Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-15
A CLEVER SWINDLE.
How Some Ambitious, But Not Care
full Real Estate Dealers We're
DONE FOR BY A BOSTON SHARPER.
He is Treated to the Best Of Everything and
Loaned Money to Boot.
SAD MEN AND SURPRISED WIVES.

Last spring a rumor emanated from a
prominent real estate center on Fourth
avenue, that several large manufacturing
concerns in the East and South were on the
point of pulling up stakes and locating in
Pittsburg, being attracted hither by the
abundance of natural gas and the superior
shipping facilities. One of these plants was
an extensive ice factory, in Columbia, s. G..
Another was an iron mill located in the eastern
part of Pennsylvania. The former went so far
as to send an agent here to select site and
make arrangements for putting up the
necessary buildings The negotiations were
prolonged through several weeks, but finally
fell through. In referring to the part he had
taken in this windy deal, real estate broker
remarked yesterday:
~ think all these fellows wanted was noto-
riety. The mere fact that they were here
looking for sites, whether they intended to
purchase or not, naturally caused considera-
BILE talk about them, both here and at home
and that is probably all they wanted. There is
a great deal of this kind of tree advertising
done"
As bearing out the gentleman's conclusion,
the following true story possesses peculiar
significance. / give 1t substantially as 1t was
told to me yesterday evening by one of the
victims
About three years ago a very fancy gentle
man, young and prepossessing in manner and
conversation, came here from Boston. repre-
senting himself as the agent of wealthy syn
dicate organized at the Hub to purchase busi-
ness property in Pittsburg. He soon opened
negotiations with three or four of the most
prominent real estate dealers on Fourth ave-
nue., but met with so little encouragement that
he soon quit them. They took his measure
from the first, and promptly set hum down as
fraud. There was considerable rivalry between
real estate dealers at that time, and of this the
alleged Bostonian was quick to inform himself.
From Fourth avenue he switched of to an
other part of the city, where several young
men had Just started in the business of buying
and selling lands and houses, and were wide
open for business. They, unlike their more
conservative brethi en-, at once took stock in
the stranger and readily fell into his plans
To make themselves solid with him they wined
and dined him literally. One party took him
to Hotel Duquesne; another entertained him
at Hotel Anderson. At both places the win
ing and dining were repeated evening after
evening He was then taken in a carriage to
the different places of interest in the city and
suburbs, visiting many of the leading manu-
featuring concerns and examining number
of business properties He was very favorably
impressed with Diamond street, and expressed
his intention to make large investments on that
thoroughisre. Altogether, he was treated
with as much consideration as if he had been
a scion of royalty, He had gay time for
week or two.
On Saturday afternoon he turr>4 his atten
tion to personal finances. Representing to his
admirers that he would have draft for 81, 900
on the following Monday morning. he re-
questcd small temporary loan to tide him
over the interval. The response to this appeal
was prompt and favorable. 1t touched the
hearts and pockets of mis- newly-made friends,
and they at once made up purse of $50 and
rendered it to him, telling him. at the same
time, that if he needed more it would be forth.
coming. The adventurer then, not to be out
done in generosity, invited the gentlemen to
dine with HIM at o'clock the same evening at
the Hotel Duquesne.
This high honor from a representative of
Boston milionaires was duly acknowl-
edged and the invitation promptly ac-
cepted. The gentlemen went home.
put on their society clothes, and told
their wives that they would not be home for
supper. having been invited to dine with dis
tnguished stranger, with whom they expected
to transact considerable business. They
reached the hotel at the appointed time Half
an hour or more passed. but the Boston man
did not make his appearance They finally
made inquiry at the hotel office, both in regard
to the gentleman and the dinner, and were told
that the man was not known there, and that no
had been made for feast.
This opened the eyes of the real estate men.
1t was clear that they had been badly sold
Crestfallen and hungry. they returned to
their homes. sadder but wiser men. and told |
their better-halves to hurry up the suppers
that they had said they did not want, as the
gentleman with whom they had been invited |
to dine had been Unexpectedly called away
from the city. Until this day the victims of |
this swindle have remained in ignorance of the |
Identity and whereabouts of the man who took |
them in so handsomely and then
''Folded bis tent like the Arabs
And as sllentlY stnle