The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-04-13
DUPED BY KNAVES.

somewhat startling in its nature, has just
been developed in this city, and has Gre
ated great excitement and comment
among those few to whom it is known.
The affair somehow has leaked out, not
withstanding that the utmost endeavors
were made to keep it secret, and the
police even now are reticent. The plain
facts in the case are these: The Hon.
Charles Francis Adams, once recognized
as the Democratice leader in this State,
twice the nominee of that party for Gov
ernor, who has been Minister to the
Court of st. James, and often spoken of
in past Presidential campaigns as pos
sible nominee of the Democracy for the
Chief Magistracy of the Nation, has, for
several years past, been gradually failing
in mental power. He is now 76 years
old, and has been given the best care and
treatment, and all knowledge of his
partially demented condition was rigidly
kept from all political and personal
friends, save very few. He has OCCASION
ally passed your correspondent on the
street, and from his childish manner and
appearance one might easily suspect
something was amiss. However, no
suspicion of his true condition has been
generally known, and the surprise of all
Bostonians may be imagined when they
shall read the startling announcement
that this eminent statesman, the descend
ent of past Presidents of the United
States, has been f1eeced out of S15, 900 by
bunko gamblers. Mr.. Adams had bal
ance in the Merchants National Bank of
$4,000 two or three days ago. The FAM
lily were notified that Mr.. Adams had
overdrawn his account. This they
thought strange. and an investigation at
once followed. The party depositing the
check was seen, and after many nego-
tiations two men, giving the names of J.
8. Morrison and J. F. Norton, were in
duced by promises to give the story.
They acknowledged having inveigled Mr..
Adams, on March %, into a house on
Boyleston street where game of bunko
was progressing, and where he tAdams)
began to play, finally losing $19.350, for
which he gave checks of $1,75O, $500,
and $4,000. The checks were then pre-
sented for payment some days after the
swindle by one of the parties concerned
therein. At first it was thought by the
bank officials that Mr.. Adams signature
was forgery. Investigation proved
that it was genuine, and it was cashed.
Immediately the family took hold of the
case, and Charles F. Adams, Jr. and John
Quincy Adams lalso past Democratic
gubernatorial nominee) employed private
detectives to trace The scoundrels who in
veigled the old man into their clutches.
This was, it is said, after the statesman
had confessed he had been duped. 1t
was ascertained that the money-for the
check had been cashed-was deposited to
the order of the person drawing it in the
same national bank At once a writ of
trustee was procured, and civil suit en-
tered.
Soon afterward working on this clue,
the detectives run down the men suspect.
ed of the job, and an Indictment warrant
from the Grand Jury having been pro-
cured, steps leading to their arrest were
at once taken. This morning the ring
leader in the affair, J. F. Morrison, was
arrested on warrant charging him with
being the principal in the conspiracy to
rob demented person. Morrison is an
accomplished faro player, well known as
an unprincipled person to the police, and
was lodged in the City Hall lookup, in
stead of at any station house, SO great
were the precautions taken to avoid pub
licity. The other parties implicated are
known, and their arrest, it is said, will
be made in day or two. An entire gang
is alleged to be involved.
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