New-York tribune., 1886-05-19
"PLIN" WHITE DIES IN VERMONT.
CAREER OF A NOTED CONFIDENCE MAN.
MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS OF swINDLING-sOME


MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS OF swINDLfNG-sOMb
OF HIS VICTIMS.
BOsrON, Nav 18.-A letter to The Herald from
Reading VT, announces the death OF Plymouth "hito
alias Frank Parkc. alias "Piu " White. the notorious
confidence man. nt his brothers homo in that town on
Sunday night White had succeeded In the last twenty
two years In fleeing business mon, gullibe grangcrs
and confdng women out of more than Sl.50O.Ooo he
first achieved National reputation in 1Si9. 1880 ana
1851, when he nced 100000 in California gold dust
swindles and escaped to Europe. Between 1851 ana
1855 ho arrested four times In NewYork CITY, ana
once. while In jai. there, swndled the sherh OUT Vi
$4,000 Subsequently he opened mammoth dry GOODS
store in Kansas CITY, Mo-. and obtained from Eastern
dealers goods valued at $275OOO after selling which nc
disappeared. Next he obtained $4,000 from promi-
Boston merchant, 80 900 from Samuel Mayali OF
ST. Paul. Mlnn and 100000 from Mayars prptnr6 on6
John ana his partner In ls62 White obtained Sli oo'
In 1874. while White was negotiating for goods woitn h
partner Eocn Mayall. driven desperation by Whites
rascally transactions committed suicide whto linen ingn
with another swindcr. Fske they heeced the .ahs
dian, out OF OF aoaT noe auS Nathan
c. Plat Maiden Lane jewellcr out OF e2O,Ooo "h.e
ns aso m m e D hpy sduccd and
was a venerable. clercatlooking man.
According to papers on file at Police Headquarters,
White sixty Of at the time OF his DEATH
He was Wethcrsheld VT, but he left that place
when he boy 10 learn the printers trade AT tue
State Capital. Before he WAS Of ago he went rom
Montpelier Boston and worked TO the position OF
editor on The Anas After some years of successiai
work In Boston lie got into trouble on account OF
money transaction and went to Bangor where ne tooh
mp the business ofswindng earnest lie made money,
returned to Boston and made more money as swihder
in months than hehad been able to accumulate In
years OF patient work journalist and printer fee
ing confident that his talents the line OF cheating
other men. he came New York in 1850 and estab-
lished general brokerage business The firm OF "shn,
Hawkins & White, with which he connected failed
in few months and White was involved
in suits which threatened his liberty. lie
lived in most expensive style In Ffhave., and pur
chased gold dust from returning Calfornlans. h1 ,b
Hail. proprietor OF Loyej2ys Hotel slgeu a. nUaei a b notes
ruined II was found that White could not be held on
criminal charge and he got free after civil suit ""s
begun ,.o, % vor,,or+ tattoa ~ his wealth and
spent money freely until he bad gained the confluence
wealthy men in the state. Then he purchased real es
property ami returned New York. After paying Oh
OF his most troublesome creditors he began TO Dor
| row money worthless notes. Later he went 10
Louisiana engaged in politics and elected super
| Governor he was rewarded with the office OF state
Printer lie purchased large part OF an @ Issnd hea,
flood killed all the poultry and White narrowly escaped
| drowning Auorward White went TO Portland Me-
ami interested several persons In Western mining
schemes. L. 8 Williams and others lost about - lI1ooo
before the swluder was decced As usual @ hlte n,n
had been obtained against him by creditors In this city
lie capvated the sheriff by dazzling stories Of wealth
claiming to own large tracts OF land III varohs paris
Bank @ Of Engiand Mr. wnie not only let White 60 at
large but also loaned 10 him large sums OF money wen
John Kelly became sheriff IN 1879 White was not among
! the prisoners the Jail, and Wict was sued by ne
swndlers creditors White disappeared from the cry
for long time lie lived last hio anu 1851 hA'" Vi
In his domestic life White had a swindcr also
When he first came to New York he eoped with young
| woman whose brother he had driven to suicide She
OHs HSa knowing s nun his rea ' charac,Sr WSsn shs
se " b i e so"n ~a' married another Woman and
later in life he reputed to have more than two
wives living Five aso White went to the house OF
Major Hall in Tenthst. aud said lie was sorry for what
lie had done. lie promised to return the S1Oooo as soon
as he could dispose stocks and on the strength
OF these promises borrowed ~ 200 which Mrs Hall
had in savings bank Detectiye-sergeant Haley ar
rested the swinder who sent TO prison for short
term lie then appeared 10 be much broken IN health
and nearly penuies but he no sooner roganed MS I'D
erty than he engaged In fresh swiudling operations.
Colonel Winchester said that forty or nity years ago
his ather manufacturer in Wood6nry NL ia ana "a
there employed whites father When White came 10 o
| New-YorK twenty-five years and told how he had
been Obliged to put his properly out oi his hanas lof
time and OF his being III need OF money ne receNe4 receive
-. 800. lie certainly was the most polished Villain
heard Of" added tne Colonel Last niE & e ranS ws'
splendid cenversationailsi ana nau "r'@, rn:
| open way OF telling OF his aiairs which wis was
OF those upon whom he operated. never c3ua a @ ds-
cover that he drank drop gambei or IN fact hlu any
tanned 81 900 from the strength o. the property
which / aftcrward learned was myth. many @ shue
that he was obtaining large of money from others
at the salns time. l recall Mr.. Page. wealthy
| Maiden Lane jcweler. since dead, from wnom
think White obtained no less than 100000.
and | think W: b. Dinsmore lost conslier,
| able amount through him. One day when
supposed MIN safely jailed in Ludlow-st., he walked
niomy house and actually made oyertures to borrow
more money. lie had n way of following Ills victims
instead OF avoiding them once he hailed me IN @ ane
street In Montreal whore he was living and pointed OUT
a number OF magnificent buildings which he called MS
Investments Another timc ran across him IN DehHer, &
| where learned that he had secured large sums Inc
last heard Of him about eight years ago, when
Boston gentleman into my Office and SAID that
! White had referred him to The BostOnlan Dad
already loaned him $1,000 and IL almost impossi'
bic to con vince him that would be 10 loan him
| another $4,000. PIN waited at the street door,
| ac,uay expecting that would recommend MIN LOT
| honesty