The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-30
KEMPsTER STILL swINDLING.
He Gets Piano on Fraudulent Repre-
sensations and Gives Bogus Check.


Thomas L. KemIster, the notorious swindler
and dead beat, has found another victim-this
time piano man.
kempsfer came down to Seattle from Spring
brook, or Orillia-he can be reached at either ad
dress-in December. Since December 10 he has
lived at the Brunswick hotel on Front street.
and has been trying to get hold OF men who had
not already seen in the observation-disclosures the
chronicles of his former swindles.
His special object was to buy piano az
Christmas present for his children. He tried
nearly every dealer in town, among them Albert
Hansen, on Front street. There he wanted
steinway; but Mr.. Hansen demanded cash, and
kempster twho, by the way, is an elderly man
with a gray beard, lame leg and q hand with
several fingers gomez decided not to buy.
He went 10 Grant Vaughan, ON the corner of
Third and Cherry streets, and he might have
succeeded there, had not Mr.. Vaughan been
warned of the character of his customer.
Fred Christianer, on Third street, between
Columbia and Marion. likewise refused to make
terms satisfactory TO kempster.
Not in the least discouraged never is
Kempster tried o. f. Pettis. on Front street above
Madison. TO Mr.. Pettis Kempster told pleas
ing tale of bis important family connections in
England, and his vast landed estates in this
country. But the fact was that he was land
poor at the moment. He wanted the piano at
once. of course, but he could not raise money
from the sale of any of his numerous pieces OF
realty for several days. lie would like TO give
his note Tor the amount, and then pay at his
leisure. He expected some 5000 within two
weeks, and III the money came he would pay I'D
at once, for he very much disliked having his
notes out, and always paid them as soon as pos
sible
Mr. Pettis did not close the bargain then and
there but agreed to take the piano out 10 Spring
brook the next day, ana IL everything was
satisfactory he would accept Kempster's
note in payment. During the Gay
however, Mr.. Pettis found out that Kempsters
financial record was dark and blotted, and de-
cided not 10 sell the piano on the terms pro-
posed. A short time afterward a customer of
Mr.. Pettis, who lives at Springbrook, came in
and asked if Kempster had bought piano
there. When Mr.. Pettis said no, the customer
told how kempster had gotten u piano from
some source and had wanted him to cart il from
the station to the house, and charge the bill.
The man. who knew KempSter, refused
The piano mentioned above came from the
store OF g. A. Heidinger, agent in this city for
ID, ;. Johnston kempster, with perseverance
worthy OF Napoleon OF shady financial trans
actions, finally carried out his plan in the man
ner described as follows by Mr. Heidinger yes
terday afternoon: "KeInpster came TO me de-
Christmas present for his children.
He claimed TO be wealthy, but was short
OF money at the time. He had
however, written 20 his brother in London ask
ing for loan of 5000. KeInpster showed me
the answer. and the envelope was pestmarked
London all right. The letter stated that, owing
to the stringeney in the money market. the
brother could not raise 5000 that day. But
within thirty days he could negotiate the loan
without difficulty As an Englishman would
think 5000 a small sum 10 send so far. it would
IN fact, be easier 10 get the money if the sum
were $4,000 or $4,000. Accordingly the brother
would get that sum Tor him within month
"kempster talked like man TO whom such
large financial transactions were common
things, aud SD sold him $500 piano on Deem
Der %, taking three notes, the first payable in
ten DAYS.
ION December 81 he gave toward the payment
of the first note check for sd, on Dexter Hor-
ton * Co. The check was presented, but there
were no funds to meet it.
Then ! tried 10 get the piano back. but
Kempster wouldn't give II UP, declaring that he
had made il over TO his children. The matter
has run along until today, and | allowed him
till O'Clock this afternoon either TO pay me or
10 return the piano. He has done neither M
was then oclpck), aud / am taking stems
through my lawyer, \. +. Burleigh, TO have the
piano repievined.