Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-02
OSCAR FLEECED AT BANCo.
How Mr.. Wilde Learned the Game from
Mr.. Drexel.
Nelc York Times.

having left America, it would do him no
harm to tell the facts which were bound
to come out in time. 1t would also save
him Captain Williams some ANNOYANCE.
as "a small million of persons had asked
him about the story, and had been given
eyasive explanations. 1.-TWO weeks ago
to-day, in the afternoon" said the
Captain, oscar Wilde came to this
station house in hack. He was i'll
at ease and in hurry, and
told the Sergeant he wanted to see
the Captain privately. Well, he came
into my room, sat down on that lounge.
shook back his hair, threw open his coat
so as TO show an eXpanse of white shirt
'front.', arranged his neatly cased legs
to show their shape, strOked them with
one hand, looked aesthetic, and said to me.
You've had a long and various experience
in police business, Captain Williams? |
replied that had had a little experience
during long term of service. Then he
continued, And suppose you've seen and
heard of many people making fools of
themselves" | admitted that | had, and
he said with an Outburst of confidence:
We'll, Eve been making damned fool of
myselfr Oh, he said damned, and with
emphasis. | asked him what was the
trouble, and he told me the old story of
'bancO' swindle in which he figured"
The story MIR. Wilde told Captain Will
liams is the stereOtyped one. He was
walking early in the afternoon in Fifth
avenue, near Fifteenth or Sixteenth
streets, when well-dressed man, whose
manners were far from common, accOsted
him by name; said he was young
DreXel,' and that, although he had often
seen Mr.. Wilde at the firms office down
town, he had never had the advantage of
making his acquaintance. Mr.. Wilde had
had dealings with DreXel, Morgan Il Co..
and believed the fellow. They had a
pleasant chat of a few minutes over Ordi-
nary topics, and Mr.. Wilde was about to
leave, when his friend, Mr.. DreXel, spoke
of an odd occurrence that he ventured to
say had never happened to Mr.. Wilde.
Mr.. Wilde was disposed to hear
about it, and Mr.. DreXel informed
him that a few days ago, to get
rid of fellow who impOrtuned him,
he bought lottery ticket. He was con-
WINGED that the money was thrown away
in fact, it was his first venture in such
a chance-but, happening that morning
to look over a list Of the lucky numbers
drawn in the lottery of which
he had ticket, he discovered
that he had drawn prize of
$500. Mr.. Wilde thought this extremely
odd, and when Mr.. DreXel asked him to
see him draw his money, and then accom-
pany him to friends in Fifth avenue, Mr..
Wilde consented and went to house on
" r IL
teenth street. They entered a queer sort
of office, in which were several very busy
persons and man who appeared
to be a sort of cashier. He took
Mr.. DreXePs winning ticket, handed
him what appeared to be $500, and
asked him what he proposed to
do about the "half ticket" This was the
opening Of the ''bancO" game. Mr.. Wilde
was not able to remember all that passed,
but he had a jumbled recollection that the
''half ticket was sort of bonus with
the 5000, that it could be ''played off,
with chance of winning much money;
that ''fOr the fun of it and the good of the
house." Mr.. DreXel played, that he was
lucky and sure of winning large sum,
but that he had to make show of Il GER
tain amount, and that the gambling in
lection seized on Mr.. Wilde. First he
lent Mr.. DreXel his check for $50, then
one for 500, and finally one for $1,000.
The cashier, as soon as the last check was
placed with Mr.. DreXel's pile, and the
other checks, made drawing" and an
nounced that Mr.. DreXel had lost. The
stakes were seized, and it was now time
to get rid of Mr.. Wilde. As is usual. a
fuss was made by Mr.. DreXel, who insisted
that ''his friend, Mr.. Wilde" should re-
ceive back his checks. The ''keeper of
the Joint" as the cashier is called in
''bancO' parlance, replied with asperity
that the concern did not give back any
checks, and that if Mr.. DreXel had Dor
rOwed any money from Mr.. Wilde to lose
Mr.. DreXel was well able to pay Mr..
Wilde. Mr.. DreXel left the house with
Mr.. Wilde, conducted him a safe distance.
and went away saying he was ''going to
see about ii" Then Mr.. Wilde was con-
WINGED that he had been swindled by a
trick just gotten up for cOuntrymen, and
in time so perfected as to scoop in Bum
thornes. Mr.. Wilde called a hack, told
the driver to hurry to the Madison Square
Bank, stopped the checks, and called on
/ Capt. Williams.
Mr.. Wilde was looking at the rOgues'
gallery of the Twenty-ninth Precinct soon
after he had told his story, and he picked
out the portrait of John Jacob Astorhous,
or Hungry JOe,' who had assumed the
name of DreXel. A consultation followed.
| Captain Williams advised Mr.. Wilde to
| follow the matter up and prosecute the
swindler. Mr.. Wilde could not make up
his mind to do this. He was alarmed at
the possibility of some enterprising law
yer suing for the amount of the checks
and terrified at the possibility of his adj
venture being made public. Captain
| Williams suggested that publicity could
hardly harm Mr.. Wilde, but he said he
had been advertised enough, and he did
not want the American public to know
that he had been taken in by a shark.
That night Captain Williams hunted for
John Jacob AstOrhOus, intending to ar
rest him and arraign him before a Magis-
trate, even if Mr.. Wilde declined to
prosecute him, but he was not to be found,
and an the men suspected Of being 'ban-
CO.. operators appeared to have left New
York. Captain Williams put man to
watch AstOrhOus' house, but he has not
been seen in the city for two weeks. Last
Monday week an envelope addressed to
Captain Williams at the Thirtieth street
station house, and mailed in New York,
contained Mr., Wilde's three checks.
| Captain Williams telegraphed to Mr..
Wilde at No. As West Eleventh street:
"Checks are in my possession" 1t took
Mr.. Wilde but few minutes to go to the
station house, and he was delighted when
he tore up the evidences of his gullibility.
He thanked Captain Williams warmly,
| and appeared satisfied that the grave of
his folly had been filled up and that the
public would not know of his adventure.