The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-10
PLN WHITES CAREER.
THE KING OF CONFIDENCE MEN
Is DEAD At READING. VT.
Close OF Life Devoted To SwindIins
Colossal Fortunes Made in a
Day and Spent i'm Night
His Three Wives


READING, VT. May 1S.-PIymouth
white, alias Frank Parke. alias pin
White. the king of confidence men,
died here nj the home of his brother on
SUNDAY night from carbuncle ON hi,
neck at the base Of his brain.
Plymouth White was born in Neither.
field, VI. sixty five years ago. He was
the widest ami brightest boy in the
town, and his old schoolmaster Ezra
Rodkins, used to say he was cut out for
thief. lie went to Montpelier when l6
years old. and learned the trade of a
printer. but he worked only few
ported for the Atlas. Pin tried to swim.
die hotel keeper, and was driven out
If Boston remaining away for two wears,
during which time lie made money
BY his wits in Bangor, Me. lie came to
New York in 1850 and embarked in the
general brokerage business. lie bought
patents, contracted for large amounts Of
real estate. dealt in dry goods and made
a speciality of jewelry. lie founded the
firm Of Winn, Hawkins x White. and in
few a years accumulated fortune.
lie livel in elegant style on Fifth ave-
nue.. About this time the gold fever
broke out in San Francisco. and White
hogan to buy gold dust from returned
CalitOrnians. He amasscd 500, 900 in
two wears by swindIing, but was finally
arrested. He broke away from his cap
tors and returned to Bangor. and then
went to Europe, where he carried on the
confidence business for a year. White is
considered the most reckless and sue.
ces>ful confidence swindler on record.
His operations during forty years
amounted to fully $4,000, 900. He died
almost penniless, however, because he
spuander,d money as fast as he got it.
Alderman Libby, Of New York, was
inveigled by the oily swindler into put.
ting SlO0, 900 into bogus mining enter.
prise. The alderman lost. Mr.. |. W.
Winchester, Of the National Express
Company, was another of the victims to
the tune 81 several thousand dollars.
White took short trip to Boston to es-
cape arrest in New York. and returned
in two weeks with 10000. lie next
turned up in Louisiana, n short time be-
fore the war broke out. as a politician.
He was elected supervisor Of New iberia
and st. Martins parishes, and manipu.
lated the returns so as to secure the
election Of Gov. Packard. For this he
was rewarded by being appoir ted state
pr inter-.
White next started a poultry farm on
an island of the Texan coast. A flo, d
swept ten thousand chickens away, and
the pouller,r himself narrowly escaped
drowning. Then he went to Portland,
Me-, where he induced Mrs. =. $. vii.
liams and her brothers to 20 to Denver
and engage in the dry goods business.
At the end of a few months the firm
went bankrupt. with liabilities OF $l1j,.
ono, assets $30. 900. Houses in st. Louis,
New York, Boston and Chicago were
the losers. The Williams family lost
everything. An examination showed
that the 100000 assets consisted of
empty boxes. White having disposed of
the goods unknown even to his partners.
The swindler again returned to Boston,
where he gained the confidence Of Mr..
Clinton Lowell and borrowed $4,000.
lie paid the sum promptly, however,
having borrowed twice the amount from
Allen q. Lowell. a cousin Of his creditor
At this time White lost 81, 900 in a gam.
bling saloon ina single night. lie Dor
rowed several thousand dollars from +.
NJ. Limmel and fled to Rutland, VI,
then To Troy. and finally to Charleston.
$. &. Mr.. Limmell caught up with him
in the latter city. White was arrested
and discharged. Mr. Iimmell had him
later in New York, and took
him to Boston. where he was tried.
Pin Whites history began to become
known. and detectives were in wait for
ried three times without ever having OBJ
tanned a divorce, Ills first wife, who
was Saratoga lady, lived with him
several wears without knowing that he
WAS a thief. White borrowed $50, 900
from his wife's brother and sister The
brother, failing to recover the debt. com.
mittcd suicide. While living in New
York. Spence Pcttus, the famous forger,
visited the house frequently. Mrs.
White one day missed a costly diamond
set, and charged Pettus with the theft.
White advised her to say nothing about
il. ~ it might hurt the feelings of Pet.
Ius." Then he bought her another set.
His wife found out that the two swim
dlers we're in league. and she left him.
White married another woman in Maine
,oOn afterwar1.
In New York White left number Of
judgments. One was obtain.
III by Ezekiel X. Finch IN the court of
common pleas on April lj 1852, for g..
j56. The superior court record shows
another of $1,96e, secured FEBRUARY !,
1853, by James Albro and John W. Hoyt
whom he had swindled. On February
%, 1871, Cyrus Schoiield obtained a
Judgment against White for $l0,9l2, and
IN March II. 1854. John Littleford for
another for $3,jjji. Joseph W. Hyne on
the same date obtained judgment
against him for the same amount Chas,
French, on March 81. 1854, got judg
ncnt for 81 9i!, and James W. Barker
secured another on April II, 1854, for
1894. On February 10, two years later
French obtained still another Judgment
for Sl2,j3S This last process led to
Whites arrest. but he was allowed to re-
main at large by Sheriff Jas. G.. Wlllett,
who was captivated by his graceful ad.
lress. When Sheriff John Kelly sue.
reeded Willett on January |, 1850. White
was not among the prisoners, and French
sued Willett. The trial brought out
sensational story. Paris q. Clark,
Whites counsel. had loaned his client
of dollars on representations
hat he owned large tract Of mining