The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-04-22
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS PLUckED.

VIA NANCko AUAMS Us
His Mental Condition Rendering Him
an Easy Prey.
BOSTON, April Ga sensation, some
what startling in its nature, has just
been developed in this city and has
created great excitement and comment
among those few to whom it is known.
The affair somehow has leaked out,
notwithstanding the utmost endeavors
were made to keep it secret, and the
police even now are reticent. The
plain facts in the case are these: Hon.
Charles Francis Adams, twice NOM
inee for governor, who has been minis
ter to the court of st. James, aud often
! spoken of in past presidential cam
paigns as possible nominee for the
chief magistracy of the nation, has for
seversl years past been gradually fail
ing 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
rigidly kept from all political and per-
sonal friends, save very few. He has
occasionally 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 con-
dition has been generally known and
the surprise of all Bostonians may be
imagined when they shall read this
morning the startling announcement
that this eminent statesman, the de-
scendant of past presidents of the Uni
ted States: has been heeced out of
$15, 900 by bunko gamblers.
Mr.. Adams had balance in the
Merchants National bank of 200.
Two or three days ago the family were
notified that Mr.. Adams had overdrawn
his account. This they thought strange
and an Investigation at once followed.
The party depositing a check was seen,
and after many negotiations two men,
giving the names of G. s. Morrison
and J. F. Norton, were induced by
promises to give the story. They ac-
knowledged having inveigled Mr..
Adams, on March 2s, into house on
Boyleston street where game of bum
ko was progressing, and he (Adams>
began to play, finally losing s19,35O,
for which he gave checks of 81 $50,
81 600 and $500. The checks were
presented for payment some days after
the swindle by one of the parties con-
cerned therein. At first it was thought
by the bank officers that Adams sig
nature was forgery; investigation
proved that it was genuine and the
check was cashed. Immediately the
family took hold of the case, and F.. f.
Adams, jr., and John Quincy Adams
employed private detectives to trace
the scoundre1s who inveigIed the old
man into their clutches. This was, it
is said, after the statesman had con-
fessed he had been duped. 1t was as
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 writ of
trustee was procured and civil suit en-
tered. Soon afterwards, working on
>A~A' NA~St NAS NSACNAA SSo AaA w" II AI0
men suspected of the job, and an indict-
ment warrant for the grand jury hav-
ing been procured, steps leading to
their arrest were at once taken. This
morning the ringleader in the affair,
J. F. Morrison, was arrested on a war
rant charging him with being the prin-
cipal in conspiracy to rob demented
person. Morrison is an accomplished
faro player, we'll known as unprinci-
pied TO the police. He was lodged in
the city hall lookup instead of any
so great were the precau-
tions taken to avoid publicity. The
other parties are known, and their ar
rest, it is said, will he .nade in day or
two.
In several of the parishes the Police
Juries have levied a road tax on every |
resident of their respective parishes
between the ages of 2l and As years.
In these parishes they propose to !
work their roads in a different way from |
the old one. That is, in each ward two
coin nmissioners of roads are appointed
for four wears and whose Gutv IT is fO |