud,
and telegraphed to Chief of Police
j. B. Pickehs, who arrested Cotfman
at two o'clock yesterday morning at
the depot. The whole affair was
then found out, including the man.
ner in which he had been victimized.
Stern admitted that he had received
a hundred dollars from the young
man, but told two tales about it,
He told one person that he held the
amount as collateral security for his
appearance, and another that the
fellow had made him 4 present of it.
Inasmnch as Stern had not gone on
his bond, the first tale was too thin
and the assertion that Re had taken
it as a gift was still more improba.
bic.
While under arrest yesterday |
Coffman was visited by Alderman |
Biagiotti, who was requested to re-
fund the amount obtained from him
at Chattanooga, which he declined, !
saying he had no funds, but at
length gave him enough to buy a
shirt.
The prisoner said he could easily
settle the affair with the MorristoW
bank, and left for that place yester-
day afternoon in charge of officer
Taylor. What will be the result of
The affair remains to be seen, but as
matters now stand, it is the same
Did story of a greenhorn being taken
IN and done for by sharpers.