The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-14
A ONE-LEGGED FRAUD
He Breaks His Hip in Kansas
and Gets . Pension.
RICH rHRoUcH MISFORTUNE.


Kan~s City Tines
tnaries Landers. the telegraph operator
whose swisdling operations beat the city al
Wichita out Of $50 in cash. has history
second TO none as q swindler OF q most
adroif kind His having only one leg in
stead of being misfortune Is really for
tune 70 him
Chief Spee-s received letter from the
Wichita, Kan. authorities yesterday ask
ing for information concerning the opera
items of Charles Ianders- The letter re-
lated the recent EXPLOITS in that city OF the
king bee .failer-down." IS the police know
him
Landers is \ oneiegged man His left
les was ampatssed ut the middle third
some years ago, ss q result of railway &C
cidens After this accident Lsnders de-
veioped . singular power of dislocsfine at
viii the hip joint OF the ampatased mem
Der. and after some experiments attained
wonderful degree of proficiency in DIS
jointing himself. Other men might have
turned this phenomenal gift to good pecun-
isry account by hiring themselves out to
dime museums and side shows for exhihi-
ton, but Landsrs aspired higher. He was
man of good address and appearance, bar
ring the loss Of his leg. standing over six
feet high. and had q fair education. Hewas
formerly an operator for the Western
Union Telegraph Company. He quit this
prosaic sort OF business. however. for .
more remunerative as well rs a more has-
ardous profession He became the cham
pion faller-down of the world.
One OF his first exploits was in Cincin-
natl some years ago. He was picked up
one evening at . particularly bad spot in
the sidewalk on certain street In I'll city,
complaining of terrible pain in the leg.
A medical examination revealed that the
hip joint had been disiocsted. Landers
said he was hobhling along on his one
crutch on the street in question after dark,
when he stepped into hole and fell with
the result of manning himself. As the
physicians examination corroborated his
statement he was readily believed. Much
sympathy was manifested for the poor fell
low At the time on account Of his previous
misfortune in the loss Of his leg and the
local papers took advantage of the oppor-
tunity to make little capital for them
selves by censuring the city authorities for
their carelessness in allowing the sidewalks
to 20 unrepaired. During his convalescence
Landers talked OF bringing suit for DAM
ages against the city. This brought the
city solicitor to his bedside. and after much
haggling and quibhiing the matter was
compromised by the city paying Landers .
sum Of money--about $500.
The next day when the physician called
ct Landers' boarding place, he was very
much surprised 70 find his patient had
suddenly recovered during the night and
had left the city.
I.anders is former Kansas Cityan and
has quite . history. His full name is
Charles +. L. Landers and he is. or as
sumes TO be nephew OF the noted Indiana
politician, Hon. Frank w. Landers, who
was the Democratic candidate for governor
against Albert g. Porter In the celebrated
Garfield. Hancock campaign.
Landers hobbied into the city in the fall
of 1850 and obtained work ct his trade in
the Western Union telegraph office on
Fifth street He Was not considered an
expert or very reliable operator and after
few weeks service Was dismissed. During
his stay. however. be feathered his nest to
the extent OF couple of thousand dollars
by accidentally discovering . successful
scheme. then in full operation, by which .
number OF Kansas City telegraphers in
conjunction with IN equal number of
Chicago ones. were feecing the bucket
shops and boards of trade in the West to
the tune Of thousands OF dollars by very
cunning manipulation OF the market quo
tations.
Lsnders stumbled on some of the boys"
one night in room on an upper door on
Main street, above Fifth, where they were
drinking champagne enough 10 I'LL q bath
tub. He accepted 500 week for his ST.
ience. but at the end of two weeks the trial
OF the lightning conspiraiors became ex-
ceedingly warm. but not till they had got
ten away with 81 600.
A few weeks later Landers found o nice
little snag in the wooden sidewalk, which
was then gradually rotting away, in front
of Whitaker. on Main street, and se-
lected il to inaugurate his series of success
full falls. which have thus far Melted him
some $4,000 or $4,000 throughout the
country.
A few minutes after midnight he lay
there in apparent agony and called for .
hack and was conveyed 10 the Sisters hos
pitsi, all the time assuming 10 be suffering
the most excrueiaslng pains. After 8
couple OF weeks he left the hospital and
Immediately entered suit against Kansas
City in the United States court for $500
employing able Legal talent for that pur-
pose One OF the maii points in his case
was that an ordinance existed requiring
stone sidewalks on Main street in that vi
entity, and ii was complied with in every
instance EXCEPT where LAnders made his
imaginary fail. the property being then
owned by Oven McCahe. of Washington,
d. c. The weak SPOT in Il was plainly wish
bile 10 every paxser-by.
Before the case was faIay tried Lznds
suddenly went to Joe Dubois, who was
chairman of the finance committee OF tho
coancii and offered 10 compromise il for
$500 cash. IL might lie added that this
alert move on his part was inspired by the
facs that fellow operator OF his al the
Western Union and now working for the
company near the Junction, plainly told
him on being asked 10 testify In his behalf
that his whole scheme was fraud and il
lie didn't drop IL the ~snGp" aofsid &c gisen
away 10 the city counselor the following
aay This alarmed the trseay ieisgraphsr
and be instantly sought Alderman Dubois
ard offered him 50 II he would engineer
an ordinance through the council ~ their
session that night to compromise the claim
for $so0. which was successfully done.
JOSEPH ~ naB ois. now a fugitive from
Justice vas quite prominent man in those
days. beng also wee president Of the Board
OF Trade, captain Of the Craig RITES,
pillar uf his church ard q lead
tn~ fssht IN the " NJ G. lie