New-York tribune., 1886-05-23
pFvaRK1DLE v0DERy ROGUE

The career OF Plymouth or Ihn w hlter
whose death at the age of sixty has just Oc-
Cured, was a remarkable one, and deserves to
rank with those of the most accomplished and
successful rOgues of this or any other age.
What is mos; strange about it is that White
possesscd abilities so considerable that had he
employed them in any legitimate enterprise or
profession he must have attaired distinguished
eminence. 1t is clear that in his case there was
an uncomfortable preposSession for evil that
| in fact he was constituted as TO derive more
pleasure from the preparation of clever
swindle than honest men do from the perform
ance of virtuous action. The mental cOnSti-
tuition Of such man is an interesting study.
"Plin " White was intellectually well equipped.
He must have possessed all qualities save moral
ones in an unusual degree. He had so winning
an address, 50 odigniied and attractive an appear
ance, so complete a command of himself and SO
mastery power of chcanery, that he actually
deceived those who bad previously been his
victims, and who, it might be supposed, must
have been dsiluslonized as to that particular
rascal at least.
more corrupt scoundrcl never masqueraded
under a form and face which seemed to give
assurance of absolute integrity 1t has been
SAID that he looked like a venerable clergyman,
and his manners were polished and fascinating.
The extraordinary force of the man, however
was shown in the magnitude of his robberies
and the virtual impunty With which he com
mttcd them. He is said to have acquired
| ! 800, 600 in twenty year, by sheer swindling,
and in one instance his gains amounted to
500, 1000. Yet though his nOtoriety was
world wide, he was able. on the few occasions
when he found himself in custody, to cajolc,
and sometimes even to rob, the very officers
who had him in charge The most amazing
case of this kind was that in which he not only
persuaded a New-York sheriff to give him his
liberty. but lured 500 900 from the pockets of
the officer he had thus hoodwinked. SO con-
fdent was he of his personal magnetism that
he did not hesitate to approach, with fresh
dcccptions, men who had already been fleeced
by him, and in more than one instance his con-
fidence was justified 10y the event
No doubt he had made a close study of the
law with view TO circumvcntng 1t. lie WIS
too farsi hted to take needless risks, and his
judgment as to the outcome of his nefariOus
plans was seldom AT fault. Had such Il man,
so variously and highly gifted been the side
of right, he would have proved most useful to
his generation. But there was hopeless twist
in his character. He evidently had no moral
sensibility no conscience whatever When he
had driven his partner to suicide by his scoun-
drellsm he merely slipped away to Europe, and
there enjoyed himself calmly until he thought
the affair had been forgotten, when he returned
to his crooked adventures rs cooly and deiIb-
erately as ever. He probably never had mo-
ment of remO:se. He ruined scores of people,
and left misery and suffering behind him
wherever he went. lie acted toward women
with the same absolute indifference to any
moral standard that characterized his inter-
course with men. A more thoroughly danger
Gus man, in fact, never infested society.
Beside so cold. bloOdcd and accomplished a
villain the ordinary criminal-even the worst
type of the frontier dies perado-appears COM
paratiy ely innocent. 1t is fortunate for the
world that there are not many men of the
"Pin" White stamp. Ferdinand Ward
resembles him in some tendencies, but White
would never have tied himself up in such an
ENHANCEMENT As Ward caught imsclf in. With
Wards opportunities he would nave probably
have beggared half Wall Street. and when the
crash came he would have been enjoying HIM
self somewhere beyond the reach of extradition.