Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-21
THAT ELUSiVE SwINDLEH.
Patti's Bogus Agent Probably MOI Yea
Caught.

The dispatch printed from the CITY Of
Mexico intimatiDg that the man who re-
hCNed the contiding public there of about
so. 900 for bogus subscriptions to the Paul
concert, had probably been caught in la
yana provoked only incredibly among
those qualified In this city 10 Judge Of such
a matter.
TO reach Havana the fugitive would ma.
lUrtlly have gone 10 era truZ for steam
er. The surveillance OF passengers aud the
inspection of baggage Of persons leaving
Vera cruz ha> no parallel for severity and
,hOruughncss M the custom service OF this
country. Every one who wants 10 90 out
rom Vera cruz on a steamer must Da>s to
tie steamer pier through a small gate
which j. strictly guarded. Examinations
occur 1t once and on the spot. \ person
recognized rs a foreigner is regarded with
.peciIl suspicion. suppose the SWinGler 10
have boarded the steamer in safety, running
the gauntlet Of the keen eyes OF the men no
had evidently been forewarned by the pO-
ice TO watch for such a person. Then, I'm.
less be were donscly ignorant, he would
know that at his port OF landing he would
I've taking big chances OF stepping from the
frying.pln TO the griddle. Havana j. not
only spanish port like Vera Cruz. but Il,
people are bound In many ways 70 the
Mexicans, and it, laws make eXtradilion ~
easy ~ is the arrest in this country i'm one
Stale for an offence committed in another.
A swindler like this one would be far safer
in or near the City OF Mexico. it islsserted.
than II he were 10 ek Havana m biz nlght
from Justice.
ASIDE from the inherent improbabhty OF
such course of flight. IL has been estab.
li>hed 10y the Mexican police that thi, man
did not bead toward Vera Cruz at all. bn'
in IN opposite direction. In order 10 reach
Vera cruz he would need 10 reirace his
Journey by rail. Having doubtless antici.
rated an excited state Of pubic feeling the
man who engineered this performance
would have knowingly run his head into a
net had he tried 10 travel backward after
making a start In one direction. This man
was no simpletOn. All his movements in.
dicAtod uncommon shrewduesS. 20 well
aware does he seem 10 have been, indeed.
that no effort would b. omitted or spared
to overhaul him that he left the train before
da'hght, baving taEen IL at the City OF
Mexico at =, O'Clock in the evening.
A letter that reached Manager Orrin. Of
The Mexican village. on Saturday, dated |
City of Mexico, December 10th, from Sir. |
Orr ms brother, said that the fugitive had |
lNNitlNNfs utNu tidthtu ~ Ntu Luis i'OtOSl. 1
that he had lefi the train at Celaya, and that |
from san Luis Potosi all trace had been lost |
OF him. Assuming this Information 20 be |
correct, The man took a train at in the |
evening and eit Il at Ceiaya at $3.50 The |
next mornlng. Then be cut across the |
country, probably on horseback. 10 San
Miguel Alltndi, which he could reach by |
II O'Clock 10 The morning. The Journey |
thence 10 san Luis Potosi could be- |
made The same day. Doubtless he did /
not tariy At this point. His object lust
then was TO get a far rs possible from the /
ralroSd aud telegraph. Manager Nichols,
Of The Mexican Village. who knows that |
country ~ hectIy. SAYS the man could have
struck ont north by east from san Luis
Potosi INTO the State Of Tamaulpas. and
would have encountered only one settle
m,nt IN journey OF four days to the Rio
Grande. II u dangerous country for Il
man 10 CARY treasure through. but one
n bo could lay out such route must have
been ingenious enough 30 10 disguise on
himself evidences that would tempt rob