San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-04
A PATTERN PIRATE.
How Good Thing is Being Diverted
for Confidence Sharp's
Gain

a newspaper does learn of fraudu-
lent transaction however, it is quickly
spread before the public for their
warning and guidance and it has fire.
| quently been the case and will be
until public prints are no more, that a
| great deal of the criminal element OF
| the country has been detected and
brought to the feet of the blind god
dess by this means.
| Many frauds that could be named
in this item, and distinctively, too,
are now known in this city to the
LIGHT, and the very latest one per-
petrated will be published herewith,
particularly as it has been practice0
extensively upon the ladies, and they
alone have suffered.
A tall Yankee-looking sort of young
man, with large hands and feet, slen-
der frame, and enormous cheek, has
''done" the city for good (?) weeks
work just prior to the sitting of the
grand jury, and has now skipped to
| fresher pastures and dupes that are
game. He was a glib talker, and
quite ladies man, totally ignoring
the male portion of our community,
probably for reasons that have s'pce
developed, and upon which this itelI
is predica ted. The larger dress
makers and milliners received his at
tentiOns and assuring smiles, some
cOldly, it is true, for many of this
class are discreet, it may be called, or
hardened, it may be thought, and his
winning ways were sadly repulsed.
Others, though, consoled IN by
treating him genteelly and themselves
now need consolation. He called first
at the establishment of Mrs. Il. +.
Swaggerty and offered her the agency
for the patterns of the Demorest fash
ion house, well known in this
city. Only small amount of cash
was required on the first payment,
say Sl6, with which to buy a large
case, with glass front, in which the
$500 worth of patterns he would guar
antee to supply would have to be
kept. He carried printed form of
agreement, worded in semi-legal
style, which she must sign to get the
walnut case and the patterns, and he
exhibited regularly made out re-
ceipt of the Pacific express company
signed by himself, for the money,
and as an order for the case on its ar
rival. Mrs. S. told him that if the
Demorest house would be willing to
trust her with $500 worth of patterns,
they could hardly be so anx-
iOus as to want cash pay
ment on pattern case. 1t did
not look like their way of doing bust
ness. Finding he could not scoop her
in, the man next tried Mrs. f. Smith,
who smelled a fraud, and then the
man caught his first fish in the estab-
lishment of Mrs. Dreyfus, on Alamo
plaza, whom he agreed, with his writ
ten agreement. duly signed by him.
self, under the name of c. w. Burch,
and by Mrs. D., to deliver her the
patterns and case for the sum of S.
down, which he collected. Next he
went to Mrs. Wilson, but failed to
capture her, and then Mrs. Quinlan
was gulled to the tune of Sl6 by the
fellow. Further on he tried Mrs.
Greisen, Miss MARITIME and Mrs.
Peoples, and then called ON Mrs.
Gusman. Finally when about ready
to skip town, he called on the regular
agent, Mrs. SchOenert, and said there
had been some complaint from his
house that she was not selling enough
patterns. and asked how much stock
was on hand. He was told that IL,
could have the agency back if he
would take the patterns on hand, and
he offered to pay dollar for dollar and
take them and tried to pass forged
letter of credit on Dunn's agency to
Mr.. SchOenert in payment of the pat
terms, which ne could, of course, sell
anywhere. Hepromised to call in the
afternoon, and said he was stopping
at the Menger. Not coming, next day
Mr.. Schoenert, who felt somewhat
anxious about losing theagency, called
at the Menger, and describing the
man, who gave him his name as
"Dorst,r was told that he had left the
| day before for New Orleans. Next
day Mrs. SchOenert wrote to Nine. De-
mOrest and received the following let
| ter:
New YORK, August 2S, 1888.
Mrs. A. Schoenert, Dear Madam:
Your letter of the 18th inst, at hand.
| in reply would say that Mr.. J. DOrsI
is fraud, he does not represent us
and we do not know who he is. We
hear from the man very nearly every
day. He travels under a number OF
names and remains but very short
time in a town. He has travelled un-
der the name of Harrison, Burch,
Conklin, and now you say he gives
the name of J. Dorst. We have of.
ferred 800 reward for his arrest and
conviction. Mrs. Wilson has written
to us and we wrote her yesterday de-
nouncing him as fraud. AS far "a:
we are able to learn, he calls on 3
party and offers to give them sole