The Osceola times., 1882-01-07
KING PIN PLIN.
The Dandy of all American swindiers.-A
Life OF Confidence Operations.

sWlndlng Major talI. ears ago, W mite
beat Hall out of $4,000, and this time
would have caught him again under
pretense of restoring to him his $4,000
had it not been for the sharpness of
Halls wife.
Plymouth White, as he was originally
chrstened, first saw daylight in Wealth
ersi III, Vt, about sixty years ago. His
family was in moderate circumstances,
tilling the scant soil found among the
rocks in that vicinity, and when he pro.
posed that he would 60 to Montpelier
and become printer, no strenuous OBJ
iections were urged. Forsaklng the
paternal roof when only 10 years of age,
Pin White went out into the world to
acquire the title of king of knaves.
After spending couple of years in Mont
pelier, he conceived the idea of visiting
Boston, and in few months later found
him in the roll of a reporter on the now
defunct Atlas. During the ensuing three
years he successfully tired of Boston and
Bangor and went to New York. There
he sought out the elder Bennett, and be.
came one of the Herdid's ed torial writers.
At first he was great favorite, and then
he retired suddenly with several thou
sand dollars in his possession. 1t was
currently reported at that time that
White knew so mu-h about Benefits
methods of conducting a newspaper that
the proprietor found it necessary and
profitable to retire his employee with a
handsome little sum as a nest egg.
Whites next adventure was to Join a
company engaged in the manufacture of
Venetian blinds. This was in the year
1850, and within the term Of fourteen
months he retired with a capital of sl5,-
600 About this time The pioneers who
had gone out to California in 40 and so
began returning, and White formed a
company for the purpose of buying
gold dust from the heavy laden miners.
The firm was Winn, Hawkins q
White, and while White was at the foot
he was really the director and treasurer
of the enterprise. Acquiring a first
class commercial reputation, White set
out deliberately about running his part
ners. He moved in the first circles, ex
pended his means with hand so lavish
that persons thought him worth mil
lions and his name attached to paper
placed it among the highest in New
York. One morning White was miss.
lIS 'taItH NdS lllslllhltu lpI illIlli Dut
it was unavailing, and fears were enter
tanned that he had been foully dealt
with. An investigation of the books of
the company showed it to be hopelessly
involved, IS the late ruling spirit had
converted paper amounting to $4,000
into cash and fled to England. The firm
went down and Gotham was shocked
for day. About two years later White
reappeared in New York, evidently pre-
pared 10 buy himself out of all difficult
ties. He was arrested number of
times, compromises were speedily made,
aud after a time he could walk the
streets undisturbed His next venture
was at Weathersfeld, Vt, his birthplace.
1t was his first visit since going down to
Montpelier TO learn the art preservative.
Within the course of few weeks he
succeeded in gaining the contiderce OF
all the old farmers about the village, and
bought up what real estate there was in
the market. As a matter of course he
did not paw cash for these purchases.
Somehow he spoke about his million
dollar lawsuits in New York, which were
soon to be settled in his favor, and the
honest old farmers trusted him implicit
ly. II was his custom to give dinners
and propose Improvements for the quiet
little town and countryside. On one
occasion it would be a scheme for found
ing fine library; again a mammoth
park would be proposed, and then some
manufacturing enterprise which would
attract trade and give employment 10
all Presently he turned his newly
acquired property into cash and disap-
thn hood ttE al
grangers to bemoan their fate. BY this
stroke alone White cleared over 5000.
His next appearance was in New York
City. lie returned to his old haunts
and speedily made new friends. Among
his new found friends was an alderman
named Libby end Mr.. Plat, each of
whom he successfully swindled out of
several thousand dollars. His scheme
at this time was a fertilizing company,
which existed alone on paper. The
alderman was victimized to the extent
Of $4,000, and Platt lost something like
$4,000. The latter gentleman was
ruined financially, and became insane
over his losses, He was confined in a
private asylum for the insane, and died
few weeks later. White was taken in
to custody on civil process, and thrown
into Ludlow street Jail. Here he made
the acquaintance OF Sheriff Wilett, and
succeeded in convincing that officer that
he was prosecuted man. SO cleverly
did he play upon Willet's sympathles
that he loaned him a sum nearly, il not
quite 800 600. White also gained the
confidence of l.. w. Winchester, brother
Of the proprietor of the Winchester
House now connected with the National
Express Company, with headquarters
in New York City. This confidence cost
Winchester Slll,O00.
White next tried his luck in Portland,
Name. Gaining the confidence of a
number OF leading business men there,
he set deliberately about selecting his
victims. Eventually these were Mrs.
=. 5. Williams and her brother J. f.
Naval. The latter had large manufac-
turing interests in Dover, Salmon Falls,
and Great Falls, New Hampshire. He
induced them to go to Denver, Colorado,
and engage in the dry goods business on
on extensive scale, the firm being Mrs
Z. :. Williams y Co. Although Whites
name did not appear on the books Of
the concern, he was the business man
ager, and within two years Mrs. VII
lians realized that her fortune had
about vanished. A number Of the East
ern creditors began to get uneasy about
this time, and ". +. Chsce, of the firm
Of Little d Co., Portland, went to Den
yer to investigate Williams concern.
lie acted ON behalf of the majority OF
the eastern creditors, and remained in
Denver meanwhile reporting the firm
sound, also selling them bill OF $4,000
from his own house A RostOn creditor
was not quite 50 verdant as Mr. Chace,
and, on attaching the house for $4,000, it
quickly came ont that the institution
was insolvent, that the goods had been
converted into cash, and that the cash
was in Whites possession.
Mr.. Chace, it itsppears, was hoodwinked