Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-26
BUNCO SHARPS.
Hon. John B. Haskins, of New
York, Swindled.
HOW THE SCHEME WAS WORKED.
rhe Threadbare Lottery Device
Exhibited at the Crystal Palace
Lodging House.

Long after he had passed the middle
of life Charles Francis Adams, ex-Minis-
lister to England, ex-Congressman and
the son of a President, was done by
bunco men to the tune of SIS, 1000. This
is just about the only source of consola-
ton at present available for the Hon.
John B. Haskins, of New York, who was
caught by lottery device, grown all
over with moss and barnacles, yesterday
and sacrificed $3.50 in coin and nearly
5000 in checks.
Mr.. Haskins is quite old enough to
know better-he says so himself-for he
is 81 years of age. He knows the world
pretty well, for he has travelled every
where, has been a member of the New
York Legislature, which is about
as tough as any in the coun-
try, member Of Congress and
a Judge on the bench. He has
been ''in politics." and was at one time
q very prominent member of Tammany
Hall. Nevertheless, he was "done" yes
terday by the sure-shot men. This
would seem to indicate that the profes-
sionals of Los Angeles are OF the very
highest order.
They were not quite sharp enough to
avoid being caught, however, and the
way it all took place was as follows: Mr..
Haskins got into the city Sunday, and
located at the Nadeau. Yesterday morn
ing he was tackled" by a young man
who remembered his face," and turned
out to be no less person than Thomas
L. James, Jr., the son of ex-Postmaster
James. 1t happened that Mr.. Haskins
was we'll acquainted with James senior,
and what more natural than that he
should be civil to his son. The young
man presently mentioned the fact that
on the way out to this coast he had been
induced to go into some kind of book
buying scheme, as result of which
two volumes on California, published
by the Bancroft Company were waiting
for him to take possession OF them. He
would be happy to present one of these
to Mr.. Haskins, in view of the fact that
he was an old friend of his father.
Mr.. Haskins did not want the book,
nevertheless he thought it was very gen.
erous of the young man to offer it, and
he was too polite to decline. Mr..
"James" then proposed that they should
90 over to Main street to the Office of the
company, which handled the book
scheme and get the volumes. Mr.. Has
kins has suffered a partial stroke Of par
alysis, but finding that the place in ques-
tion was only a block away, he went
with the young man and they presently
came to the Crystal Palace, which is be-
tween First and Second streets.
They went up to rooms SO and 81,
which are called the "office" of one f.
E. or @. E. Rose, a well-known gam
bier of this city. Rose came here
a couple of years ago and started the
Hotel Reporter. The police have had
him marked for the slaughter for long
time and have been very desirous CT
proving some clear case against him.
Mr.. James led the ex-Congressman
into the room and they got the books.
There was one man there and Haskins
thinks it was Rose. Rose says he was
not there at any time during the after
noon and thinks it must have been some
body else. Nobody else appears to labor
under the same illusion.
Whoever it was, he had little game,
a series of numbers with prizes attached,
marked out upon a piece of enamel
cloth. 1t was we'll known lottery
scheme. You put up money on the con-
dition that you would bet it again doubled
if yo1 won. Cards were drawn out of a
pack to indicate what number was sue
cessful.
The young man by the name
of James began to play and
presently grew very much interested
in the game. The first thing Mr.. Haskins
knew he was drawn into the affair and
was betting. Finally he found himself
following the younger mans lead and
betting in the thousands. An unlucky
run of cards threw him into the square
labeled "full blank" and Mr.. Haskins
was out over So, 900. He paid over in
cash what he happened to have with
him, about $3.50, and gave drafts for the
rest on his son in New York. Mr.. James
was also unfortunate and lost good deal
of money.
The two left the rooms of Mr.. Rose and
went back to the hotel. The more Mr..
Haskins thought it over the more con-
vinced he was that he had been swim
died and at last he went to the authori-
ties of the Nadeau and owned up. A
telegram was Immediately cent to his
son, stopping the payment of the drafts.
Word was sent to the Police Station and
in few minutes Detective Glass was on
hand.
"Would you know the men ?" he asked
Mr.. Haskins.
"Come down the street with me-" said
the ex- Congressman, "and will see."
Scarcely had they passed from under
the portals of the Nadeau into First
street when they came upon the man
James. AS soon as he saw his victim
walking with detective he started on a
run down the street. He had made his
way almost to Fort street before the
officer managed to catch up with him.
He was then engaged in the act of tear
ing up a telegram addressed to A. r.
Bingam, at Kansas city. 1t contained
the address of Mr.. Haskins son in New
York, and the words ego to Santa Fe. !"
1t is supposed that it is cipher relating
in some way to the dispatch which
Haskins had sent to his son forestalling
the draft of which, no doubt, the man
James had already heard.
James was put behind the bars but re-
fused to talk. Detectives Metzler and
Russell were started after Mr.. Rose, and
they soon had him in the Chiefs
office. He refused to give any ac-
count of the layout which had
been found in his rooms. For
time he kept cool and took his arrest
goodnaturedly. When the police came to
search him, however, he lost his head,