New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-25
SWINDLING MANY FIRMS.
CAPTAIN WARDS sHREwD OPERATIONS.
PAYING LARGE BILLS WITH BOGUS CHECKS AND
KEEPING THE CuANGR-CAUGIT AT LAST.
During the hitter mart of 1884 InSnectOr

PAYING LARGE BILLS WITH BOGUS CHECKS AND
KEEPING THE CuANGE-cAUGHT AT LAST
During the latter part of 1884 Inspector
Byrnes received numerous complaints from business
houses In the city that representing himself as
Captain d. S. Ward, OF the steamer Eclipse, had swim
died them by paying for bills OF goods with bogus
checks for larger amounts than the bills and receiving
the difference in change. Detective Sergeant Frink
In the Jefferson Market Police Court Tuesday when
prisoner was brought In charged with dsordorly con-
duct From the description OF Ward in the detective
Office Frlnk recognized him and reported the matter to
Mr.. Byrnes. The Inspector sent Detective Sergeant
Radford. who acquainted with Ward to Jefferson
Market, and the detective identified him fully Ward
had been sentenced to six months BlackwelIs Island
for dsordery conduct but when the Inspector Informed
justice Duffy that there were several charges OF
felony against him he was discharged, only
TO DO taken into custody by FriDk
and Radford and taken to Police Headquarters
where he was recognized yesterday by number Of his
victims
Wards operations have been unc0mmony shrewd.
HIS hrst job In this city that Is known by the police wal
on August 6.lSSi lie went to the wholesale clothing
house OF Naumberg. Krause, Lauer & Co.. at No 657
broadway. and represented that he the Sheriff Of
Wilkinson County, Miss, and had come here after a
prisoner He had met his in the street, and after
desperate struggle, In which his clothes had
been almost torn off, had secured him.
He ordered S65 suit OF clothes TO be sent to him Mt the
Cosmopolitan Hotel. wnen tho messenger arrived with
tho clothes Ward took them to his room saying he would
return with the money. returned On October0
Ward went to the cr0ckery store OF James NJ Shaw Co.,
No 25 Duane-st where he gave his name as Captain
ID. g. Ward, OF the steamship Eclipse, plying between
New-York and New-Orleans. Having selected china
worth Si62 for the Eclipse he paid for it with $500
check receiving S3s IN change He introduced him
self to Mr. Ernest a salesman for tho Collender Com
pany billiardtabe manufacturers at No. $50 Broadway
rs Captain Ward, OF the Eclipse. the same day. lie
intended, lie said, TO set up a billiard room in New
Orleans and bargained all the morning for twelve bill
lard tables.
Mr.. Ernest took the captain out to lunch and while
they out went into the tailoring establishment of
Petur Curtis at seventeenth-st aud Broadway to try
on suit OF clothing, taking Ward with him. Mr. Ernest
also accompanied him to the saesrooms of the Merden
Brtania Company at No 40 East Fourteenth-st. where
he left him. Ward told Mr.. Phillips, the
salesman at the Menden Companys Office that Mr.
Ernest relative Of his and the strength Of the
relationship Mr.. Phillips permitted him TO pay bill OF
S905 for slverware for the Eclipse with check for
Sl,ll5, giving him the balance, $3.50, In cash. Ward
then took cab and went back to Pettus & Curtis's
place and ordered suit OF clothes and overeoat,
valued at $3.50. which he wished sent to the Grand
Union Hotel lie paid for them with $500 check, re-
ceiyng $50 In change Shortly after the clothes were
left at the Grand Union Hotel Ward went after them
representing himself employe OF Pettus Curtis
and stating that the goods should have been left at the
Grand Central Hotel.
Two pianos, valued at $1,000. were the
next articles purchased for the Eclipse.
These were bought from tho Chickering's
when Mr Lincoln the salesman, had made the sale he
took the captain out 10 lunch On the ground OF hav
lug mutual acquantances in the South the captain bor
rowed $50 from the proprietor Of the restaurant At
Chickering's he was referred 20 T. T. Kraemer Co, OF
No lO3 East Fourteenth ST.. the best place to pur-
chase a panO-cOyer. worth $3.50 was selected
and paid for with check for $3.50 tho captain taking
the cover with him lie purchased linen worth $3.50 for
the Eclipse from Lord Taylor, paying for Il with a
II 900 check. lilo also purchased from Lord Taylor
silk underwear for himself worth @lOO promising 10 pay
for 10 tho next Day.
the captains operations In the city and
he sought other pastures going TO Providence Boston,
Chicago aud Cincinnati and then coming back here.
Captain ward achieved distinction In the Confederate
Army In 1854 he was arrested by order OF General
Dix with Captains Kennedy and Bcale, who after
ward hanged al Fort Lafayette and Bedows Island
respectively for completely In the plot To burn the AstOr
House the Fifth Avenue, LOycOys. Frcnchs. the Abe
marie, Ia FOrgo's and other wel-knOwn hotels. Ward
was confined at Police Headquarters for four months
then transferred to Fort Lafayette and ultimately
liberated. lilo strongly suspected OF having
set aro TO Baruums circus building at Broad way and
Ann-st.. IN 1865. In 1870 ward turned up at Wood
vlc Miss. whore he represented himself as y. W. Pape
OF Baton Rouge La ana by forging Papes name raised
II 100. lie arrested for the crime, but after
year, imprisonment was released. He then To
this city aud under the alias Of IT, W. Keller. OF Wood
VILE Miss, swindlcd W. c. Browning Co.. clothcrs.
OF No los Broomsst out OF suit OF clothes and 500
In cash He will be arragned In Jefferson Market Po
ce Court this morning