New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-15
IMPOSING ON A WOUAD-BE ACTRESS.

AN FVTERPRISING SWINDLER ARRESTED.
THE CARRIER OF MAURICE ALIHD sciWAB-MIss
LEWIS. OF CHAELrsToT HIS LATEST VICTIM.
Maurice Alfred Schwab an enterprisng swiDdler
was arrested and locked up at Police Headquarters
ON Thursday night by Detectives Dolan and lIeildc
berg Early yesterday morning Detective Woods
arrested Robert j. Rummols, an eX-conyct who
was charged with being Schwab's confederate III
certain swindlnc operations The prisoners We're
taken 10 the jefferson Market Police curt yestor-
dav and were remandcd until today to enable the
detectives ~ procure evidence against them. The
men are accused of obtaining about $500 from Miss
Helen ~ Lewis of Charleston. by means Of false pre-
fences Miss Lewis WHO desires become an actress
in March noticed ar advertisement which Schwab
had caused to be published, and began cor
resnoDdencc with him. Schwab represented him
sell 10 be the manager of the Grand Opera House in
Denver, Col, and also the manager of several
travelling theatrical companies. In this city Miss
Lewis met both Schwab ana Rummels. the latter
being introduced treasurer for the " cOmbina-
tom Size was iold that the wardrobes required
for her use would cost about 81. 900. and Schwab
offered 10 make the necessary purchases. He
signed a contract engaging Miss Lewis for one year
nj salary of $40 a week. He then induced her to
90 10 Boston helo he hirod teacher of eleCutiOn
Schwa6 $500 toward tho cost of her
wardrobe soon afterward she discovered that che
had been swindled. Schwab and Rummels had left
| POston in the meantime after Swindlng a young
woman Of that city out of $500 BY similar device.
Miss lewis was asked TO pay bill for board which
| Schwab and Rummels had contracted, but she re-
fused She returned to this city TO make inquiries
for Schwah, being under ne delusi0n that he had
been theatrical critic here. The full extent of the
swude was revealed TO her when she found the
critic of the name and learned that tine man
20 whom she had intrustcd her money was IN
| known 10 theatre managers She then went 10 70
| lice Headquarters and consulted with Inspector
Byrnes. Detectives were sent to boston and they
traced sehTa1 to Baltimore where where f hs
an unpaid board bill. They learned that ho had re-
! turned to Naw-Yor After getting trace OF him
one or twic" end failing to inq an the officers at
length arrested him at No. 297 Fifth-aye, where he
| had bee n boarding only q few days. RnmmelS vas
! arrested in the clearinghouse AZ no. % West
Schwa6 is a slender nan, below the medium
height and about thlr,y-sX years old; with He
brew cast &C features His face was shaver clean,
admitted Ia wing Swnded Miss Lewis, and talked
freely with the detectives about ing past life Hc
WAS born iu this cy his father being respectable
merchant in Harlem. lie began t. sald notore'y
: "a q sWindler IN January, 1851, when he
advertised himself as theatrical agent,
and undertook to procure situation Tor
a daughter Of Minnie Cummings, the actress. lie
got $500 from Miss Cummings and ran away with
il. He went 30 Brazil whcre he made a contract to
furnish 500 coolies from China at cost of $50 per
head receiving about ~ 900 IN advance from Wis
cOnnt lndalatnba, who ac "a for the Brazilian Gov
eminent. ScEwab returned to Ntw-1OIk, O't"n-
sblv to carry ont his contract but he took 30 steps
| toward furnishing the coolies. In AUGUST of the
same year ne opened an office al No. 2S7 Broadway.
| and advertised himself IS the secretary Cf the
UnIted States Emigration and Rehef Society"
He issued circulars offering TO send immigrants to
the lar West and furnish them with farms.
| le managed TO cOlec- sums OF mon
| ey from several persons aud then he
| fled 10 Colorado, where he entered INTO new
| scheme to gel money easily. IN September, 1881.
he was advertised the corresponding secretary of
| a tunnel company which Was TO open gold mines
| undrr mountains where successful mines were ln
| operation. A stock company was formed, and mil
lions of collars worth of Stock was ISSUED Alarge
part of the stock sold al low hgures III thus city
| by CHARLES Tate. who fled 10 Europe without
diyId with the rest OF tie company. SchWaD got
very lille out OF the tunnel scheme, and after VS.
ling The Pacific slope in search of employment he
returned to NcwlorK again 10 renew ms practice
| of swInding stag,-struck Young women. When lac
| first met Mis- Lewis be was occupying rooms
! IN West Twenty hfth-st. Schwab told In
| spector Byrnes last evening that hc Wa
ANXIOUS 10 settle with Mrs Lewis but the Inspector
sad mat the complainant WAS determined 10 prose
| cute INN.
Rumuels, the recent tool and companion OF
Schwab, lis boylsh III appearance and IS oy twehty
three wears old yet he las served two terms u
Dyson. He was convicted Oi bur2ay III DIoaa