Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-11-04

sN lNDLEh OUT OF SiUu WITHIN TWO
SQUARES OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS
THE DETECTIVES ALI AT SEA.
John Lister, an old Yorkshire farm
er, from somewhere not far from
Leeds, arrived at Philadelphia on the
Lord Cough on Monday, of last week,
accompanied by his wife, two daugh-
ters, married daughter and her hus-
bond, George Furniss. Farmer Lister
is edging along the seventies, and is,
as well as is his son-in-law, as inno-
cent as the softest-heeced lamb that
ever cropped the green sward of the
West of England. The immigrants
were bound for Kansas, and their sole
worldly possessions consisted, besides
their baggage of draft for 500 on
Drexel IL Co. in the pocket of the old
gentleman and n five pound note in
the pocket of his son-in-law. 1t was
late on Monday afternoon when the
family trooped ashore from the steam
ship. Right opposite the American
line wharves is an ancient beer saloon,
the pretentious title of hotel upon the
sign of which attracted the attention
of Farmer Lister, and hither was he
hieing when hackman waylaid and
halted him with the information that
the allie ged hotel was only beer-shop.
Then the hackman was asked where q
good hotel could be found, and in re-
turn he said that the st. Cloud was
just that sort of place.
Mr.. Lister said that he had heard
of the ST. Cloud from some friends and
bargained with the hackman to drive
him there, and all the family got in
side the hack except Son-in-law Fur
Mss, who sat with the driver. Posi-
bly, the driver did not pump out of the
young 1orkshireman all about the
moneyed resources of the family, but
probably he did. Instead of driving
to the st. Cloud the hackman brought
up at the American Hotel, giving as
an excuse that the st. Cloud was full.
There was no loose change in the new
arrivals to pay the fare and the hotel
clerk paid it. Mr.. Lister incidentally
mentioned at the time, in the hearing
of the hackman, that he would have
plenty of money in the morning, US he
had a draft for 800 on Drexel.
On Tuesday morning Listers draft
and Furniss "fi-pun" note were cashed.
Late in the morning Furniss and his
fatLer-in-law were sitting in the read
ing-room of the American when man,
described as tall, well-dressed and red
mustached, accosted them and soon
ingratiated himself with them by stat
4. log that he was bound for Topeka,
Kansas, the destination of the immi-
grants, and mentioning several places
and people in Yorkshire known to his
listeners. Finally he suggested a walk
and Furniss took stretch up Chest
nut Street with him. When near the
Continental a man stepped up and
demanded of the new acquaintance
the payment of a bill Of $50. The
latter produced a check for larger
amount, which the dun declared him.
self unable to change, but still insisted
on payment. Furniss was appealed to
and said that he had only s25. THAT
will do now," said the dun, "and you
can pay the balance tomorrow" Fur
Mss passed over the money, the dun
went his way, and soon after Furniss
found himself alone, and after a long
wait, became convinced that he had
been swindled. He returned to the
American, and went out with his wife
without saying anything to Father-in-
law Lister about his loss. He bad
scarcely got away when into the read.
ing-room walked the red-mustached
stranger, who, walking up to Lister,
asked where Furniss was, as he wanted
to pay him S25 he had borrowed up
street. The old gentleman said that
"the lad" had gone down the street
with his wife, and the stranger sug.
gested hunting them up, as he wanted
to pay back the money right away
because he was going TO leave for To.
peka that evening, and had yet mum.
Der of bills to pay. The old York.
shireman and the swindler then left
the hotel together. He was taken
somewhere within two squares of the
hotel and passed a fountain on the
way, probably near Fifth and Walnut
Streets, and, under pretense that his
companion wanted to pay a bill, was
enticed into a well-furnished office
where two men we're sitting at desk.
as my bill ready ?" asked the swind.
Ter. "Yes, here it is" and bill for
seven hundred and odd dollars was
poked at him. lie then produced a
check for 81 900, and asked for the
change. "We can do nothing with
the check to-day, because it's after
bank hours" said one of the office
men; "it's good enough though" The
recollection of the old farmer, limo.
cent of all knowledge of monentary