Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-11-04
A BURLINGTON sENSATIOy.
A EsoId Confidence Man Makes n
fsig Haul at Il Quiet Little
Pcniusu.ar Town.

Particulars have come TO light of the
operation of man who, during the past
summer, iugraiiated himself into the con-
tidenca of the people of NiliinRteu, Kent
county. Md, and wound up his operations
i'll Baltimore durir z the recent celebration
5y securing ard oecaDpipg with over
81 600 ~ money, which Mrs DR. Il. j.
Power, Of Millipgton, had brought to
B .ltimore, to inves. The Record, OF Gem
,reville, Qlean Aune'5 county, tins week,
gives al account Of the operatiois OF
West, aj !.e GATED hinselt bs Landed in
M,llAgtJn suuiG Two il3uihs pgo,
4trAnR, to every onH, with huge trunk
AID al appar"utiy we'll tiiied vailse. He
WAS sEloOth ut speech, IF pleasant man
ners, gud played pious III his lacInetons.
lie secured ruoGl for = shop and opened
up as country jewelrr, called in common
parisnco, matchmaker. HIS business
pruspered. West did not like the COM
paLy 0t m,r uvermdch, AID any bolster
Gus conduct on their part was sure to
meet with an expression Of dissatisfaction
ffom him. ila htf cted tbs society OF
ladies, Was attentive TO church worship,
and WIS al authority upon ecciesiastieal
sun acs He became the companion oil
the clerRymen of the town aid vicinity,
could siug and piay sacred music and
took Hn active pArt in public and private
prayer meetings. He gained the conf
dence of the people 10 buhluess ard social
Affairs, and thus learned much OF their
aiTAirs. he found out who from Milling
ton were gong to attend the Baltimore
ceie ebration, how long they Intended to re
mHiu, their iinnLclni condition and all the
ietaila ,hat oDs trusted friend a1d
60, mill IN, talt
another. West discovered that his health
was not Of the best and concluded that he
would also visit Baltimore, TO recuperate,
az well as 10 sse tho sights He sad ne
would only oe absent from Milhngton for
few days, aud therefore tho hotel pro-
prietor, To whom West was indebted for
board II month or two Ill arrt ars, and
several persons of whom West had bor-
fowed did not feel uneasy in the least.
Among the acquaiitances West had
made in the town were Mrs. DIR. Power
aud Miss Ida hughes, young LADY OF
Somerset county, Md who was visiting
Mrs. Power. |. was possibly by his visits
TO Miss Hughes and his intimacy in the
family that he learned Mrs. Power i'll
tended to visit Baltimore during the cole
brstion aud invest "A considerable sum OF
money. West came to Baltimore on Tues
day, October 10, dressed il an immaculate
suit OF broadGioth, and stopped ut one of
me leading hotels here. He knew at
what time persons from Millington would
arrive. where they would stop, and their
piees generally, aud he was on hand to
receive them in his particularly accom-
plished manner. Mrs. Power aud Miss
hughes arrived in Baltimore on Wednes-
day, October 20, aud stopped some days,
Of course receiving ths politest attention
from West Who kept his ears pricked aud
his eses open, as he always did. The next
Monday West escorted Mrs. Power and
Miss Hu9 9hes down street, the former lady
having in her hands a satchel with from
/ LOGO TO i 300 In money, which she i'll
tended taking to a banker to be invested
in bonds. West, not forgetting his
gallantry, suggested that it would be
| better 10 let him carry the satchel, which.
if it should happen to contain any va!ue
bes, would not be safe in the care Of
lady in the crowded city streets. The
satchel Was thereupon handed over to
West. One Of tne ladies' remembered
that sht wautel ~ buy pair of gloves.
West souu discovered store where
gloves were sold u' d the ladies went
iii 10 make the puraha0s. While intent
OF, Gad il all their subsequent
search the ladies' ,uuld not find him. The
Record .ays 1t is useless to add that nHtf q
ing has buan heard from West since hn
took charge of Mrs. Powers sAtehel, nor
is there likely TO be. The ladi 8 returned
homo in couple of days, and through H
misconcepti0n as TO what they should have
done in the premises, failed to report the
matter TO police headquarters West Is
ebouL II years old, heavy set, with pronli-
nent features and black hair. Has de6crlp-
tiOn accurately given to the officers would
have served as \ photograph by which
they could easily have identified him. lie
claimed 10 be wldower, and as far a. he
wus in the least definite about telling his
previous history 1t was gathered that no
was of English parents and hailed frCm
New York, but said he had been all oy r
this couutry and Canada He sad that
previous to going 10 Milliagtoa he had
been 10 Cape Muy. Long Brsach and otter
watering plIces. whica e9e supposed to
ha cut Of the reach OF the purses OF
country watch repairsr5 as rule. lie
told tntt he came directly to Miilingtnn
ttum ala401ester, CarcOl county, Md,
:. here he lad carried oil shop for some
wcei,l, and n pteyions perira I'd! time,
a- La slii, be haI his ahnp in k5lnhey,
Hampshire county W. Va. Mlilrg;on,
perhaps. noveg before in It's Ais,urg vas
the scene OF the exploits of All acc )in-
pl sized ''cOniiencp man, t. class of
gentry who are wull known to tho cities.
il is said to pe the lizsest sensation the
pleasant little town has aud for years.
Beside. leaving hi. dehindness behind
him, West found means n ges his shop
tools our Of the wey, and his MilliuRton
speculation, WAS doubtless the most luora
tive tie nad experienced III d long Hhiil.