St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-04
GULLIBLE sGREASERs. "
A Smooth Rascal Visits the City Of Mex
leo, and Gets Away With
$4,000.
He Hired a Theater, and Sold Seats for a
Patti Opera Engage
ment.
The Tickets Went OFF Like Hot Cakes
at EXorbitant
Prices.
Ell the Receipts Save the Silver
Change Logged Of by the
Swindler.

CITY o. MEXICO, Dec. S.-A tremendous
sensation occurred here to-day. and is the
subject of gossip at all the clubs, cafes and
places of public resort. For the last two
DAYS there has been great excitement owe
the sale of tickets ut the National theate
for the Patti season of five nights in Janu-
ary. The crowds around the Nationa
theater have fairly blocked the streets
Police were required to preserve order, and
it seemed as if the city had gone mad over
the expected advent Of the songstrees. The
prices of boxes were $50 night and seats
Sc These were three times the ordinary
prices. The
OSTENSTBLE AGENT
of Mir. Abbey who was conducting the sale
OF tickets, was man giving his name as
MAYER and claiming to be brother of NJ.
3. Mayer Mr.. Abbey's friend and business
associate. He had with him letters. one OF
which purported to be from Abbey, which
he showed to Minister Manning and other
people. The theater had already been
engaged for the Patti season by Edward W.
Orr1n, of the firm OF 0rrin Bros, pro-
prietors of an American circus here, who
know Mr. Mayer, OF New York, but as MI.
Orrin was
OVERWHELMED WITH BUSINESS
regarding the opening of his own entertain
ment which is standard attraction here,
he had no time to give to other matters,
else the plot might possibly have been de-
tected. The advance agent had letters to
some of the best-knOWn people here, and
no one suspected the fraud. The sale of
tickets began Thursday morning, people
waiting at the theater door from an early
hour to get first choice. Seats were bought
in whole blocks, some persons paying
81. 600 for boxes. In the course of the day
the box Office had taken in $1S,600. and
on the previous day the private
sales amounted to $1,000, making the
total cash sales S24, 900. The governor of
the federal district was somewhat suSpi-
cious and sent to Mayer to ask if any one
was responsible for the money being taken
from the public, but Mayer managed to
avoid any act that would further excite
suspicion. 1t is understood that
EVERY SEAT WAS TAKEN
for the whole five nights but some we'll
known persons, as is the custom here, did
not pay in advance, but nicely gave orders
so that the amount in cash actu-
ally taken does not come up
to half the seating capacity of the theater
for five nights. Last night Mayer went to
the hotel where he lodged. accompanied by
a policeman, nominally appointed to guard
him, but in reality to see that he deposited
all the money in the hotel safe. In some
ingenious way it is said that Mayer had
transferred over $40, 900 in bills on the Ma
tional bank and Bank of London to the
pockets of his overcoat, and
DELUDED THE POLICEMAN
into believing all had been deposited in the
safe. At all events this morning Mayer
did not appear at the box Office of the
theater, nor was he seen at the
hotel The safe was opened and there
was only found there 81. 800 in silver
dollars, which, of course, could not be
taken away. Now the authorities are look
ing for Mayer, and the spectators are
weeping and receiving as best they can the
condolences of friends. 1t is said to be the
biggest thing of the kind ever known at this
capital. People are saying the man was an
American, but he spoke English with a
marked foreign accent and had Mexican
cast of countenance. One theory is that
Mayer has gone north by railway and dill
gence, and another that he is secreted here
until the matter blows over.