Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-12-09
KING OF BUNkO-MEN.
some Of the Successful Ventures Of the
Notorious Henry Westbrook.

ousites for successIui Dunk0 operation
He rephed:
"Three things are absolutely needful:
"1. The bunko man must be dressed in
the height Of fashion.
a2. He must have unbounded faith in the
credulty and gullibility of mankind.
"3. He must be Of genteel address and he
must have sublime audacity.
1.-THE rest is easy. remember that Hun.
gry Joe, who was finally sent up by In.
spector williams, Of New York, used to
boast that he sold gold brick to exSen.
ator Gordon, Of Georgia, and it is really
astonishing the number of victims we'll
dressed sharper can corral onto in year. ~
A Philadelphia gentleman, who sat on the
piazza of the hotel, spoke up and said: I"
can believe, sir, all you say, for McCogan,
who so long kept q pool room in Philadel-
phia, was bounced out of 5000 by young
man who met him in Cincinnati, and played
no newer racket than the old one of being
Mr.. Drexel's nephew"
My handsome acquaintance, who varied
the monotony of his story by visit to the
long bar room, remarked that he "didn't
think there was professional who would
stoop to so small an act as to beat McColgan
out Of $1,000, for professional bunkoer al
ways struck for higher game" He de-
scribed with minuteness the success which
attended celebrated crook who called him
self Cyrus Maitaland, or Henry Westbrook.
Putting his feet on the piazza. and with a
fifty-cent Flora di Cuba between his lips, he
told the story in these words
"Cyrus Maitaland was the discarded son
Of great English manufacturer, who has
twice been member Of Parliament, and
who supplied his sons luxurious tastes as
long as that was possible. Cyrus was born
with ele CANT desires, which nothing less
than Rothschild's wealth would crafty.
Crookedness Of the crookedest kind caused
Cyrus to seek American shores.
His first field of operations was Cape
May, where he got away with five thou
sand dollar check from rich Baltimorean,
who was 80 ashamed at being duped by one
of his own, pretended, townsmen that he
took care never to tell the tale himself. But
the Jersey authorities did not take kindly
to Maitaland or to his heathen Chinee
games. The police force could not be in
duced to stand in with him. as the saying
goes, and he was glad to get away from the
Cape.
Maitaland's favorite alias was Henry
Westbrook. One cool morning in early July
the register Of the Choptank House bore on
its pages in bold, clear, commercial hand
the name Of Henry Westbrook' He brought
letters-they were in good business hand,
for he had written them himself-from some
Of the leading people in Baltimore. He had
the finest drag, pulled at 2:40 gate on At
lantc avenue by the finest chestnut colt in
all Atlantic County. For month West
brook devoted himself to the social graces
only, and happy the 'Choptank' maiden that
had the afternoon cali for drive behind
the high-stepping chestnut.
TN August wealth and fashion had
poured into the big city by the sea. This
was Westbrook's time. He rode less in the
afternoon, saying he was engaged in hang
ing some valuable pictures his uncle had
sent him from Paris His first victim was
Baptist deacon, who was accosted by name,
the hotel register Of the Mansion disclosing
his identity. He examined Westbrooks
pictures to his sorrow. and Deacon Rogers
Arst hour with mis- swell friend cost him
s2,0OO in cash and 1900 in checks, all of
which he paid rather than be brought out as
s'squealer' in the public prints.
"Still Westbrook continued the idol Of the
Choptank' maids and dowagers, and rich
ironmonger fell into his net and left behind
$1,000 in cash and check for 5000. The
iron man first took hand at the game, at
which the greenhorn is first allowed TO
win, with o dead sure thing that the next
time he puts up cash or check he is sure TO
lose. A not infrequent trick Of Westbrook's
was TO profess TO tear up large check and
accept small one, which always ended in
Mr.. Bunko Mans keeping both checks,
which sooner or later turned up against
tho victims bank account, unless the loser
stopped the checks.
'The iron man did not worry over his
81 600 loss, but the 5000 check struck him
hard, and he telegNphed his bank in Phila-
delphia, one OF the strongest financial In
stitutions In the city, 10 stop payment.
This brought the iron monarch's name into
the papers, and Westbrook, on the arrival
OF the ten q. m. train ut Atlantic City. was
named as the somewhat celebrated bunko
sharp OF Baltimore and New York. The
'choptank' maidens straightway cut him
dead, and the brightest Of the fair beyy OF
beauty took an Immediate train 70 Baiu'
more.
"But bold as aNumidlan lion and. strange
10 say, entirely fearless Of the city author
tiles, Westbrook determined 10 make bold
dash for big game before the city by the sea
got TOO hot 70 hold him. AZ the bathing
hour tho quiet but weli-dressed gentleman
from Baltimore addressed Treasurer
Homer, Of the r., B. a. w, railroad. saying
be was an old friend Of his sons. The treas
urer, . grand old man Of seventy summers,
WAS delighted with The frankness OF bis
new.mads friend, snd vlliingly snoom'
panied him 70 his picture gallery on Allan
hc avenue.
by some subtle slchemy which the
young oftsn exercise over tbe old, tho
treasurer tired his luck. snd went out Of
The 'plcture' gallery leaving 100 essh IN
wesibrooirs pocket and check for u,0p
''fhs uessprer's soD got wlnd Of H. stopped
NJ eLsck, snd aftsr . lively lawsuit, m
shlch Lawyer psFs and Thomas u. pishi
asfcndsa against the eheck, the bnnko men
save w ihs ngh, sna gave w ths cheek
"hsilsland arlfsad, hko ~ many Of bic
esss, 70 New York, sna failing Into . bad
sifsak " luck, Sss found Gus morning ~
the Grand Central notsi with tho sas
iarsea Os-ana nfs's nifui lever Wa
over"
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