The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-05-21
The King of the swindlers.

The simple entry on the returns from
the detective bureau at police headquat-
ters Yesterday, "Heury r. Lawrence,
twenty seven years, German, speculator,
arrested for larceny. represents the tenn
porary winding up of a career that has
few parallels in the annals of crime.
Lawrence was brought to this city yes
terday morning by Detective McCluskey,
having been arrested two weeks ago in
Chicago at the iDstination of Thomas
Ouinlan, an Englishman, who says that
he and his brother arrived in this city
last September, having made the &C.
quaintance of Lawrence on board the
steamer. Upon their arrival he steered
them to the hotel Devonshire, where
Thomas Quinlan deposited his funds,
amounting to $3.50, in the safe and took
a receipt for them. Lawrence took the
brother around and out of town as far as
Poughkeepsie, managing to leave the i'm
preston upon them that he was person
of distinguished connection. On the
second day after their arrival Thomas
had business appointment with his
uncle. Before sunrise that morning
Lawrence aroused Quinlan iu the hotel
after having first possessed himself of
the receipt for Quinlan's deposit in the
hotel safe, and made him go with him to
Central Park to enjoy the morning air.
It was nearly 10 o'clock before. .Quinlan
remembered his engagement and hurried
off to his uncle's house. When Lawrence
had seen him safely on the way he went
back to the hotel, presented the receipt,
drew the money and took steamer back
to Europe the same day. On the way
over he added to his money by playing
an. unsuspecting fellow traveller similar
trick, and then leisurely made tour of
the continent, returning to America q
month or two since.
Inspector Byrnes had, meanwhile, sent
circulars describing the swindler to all
the large cities in the Union, asking for
his arrest. 1t was developed that Law
rence's real name is Adolph A. b.
Kleecamp, and that he was originally a
Chicogoan. He married q Miss Taylor,
of Rochelle, ILL.,, and soon after commit.
ted bigamy in Los Angeles by marrying
Nellie Richards, the daughter OF
wealthy resident of that place: BY
forgery and swindling he possessed HIM
self of over $4,000 in the California
town and ran away to San Francisco. In
San Francisco he posed as a member of
a firm of jewellers in Los Angeles and
added $4,000 to his ill.gotten gains.
Having sought out his deluded second
wife on the pretense of explaining all,
but really to rob her of all she bad, he
fed, leaving her destitute, and this time
went as far as Chicago, where he boarded
in great style at one hotel after another,
swindlipg them all. When that locality
became too hot for him he journcyed to
New York and found employment with
Horace B. Winston, publisher, at No.
234 Broadway. At the end of four
months he collected 500 due his en-
ployer and left suddenly. AS canvas.
ser he had been Harry r. Sheldon. In
a single night he became Lord Pembroke,
and as such took passage for Europe on
the steamer Belgenland.
Among his fellow passengers there was
a young st. Louisian, the son Of a banker
in the western city, to whom the "Lord"
attached himself, with the result that
when the two reached Paris "Lord Penn
broke" had the young mans draft for
$4,000 in his pocket. He lost no time
in cashiug it at his bankers. To spare
the Young man the remorse of confess
ing to his father that he had been
robbed, Kleecamp col.siderately cabled
the fact himself to ST. Louis, and added
that he was in need of money. When
it came in shape of another draft, he
cashed that also and left the town, leav'
ing father and son to come to an under.
standing by cable. It was on bis return
from this European trip that bis evil fate
led him back to Chicago, where Thomas
Ouinlan met him in the street and caused
his arrest. Requisition papers were sent
on from New York but the prisoner
made stubborn fight. There are nu.
merous warrants for his arrest beside
those already mentioned. He is wanted
in indianapolis and in Kansas City for
swindling. In the former city he was
arrested in an attempt to cash forged
check, but escaped from his captora.
When caught in Chicago he was on the
point of starting for New Orleans. Law
renee, alias Kleecamp, is handsome
swell in appearance, with 9 long, silky
blonde moustache. He is 6 feet tall,
slender and very well dressed. He
speaks five languages fuently. His
picture was taken and placed in the
rogues' gallery. Inspector Byrnes took
the prisoner before Recorder Smyth at
noon yesterday. He pleaded guilty and
was committed for examination.-New
York World.