Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-21
"Plin" White Dead.
CAREER OF NOTED CONFIDENCE MAN
TWENTY TWO YEARS OF SwINDLING.

Plymouth White, alias Frank Parke, alias
"Plin" White. the king of confidence men.
died at Reading. VT, at the home of his
brother on Sunday night from carbuncle on
his neck at the base of his brain. White had
succeeded in the last twenty-five years in
fleeing business men, gullible grangers and
confiding women out Of more than 81 SOC, 900.
The police r. cords in New York give the fol-
lowing account of him. He was born in
Wethersield, VT, but he lett that place when
he was a boy to learn the printers trade at
the State Capitol Before he was of age
he went from Montpelier to Boston and
worked up to the position of editor on the
Atlas. After some years of successful work
in Boston he got into trouble on account of a
money transaction and went to Bangor, where
be took up the business of swindling in earn
est. He made money, returned to Boston
and made more money as a swindler in few
months than he had been able to accumulate
in years of patient work as a journalist and
printer. Feeling confident that his talents
were in the line of cheating other men.
he came to New York in 1850 and es-
The firm of VIM, Hawkins & White,
with which he was connected. failed
in few months and White was involved in
suits which threatened his liberty. He lived
in most expensive style in Fifth-ave., and
purchased gold dust from returning Californi-
ans. Major Hall, proprietor of Lovejoy's
Hotel, signed notes to the amount of $780,
600 upon Whites promise to use the notes
, only as collateral. White sold the notes and
Hall was ruined. 1t was found that White
could not be held on a criminal charge, and
he got free after civil suit was begun
White went back to Vermont, talked of his
wealth and spent smoney freely until he had
gained the confidence of wealthy men in the
State. Then he purchased real estate, paid
| for il with worthless notes, mortgaged the
property and returned to New York. After
paying of some of his most troublesome cred.
itors he began to borrow more money on
worthless notes. Later he went to Louisiana
engaged in politics and was elected su.
pervisor at New iberia. He pur.
chased a large part of an island near
the Texas line and stocked it with 10000
fowls. food killed all the poultry and
White narrowly escaped drowning. After
ward White went to Portland Me-. and in
terested several persons in Western mining
| schemes. Z. S. Williams and others lost
about $4,000 before the swindler was de-
| tected. As usual White managed to evade
the grasp of the law. Many Judgments had
been obtained against him by creditors OF
this city, and in 1854 he was taken into Gus
tody by Sheriff Wilet, claiming to own large
tracts of land in various parts of the country
and to have 100000 in the Bank of Eng
lond. Mr. Willet not only let White gp al
large, but also loaned to him large sum. o
money. When John Kelley bee nne sLe.if
in 1858 White was not among the prison, r,
in the Jail, and Wilet VA. sued by the
swindler's creditors White disspi eareC
from the city :or a lorg time. IL lived {
fast life and lost much OF i, i'll gott, II wealth