New-York tribune., 1884-01-09
HOW MR.. TILDEN WAS swIYDLED..
TRAPPED BY "BUNCO" MEN INTO PRETENDED
ART DRAWING.

AM piNH Nt-'p'
Samuel d. TGden, of Hartford, who recently had
an unfortunate experience with buncO sWlndlcTs,
said Yesterday that there were some errors IN the
published accounts Of the matter He was walking
up Broadway with his little daughter, showing her
the objects of interest, when he was accOsted OPP
pOste the Metropolitan Hotel by young man VINO
pretended to recognize HIM as Nr. iarwell, OF St.
iouis Mr.. Tildcn said that he not from st.
Louis, but from Hartford, and gave his name. few
minutes later he addressed at EOurtl-st. and
Broadway by another young man OF extremely
amiable and even aticCtlOnatc manners, VINO sald
that he was the son of President Morris OF the
Charter Oak Bank of Hartford Mr.. illden knew
President Morris bat not intimately, ana the young
man was so plausible that he dld not suspect fraud.
The pseudo Morris talked gHbly about people III
Hartford and said that his mother and sister were
with him i'm the city for day or two, Being on their
way home from a visit to Philadelphia.
The young man asked Mr.. TIlden if he was not
Interested in art, and said that he had Just received
a fine oil painting Of Rc6ecca at the Well which
he would be glad 10 show Mr.. llldcn So they went
to a house in Fourth-st near Lafayete-place, where
i'm a room looking Ike an ordinary business Office Il
man was sitting at a desk covered with papers;
YOung MOrrIsu explained that the painting had
fallen to him in a drawing III an ART exhibition, but
the man Mt the desk said that Rebecca" had been
boxed up and sent to Mr.. MOrrs's address. The
two men arranged another drawing then and there,
at which Morris" was highly successful They
succeeded in persuading Mr.. Tilden that by a sys-
TEN of privileged numbers lie must WIN ana
cOuld not possibly lose, and Got $50 in money from
him for numbers. Then they told him that his
numbers had drawn 81, $50, which would be paid
drawn several art galleries), but that as matter
of FORM and to meet certain conditions of the draw
ing he must give checks for the 81, $50. lie was
prevailed upon to do so, but moment later the
suspicion dawned upon him that he had been
swndcd. lie knew that he could stop the checks,
and he was determined to get back his $40. The
swindlers clustered and threatened and finally
brought in a bogus detective, who said he would
take Mr.. Tiden to the station house. Mr.. TIldens
little daughter who han been with him all the time,
was much frightened and cried bitterly, but Mr.
Tildcn was firm and finally got his money back.
Mr. Tilden has been III New-YOrk often and looks
like "a clear-headed business man. lie is fifty-fye
years of age and is publisher in Hartford He
saws that il would have been impossible to defraud
him by any ordinary lottery gambling trick, for
he never wOuld gamble in any way. His interest in
art and desire to oblige the suppOsedl son of the
president of the Charter Oak Bank led him into this
trap.
Charles Garcie, alias Keester Bob" and Robert
Martin alias Spanish Dick" who were arrested on
Monday and identified by Mr.. Tilden as the men
who swnded him. were arrqigned in the TOmbs
Police Court yesterday and held in IS, 900 bail each
for examination on Friday.