Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-25
p,,TTtE,s LITTLE CANES.
How He Traded on IL pittsburgh Firms
Name.

ltoxv lie Traded on u pittsburgh Firms
Name.
The arrest of O. ID. Potter in this city, on
charges Of obtaining money by falsely rep.
! resenting a connection with the white lead
house of T. II. Nevin & Co., of Pittsburgh,
has been related in the INTELLIGESCER.
The Pittsburgh Times, published by the
Nevins, gives some furthe: accounts oi his
operations
| Some two months ago large, portly,
fine looking man giving his name as smith
entered the office of r. II. Nevin & Co.'s
lead work. Allegheny, and solicited an
opportunitv to sell some mixed paints on
| percentage. lie stated that he was from
| Kansas City, where he had been engaged
| in the same business, and giving as refer
ence various firms in that part Of the West
| with whom Il. III. Nevin 4 Co., were
acquainted, and withal, being smooth of
tongue and of pleasing address, he made
| a good impression and was met half way.
| He was given cards, &C., and assigned the
West as his field of labor, he having ac-
| cording to his story, controlled trade
| in that section which was corrobOrated,
as far as such confederation
| went, by his mention Of numerous
citizens out there with whom the firm
of T. II. Ncvin & Co., were also ac-
qllaintCd Prior to leaving the city he adj
mitted to the firm that financially he was
bankrupt, and asked the loan of s2O to
aid him in getting il start, the aforesaid
$50 to be deducted from his commission
on the first sale made. His asking for so
triiing il sum disarlned suspicion, and the
money was advanced him in the best OF
feeling and he was sent Oh his way with
host OF good wishes following in his wake.
But while he had been cautious ut the very
outst:rt, his success, though it was not q
brilliant one, seems to have made him
little careless. After leaving Il. III. Nevin
Il Co. ne dropped into Tims's UNI
brclla store on Wood street and pur
chased fine umbrella, paying part
cash for it and giving rs security for tho
payment of the balance, his connection
with the firm of I. II. Ncvin Il Co. Mr..
| Tim let him have the umbrella with some
mssiyings, and as soon rs he had taken
his departure, communication was had
with Ncvin & Go. and inquiries made con
ccrni!,g his authority to tender the firm as
security. Word was received That Smith
had no authority tn nS.. the name of L. Ill.
Ncvin Il Co. in any such transaction, and
! immediately after word was sent to the
| Allegheny mayors office to have Smith
put under arrest. In the meantime,
Smith probably realizing that le was eli
dcavOring to make hay i'll wet weather, rc
| turned tn Tins. paid the balance due
on the umbrella alH; left, presumably for
| the West, befoic the arrest by the Aliegil-
eny police could bc accomplished. lie had
been gone but Il few days when L. H..
Ncvin Il Co. began to receive letters Of liz
qmiry concerning this man Smith from par
ties from whom he had borrowed small
sums of money, SO that it was evident that
| instead of turning his face westward, As Wa:
the agreement he had gone East. even us
it was how equally evident that he was a
swinhlrr T. ii. Ncvin & Co. inserted
warnings in the trade paper; east and
west. hIt still the letters Of inquiry con-
tinuci to pour in. The letters were, with
out 4 single exception. irom people from
whom he had obtained the loan Ola tri-
fling sum to ''eHable him to reach the next
town, where he was expecting draft,
etc His having in his possess
ion the color cards of the firm
he claimed 10 represent, caused his
stories to be heard rs gospel truth, and the
small favor asked granted without hest
tancy. He failed to sell single pound o;
paint, neither was his authority t" make 4
sale once questioned, showing that his
whole time was spent in finding those who
could he gulled ont of i five Or ten dollar
note. An effort was made to stop him in
his swintllin. career but without success.
he always being just leaving Il town rs
those who very much desired an audience
with him were entering il, until Friday last
when Il note of inquiry was received from i
gentleman in Lancaster. this state, who 1t
subsequently turned ont was the alias
Smiths hrothcr-in-law, asking whether or
no Smith was in the employ of the firm.
4 denial was transmitted and also 4 re
quest that he be arrested. The brother
in law sent word that Smith had left town,
but that his wife was in Lancaster, AMI
that he would return on Saturday. when
he would be placed under arrest. Un Sat
urlay Edward Nevin went to Lancaster
and found that Smith. whnsc right name is
q. ID. Potter, was III Jail there. Mr..
Ncvin dropped in to see him and was
greeted thus familiarity:
Hello, Ed Get me out Of this, will
you I will give up everything. only get
me ont uf this
Finding that Mir. Ncvin's heart did not
make Il sympathetic RESPONSE. he burst
into tears and wcpt a portion of his sorrow
away. That evening Mr.. Nevin called
upon Mrs. Potter, who readily gave up the
with the remark:
"Send him t" Jail, fo, home with him
in it is anything but 4 pleasant one.
On saturday he was given 4 hearing :in'!
bound over for court.
Potter conducted his swindles on q
small scale etfccting loans tiat were insi:g.-
niican:. At Rochester be bamboozled :,
jewelcr out of 4 cheap watch. While go
ing from one town to another, he managed
not only 10 bc carried free, but to get S1C
worth of confidence out of the conductor,
who wrote 7. ii. Nevin IL Co., asking tO
be reimbursed that amount, stating that
the deception practiced upon him w"nlt
he the means Of dcpriving some worthy
but unfortunate man of aid.
The small scale in which Potter, carried
on his operations has led to the belief that
he was also engaged in 4 swindle of anoth
months he succeeded in eluding arrest, he
obtained not more than S125 in money
which would hardly have paid his travel
ing expenses. Since his arrest it has beer
learned that while out West he played
precisely the same game, and that he is :
, man in whOla there is little or no good ans
there are many who are very glad that ht
: is now where confding human nature vii
not be abused.
Doctor AgneW.
Readers who have carefully scanned TIN
''of1icial bulletins relative to President
) GarieIh's S condition.. cannot have failed t,
notice the freuuent mention made of tn,