The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-13
CONFIDENCE MEN.
How the Plan is worked BY
Sharpers.
The Collins Family and
their Career.
Part Of the Drama enacted in this City
From the New York Star

Interesting details of confidence opera.
ton were disclosed in the chambers of the
Supreme Court yesterday, on a motion 10
v9cate an order of arrest 10 the suit OF
William L. Call against j John Collins. The
plaintiff alleges that 10 May, 1878, bis
attention was attracted to an advertise
ment in Rock Island (lll.) newspaper.
which stated that great fortune could
quickly be made in a new business, in
which the advertiser desired a partner
possessed of a small capital. Mr.. Call.
having some loose cash, and feeling desir-
Gus to invest it to advantage. called upon
the advertiser. vino stated that his name
was Duncan Everett, and that be was the
inventor of an original pocess for the man
ufacture OF wool waste" from rags.
HE PRODUCED
a sample Of the manufactured article, and
said that it was part of a large quantity
which be had on storage in Canada. Call
listened intently to the story, and the in
ventor lost no time in pressing his busi
ness. He said that he was in trouble with
the United STAGES revenue officers. who
seized his materials and appartus while he
was attempting to smuggle them across
the border. and that John Collins, of
Boston, had redeemed the regenerator and
still use the manufacturing process from
the customs officers by paying $5l5. He
claimed that the appaTtus was Of great
valde, eand should be procured from
Collins as speedily as possible. Call was
induced to enter into partnership with
the SO called Everett in the business OF
manufacturing wool waste by the patent
which it was said he paid to the revenue
opH the m ahipeFU ond
were turned over to the new firm
Everett Immediately
LOCKED HIMSELF UP
in bis factory and went to work. At the
end of the week. by the aid OF chemicals,
be produced thirty gallons of a liquid
which be sealed up IN jars. The precise
nature of the liquid is not known. but it
was understood by Call that by its agency
common rags could be transformed into
wool waste in short order, and he was so
highly pleased with Evegetts ingenuity |
that he advanced more money to The firm
Everett took charge of the money,
NEW VEIN.
The Invettor th9n struck another veir.
He told his cou6ding partner that he was
engaged to be married TO young girl in |
Canada, and that he had just learned that |
her father household property was mort |
gagged for 1925, and would be taken from
him unless the money vas paid in few
days. Call advanced the 1925 for the
benefit OF bis partners prospective father
in-lnw, and Everett went away beaming
aud happy, but did not return The total
amount advanced by Call for all purposes
was stated at 81 ,S54,
GROWING ANXIOUS
on account OF his partners prolonged
absence, Mr.. Call grew suspicious that
that something might be wrong, Instituted
inquiries He discovered, as he alleges.
that the name of his friend was not Dun.
can Everett. but John Collins, Jr., and
that he was SOD OF the Boston John
John Collins to whom he advanced the
$5l5 He charges, in his complaint, that
father and son entered into conspiracy to
defraud him. and in his action for the
recovery OF the money advanced he OBJ
tanned an order of arrest against Mr.,
Collins, who is now resident OF Brooklyn.
The motion to vacate the order OF arrest
was argued before Judge Barrett yester
day and decided adversely to the Defendant.
TWO YEARS AGO
John Collins, Jr,, and his brother were
arrested in Naples, charged with having
defrauded an officer of the Russian govern
ment out of a considerable sum of money
in Brussels, Belgium. 1t is said that the
Duncan Everett who figured IN that trans
action is Identical with tho John Collins,
Sr., mentioned above. It will be recolect-
ed that the Collins boys. after swindliDg a
nobleman cut of 9 large sum Of money,
forwarded it to their father, who finally
secured it in the maiis, after paying over
to the defrauded nObieman $40 600 The
sons are now serving term of imprison-
ment in Europe for their crines. The
Collins family reside i1 handsome house
in Brooklyn, and are regarded ss wealthy,
the outcome of many very ingenious but
doubtful financial and mercantile transao-
tions,