The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-19
BOS7ON'S CAPTURE.
Mr.. pin" White and What
Is Said Of Him.
PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF POCKET
The Alleged Doings Of a Won.
derful Character.

BosToS, April Is, 1878.
Plymouth White alias .plin'' White, who now lies
In Jail in this city charges OF the most gigantic
winding, has history which places him in the
front rank OF mat class Of men who make their
living by perverting great natural gifts. White IL no
ordinary snarpcr but he is an accomplished man,
well educated and reanea He has in his time eslab-
lshcd and edited newspaper, ana also ranked among
The best reporters both New York and Boston. AS
merchant he has been successful for himself in the
North South, East and West and ali these various
directions said he has lett victims of his peculiar
system Of trsusacting business He is one OF tnoso
charming, industrious fellows who adapt them-
sIves 10 circumstances, and from a accounts Of his
miscellaneous career Is reasonable believe that
he looks upon his present apprehension as simply
temporary.
He seems to have travelled all the world. and In
every place whore he Obtained foothold ne sue.
ceeded the story goes in obtaining by his peculiar
talents sums or money or quantities or merchandise
which gave MIN lrcsn start in life left
sorrowing creditors behind. He is reputed be tho
ccvcrcst swindier in the land Today. and It is state
that the extent Of hts operations reaches 000i
Although as gay as ne is shrewd and cautious In
his questionable business pursuits he Is nearly
sixty years OF age He born SO he
Gays, in the town Of wcthersaeld VT
little borough the banks OF the Connecticut had
no charms fci him after he had arrived at a mature
( age He had heard Of Montpelier as the capital OF
The Green Mountain State, and ne lonyod 10 go
down there and learn the printers trade In this
iaudabie desire he was encouraged by his
good father and mother, and It was with their
blessing and change OF linen, donc DIP 10 ban
'danna, that he set out one Ans spring morning
some forty years ago to learn "the preservatve
OF oil arts" He learned the printers TRADE thor
oushiy. The Boston papers, which regularly re-
solved ~ the office where he employed filed him
With an enthusiastic desire pay visit to the Hub
and he accomplished that burning desire at length.
tao rt9'aT Lifts CARRIER IN BOSTON
He made bold strike Immediately upon his ar
rival in Boston. He proclaimed himself thoroughly
educated journalist, and ~ was only day or two
before no wasadded to the reportoral corps OF tho
ancent anu oeiunct Aaas. He proved a good re-
up to the requirements Of the old iopy editors AM
managers ola quarter OF century age. Bangor,
journalistic venture, and the old files OF the Wig and
Courier preserve to-day the early literary efforts OF
genial 10 his tastes ana after few months ne re-
turned 10 Boston, but only to remain for time.
Hts restless disposition tempted him 10 try his luck
y. whito also engaged in the manufacture of vene.sn
blinds, and IN an incredibly short space OF time
worth $40 600 or $4,000. This J 1860 and
lS5l. Wnptns capital anus accumulated he went
into general brokerage business with couple Of
being VIM, Hawkins Il White. Although his name
appearsd ~ tne loot he really the head the
tablshment His principal business at this time was
IN buying gold dust from returned Caornans. ana il
Is doubtful there arc any OF his surviving customers
who vii, not reJoios to he is finally on the
HI hway To punlsn ment and justice IL Is sald oil hun
that he swinded them right and left.
3 - 6.4Ns. h WITH AyESUE. sW
He lived during shis the costly man.
ner on Fifth avenue But al length suspicious OF his
integrity and financial sJlidisy were noised about and
nv n IA
was a very clever fraud The usual excitement con-
scquent upon such exposures followed, and the gay
anu festive White was taken into custody. Indacu, ne
was several times arrested ~ the instgalion OF mis-
numerous victims. but Eono Of them ever succeeded
getting him sent up the RIVER.
i At ABOUT this distinguished swindIer found
convenient TO revisit his old homo IN Weathersned
graphic accounts o. his marvellous success IL busoes
In New York, andwas very lavish IN expen
He was also pnispthropics and wanted 10 40 some
tbing magnificent for his native town. The idea OF
founding a free library or church PROBABLY dld
not sutsr his mind. Perhaps no intended 10
founda rival metropolis " Rutland. Burlington or
Bratleboro. Al all events he proceeded stralghtway
10 buy up all the real was In the market
and the old lay nights anticipating me
wealth SO suddenly accumulated aud With which they
We're to slide through life and into eternity wrhout
did not psv tho mousy oown. for he osd y law lew
million dollar lawsuits on hand, aud just
soon as they were OF bis mind everything would
be all right The honest Old yeomanry OF the
vcrdant mountain Common wealth were only too we'll
pleased 10 accommodate their generous beneiacior,
rrsy. many oftnem actually advanced MIN money Tor
Incidental personal expenses. II tue reader has
weathersAcid farmers, he is IN error; he promptly
surned the property thus acquired into cash, and
me eransers Of his native town. such Of them A. are
living, are still waiting Tor their pay.
He next returned 10 New YORK and secured the
shelving Of some cases standing against him. aud re-
nswed his operations. Among those whom he drst
successfully approached was Mr.. Libby, then
Alderman. and q man named Piatt each OF whom
he swiuded out OF many thousands OF dollars
The last named gentlemen he not only ruined
nnanci,l'y, but the poor fellow became crazy
insane asylum. Among the heaviest losers BY Whites
CONFIDENTIAL transactous about This time Mr.. L.
w. Winchester, treasurer OF the National Express
Company, whose assets arc probably 500 less
day tnan they would have been II ne hal never sc On
TINS most distinguished OF vermont's sons Al the
same time, or soon amer, he worked upon tho sus-
ccptibiitics OF a couple Of eminent New York law
ycrs to the amount OF hundreds OF thousands IL
IS said by those who have investigated into his
past career that the aggregate OF his swades viii not
TAIL short OF s10t0,00o Ho has tits alleged, within
spent term IN Louisiana. but made IL not Tor MIN.
self there that no had 10 fly
POULTRY SPECULATION
He was one OF the Supervisors the New iberia
and ST. harunsvillc parishes, and was prominent and
Instrumental IN manipulating the returns so as to
secure the election OF Governor Packard Whiie re-
publican President tailed 10 recognIze tins timely
service the state OF Louisiana grato ul for
Immediately upon the inauguration OF the rauduient
Executive, whitc appointed state Printer and he
does not disguise the TACT that hs maao good thing
For once this intrepid and gifted individual en-.
barkcd III an honest enterprise, but luck or was
against MN, and II 10 reasonable to believe that he
prohted by the example, Tor 1t does not appear
mat no has attempted 10 earn honest livelihood
since. Tnis notable and worthy experiment
In the poultry hoe OH an island scme-
where in Texas. lie bought ali the hens he
could ind, ana comm need multiplying their species
this desoiate island He had Passed some ten or
Glteen thousand. wnen there cano nlod. and every
hen, rooster and chicken was lost and White himself
narrowly escaped drcwnln1.
A Li,TLE gxpFRI.NcE N MAfxE.
Ten years ago White tried his luck In Portland, Me-,
anu (ior himseIiD was cmincutIy succyssiui. He
gained tho confidence OF loading men hero Ms
elsewhere, aud among his most prominent vic.
tins are Mrs. H. s Williams and her brotL.
ers, Jonn and Eben Mayall, who own iarse
amounts Of property In Dover, Salmon Fails and
Great Fails, N. IL He induced them tu no to Denver.
Col, ana engage with him ia theury goods business
On an extensive scale, the drm name being Mrs II. s.
Williams For two years White was tho sole mana
ger, whsn at length Mrs. Williams saw her fortune
vanishing and undertook 10 save what she could OF IT,
10 sell ou wac, Of course, tho first stop. aud when
Inc hrm was reorgabized II was under the
name OF John Magyar n Co, Whites vile takine Mrs.
IA aud .or ht.l