News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-04
THE BOSTON BANCO GAME.
A Wealthy Maine Banker Relating
His Experience with Sharpers.

Since the publication of the extraor-
binary revelations concerning the swim
die by banco thieves of the Hon. Charles
Francis Adams, of Boston, the Hon.
Samuel Blake, of Bangor, Maine, has
related to several friends a similar ex-
perience, wherein the same parties, as
he supposes, were the actors. Mr..
Blake is about seventy-five years old,
fine-looking, and of commanding ap-
pearance. He has amassed fortune by
lending money on first mortgages.
Years ago, in anti-slavery times, he had
desire to 60 to Congress, and obtained
the Democratic nomination, although
himself Wing, but was defeated. He
has served in the Legislature, was for
years a Railroad Commissioner, has
been the President and principal stock
holder of the Merchants National Bank.
of Bangor, for many years. Mr.. Blake
says:
I" was in Boston two years ago this
month, and while walking down Wash
ington street was accosted by young
man, finely dressed, suave in manner,
who called me by name, and asked if !
had recently come from Bangor. He
introduced himself as Mr.. Shaw, son
of Charles Shaw, Esq, of Dexter, Me-,
prominent gentleman with whom ]
was personally acquainted. The young
man said that he had just returned from
Europe, and among other valuable curl
osities, he had brought home a splen-
didly illustrated encyclopedia, and re-
quested me to step into his room, which
was on the second floor in the rear OF
Sears's building, st the head of State
street, and examine it. readily accom-
panied him to his room where another
man was sitting at table writing on
slips of paper. Shaw Immediately
asked his companion, Have they ar
rived p and the reply was, Not yet.
The man at the table was making figures
on piece of paper, and asked me to
guess the number of one of them. Ide-
clined; but, as he pressed the matter, ]
guessed the number forty, and he said
sixty. I guessed again the number
thirty, when he said it was fifty. Shaw
was standing close by me during this
proceeding, and from that moment ]
knew nothing more until I was informed
by these parties that had been gam
bling.
81 protested that I had not, as ]
knew no game of chance, nor hardly
knew one card from another. They still
persisted that had been gambling, and
as evidence produced certain checks,
drawn on the Merchants Bank. One
was for $400, and the other was fol-
$4,000. The signatures appeared to be
in my own hand, but the body was in
another. I seized the $4OO check and
tore it in pieces, which threw on the
floor. The So, 900 check they refused tc
| give up, although 1 made repeated de
mands for it. Thereupon I left the
room, and as soon as recovered from
my bewilderment I laid the case before
the Chief of Police, who found the man
ovtained the check, gave it to me, and
destroyed it. Not desiring public no
toriety, and having, as I supposed, Sc
cured my checks, returned to Bangor
and kept silence"
About month ago person came
from Boston to Bangor with check fol
$1,000, drawn on the Merchants Ma
tional Bank, OF which Mr.. Blake Ii
president, of even date with the former
check for the same amount which Mr.
Blake supposed he had destroyed. Il
bore the signature of Samuel H.
Blake. The man did not present it tc
the bank or to Mr.. Blake, but at
tempted to negotiate it with third
parties. In this he failed, and aftel
leaving it with lawyer for collection
| left the CITY,