The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-16

lips, and the porter retired with a Ave
dollar bill out Of the pile. The visitors
shortly withdrew from the hotel, and
MI. Ashley deposited that night the
sun of S14, 900 cold cash in the Office of
the hotel. Two pdsyS afterward he
took passage on q Guion steamer for
Liverpool, having explained to the ho-
tel clerk that he had sold a half-inter-
est in his Kansas cattle ranch, and that
Hungry Joe, as he was called, had AZ
pressed n wish to retire from city
life.
MI. Ashley had been gone from the
fashionable Broadway hotel precisely
eleven days, when a tall nan came In
from a carriage that was loaded with
trunks and steamer chairs aud other
appliances of ocean travel. He signed
himself on the register, benjamin
Ashley, London" The clerk looked
up hurriedly as If to apologize for not
recognizing his guest, then looked
surprised, muttered a hasty word or
two, and assigned the stranger a room,
all in a confused and preoccupied way.
This Was apparently another Benjamin
Ashley. He was tall and slender and
well dressed, and pale. But he spoke
with a slightly Americana, English
accent, not unlike that OF the other
BENJAMIN Ashley. The clerk was pref
ty well puzzled, and that night he took
good care to have the strangers full
name and address inserted in the list
of arrivals published daily in a periodi-
cal devoted to that purpose and care
fully read by the confidence fraternity.
The clerk went on duty early tue next
day and as he had fully expected, one
the first callers was this t%hin-lipped
young man, who asked to have his
name sent up to Mr.. Ashley's room.
Word came back that Mr.. Ashley
would see the gentleman in the draw
ing room, and thither the clerk follow
ed after a moment. Hungry Joe was
in a large arm chair when the
tall man from London anne into the
apartment. The New Yorker merely
bestowed a passing glance on Mr.. Ash
ley and looked away. The English
man, however, seeing no n else K
cepting the clerk, advanced courteous
ly and said:
ibid you wish TO see mep 1 am Mr..
Ashley"
"Ehp" queried Hungry Joe with a
look. YOU'RE not Nj. Ben
Ashley"
precisely"
"Not of Kansas"
"Yes, of Abilene, Kan. How can l
serve your"
The thin lips of the confidence man
rather white by this time, and
they we're more firmly compressed than
ever. He regarded the tall English
man in a dazed fashion for a few mo-
Then he asked:
"Do you own a large cattle ranch
miles south of Abilenep"
81 believe do. Why do you ask?"
"Been to Europe to have your eyes
doctored?"
Eyes. L have now been abroad four
months. But, my young friend, these
questions are rather odd. Please eI-
plain yourself"
sOddl" echoed the Broadway man.
swell, 1 should think they were. If
you are Benjamin Ashley, and you do
own that ranch, the cleverest man in
the country has given me a deal, that's
all. Why, it amt two weeks ago that
rue and two friends bought a half-in-
terest in that ranch, and, by George!
the man who sold US stopped in this
same hotel"
Mr.. Ashley seemed rather astonished
by this information, and beckoned the
clerk, who had been listening to their
conversation quite intently. That in
dividual gave a careful description of
the previous Mr.. Ashley, and the New
York sharper told how he had won
some SO, $50 from the same man, who
was on his way to Europe for the bene-
Of his eyes. He had represented
himself as the owner of tie Ashley
and at his request the speaker
had teleRraphed the Abilene postmater,
who had replied giving details as to the
property, which Is valued at about $780,
600, and he added that Mr.. Ashley
himself had gone abroad for medical
treatment. The msu had represented
that lie wanted to make certain expen-
ditures in Europe, and that his card
losses would prevent it unless he could
dispose of an interest in his ranch. He
produced deeds to establish his owner
ship, and they seemed satisfactory
even to the lawyers. Thinking he had
chance to get $4,000 worth of ma
terial for ga, 600, the victim had taken
two friends in with him, aud by club
bling together they had raised the ne
cessary amount.
Really" observed the Englishman
when the recital was finished, II am
very sorry for you, but you have IN
questionably been swindled. AS to
your friend, the bogus MI. Ashley, he
is probably n of my cowboys, Henry
Barnes by name. He came to the
ranch about fourteen months ago and
asked for a place. He did his work all
right and seemed rather more refined
than his companions, though he tried
to conceal it. l heard once OIL twice
from my men that he played a very cold
hand at poker"