New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-02
A BOLD SWINDLER CAUGHT,
MANY WESTERN MERCHANTS DUPED.
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE RErUrA

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE TO THE REpUrA
TIoN OF AN INNOCENT FIRM.
A series Of ingenious trade swindles has just
tren unearthed by Inspector Byrnes. Some idea
NJ the extent of the frauds may be gathered from
,be fact that they have been pursued uninter-
ruptedly and with almost complete success for
nearly two years, and that they unjustly involve
the credit of one of the best cotton houses in this
city.
On February l6 Inspector Byrncs had his first
information of the existence of the frauds, in the
shane of letter from Red Bluffs, California.
This letter, which was signed by the kone d
Kimsar Company and Morris & Campbell Com
pany. two drygoods firms in that place, gave the
following statement Of facts: On January 10
drummer who described himself as the representa-
tive Of William Rothschild & Co.. cotton dealers
Of No s34 Broadway, New-York, called on seveTai
drygoods firms in Red Bluffs and said that his iirm
had large cotton mills Of their own in Maine
and were prepared TO sell goods on credit at rates
considerably below the regular scale.
He gave terms about 40 per cent lower thah
could be obtained from any other house In the
trade TO eachadrygoods house in Red BUNS nc
also made this promise-that Rothschllds gooos
should be sold to it alone and that his firm would
have no dealings with any one else in the district
He received several large orders and went away.
Just a fortnight aftcrward the following letter
was received by the drygoods houses who had
opened business relations with William Rothschild
& Co.:
Telephone lSlls. Cable-wrota & Co.
william Rothschild q Co.. Cotton Goods.
No S3i Broadway, New-York
cSon,leren We have decided from this date, owing TO
the strngcncy of money market. and OWNS to the
dnnes OF collections from many OF our best customers
who rated Al and very prompt to open
no for the present We Will make no ex'
cepon 10 rule II any exception were 10 be maoc
we would it your favor all believe you very
responsible very good for contracts Your goods
are branded and ready for shipment but we viii refuse
10 ship them until you first send us Newlork draft
II you desire to remit will allow IL per cent extra
for anticipation payments. Should you refuse to do
this will be compelled to respectfully but firmly de-
cline ship the goods other terms You can have
the goods shipped now, or we will hold them II you VIII
lct you We send samples Of goods nvoiced
70 you and guarantee them to be equal to the sample
We hope that confidence in monetary circles will be soon
restored enabling extend the credit that
your firm should warrant Trusting that you will look
OF this in the night light
WILLIAM RoTHsCHILD CO.,
Per IL. c.
The next letter, dated February IL, is as fol-
lows
Gentlemen We a short time request for
our samples and prices. 10 this request did not
reply at tho time, but later wrote TO you declining
ship except the stated. We also sent the
samples that your invoice calls for to other nrns explain
ing that sold goods to party in lied Bluffs and that
the goods bore special brands and that If you did not
wish for the goods we would pleased sell to them
similar those made to you in our last letter We
did not, however, mention your name. Now as We had
put special brands the goods for and goods
not desirable without brands as before stted SAM
pied your goods thinking sell them to these parties
If you cd not wish to use them. We are Just now in
receipt of telegram from party in your town stating
they had rcmtted and asking that we should ship
the goods. We unwilling TO do this until we hear
from you II you wish the goods per return,
stated in your letter, Will hold them otherwise
we viii dispose OF them. Your Immediate attention l.
necessary 70 procure the goods
8. WILLIAM RoTHSCBILD & CO.,
Per- IL. G.
p. SIN case you RENTED before this letter
reaches you, you need no. telegraph.
Immediately receipt of the letters from Red
Bluffs, Inspector Byrnes set Detectives Mulholland
McCloskey and Golden TO work on the
They went to No. s34 Broadway and found that
MeSsrs. William Rothschild & Co.'S New-York
Office consisted of a small room the third floor.
On the door the sign: William Rothschild
& Co.. Cotton Goods" All that the room con-
tained was chair and table One or other OF
the detectives watched the office. but never found
any one there. Finally they lit on clew which
led them TO one of the members of the firm,
whom they arrested on Saturday night at Four
teenth-st. and Seventh-ave.
The prisoner, who is a tall, StOuty built DIS
tinguished-lOolIing man. with wavy black hair and
mustache, was taken. TO Police Headquarters,
where, in answer to the usual questions, he said
that his name was Max Rothschild. and that he
was thirty-fve years old. lie refused to give his
address or the nature of his occupation. When
searched there were found on him check for
SO 90, drawn on the Shoe and Leather Bank of
New York, and letter from Joseph Meyers, of
Salem, Ore, to this effect:
Enclosed please find NewYork draft for 1924 76. the
amount due order for cotton goods.
There EaS also fouDd him an extract from a
letter signed by the Capital Adventure Company
of Salem, Ore. dealers in staple and fancy goods.
This extract is as follows:
You entire strangers 10 We loath to trust
you as you ore to trust We do not - for
your standing. We only want you TO in good faith
As your regarding another Salem house have
inquired drygcods house in Salem and find that
you have given them all the same song and dsaee or to
use plain English. you trying to little Of
llun. but do for that furnish the
goods.
Police Court yesterday He declined to make any
statement, and, OH the application of Inspector
Byrnes, was remanded to Police Headquarters
Among those in the police court yesterday was
William Rothschild, of No. As HowSrd-st. one Of
the Oldest cotton-dealers in the city Mr.. Roths-
child has probably been the chief sufferer by the
impaired In nearly every part of the country. For
many weeks letters from firms on the Pacific
Slope have poured in upon him by the hundred
These letters have all been of violently indig-
nant character, and the unhappy Mr.. Rothschld
has been accused of every species of knavery and
trickery On receiving visit from " Messrs.
William Rothschid d Co.'S" representative, the
Western firms naturally consulted the Mercantile
Agency's record, and finding that William Roths-
child" was rated Al, of course had no hesitation
in trusting him with their confidence. The kone
d. kimball Co.. however, had business friend
in this city with whom they privately conSnuni-
Gated, and whose inquiries opened their eyes TO
the nature Of the fraud.
TORE THE RINGS FROM HER EARS,
Kansas City, March i (speciaD.-Last night While
all the family except Miss Clara Morris and her brother