The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-14
SMOOTH YOUNG swINDLER.
He Solfcits Charity by Writing Bogus
Letters About Himself.

AAc SoAiCits Dy "rIinG DoGu8
Letters About Himself.
Charitable people will do well to beware OF a
young man, hardly more than boy, who is
working the sympathy dodge with more or less
success, and who, besides being skillful and
versatile liar and bunko man, has all the ear
marks OF a dangerous criminal.
The young mans name is not known. One of
his many aliases is Steven A. Lafferty, and an
other is Fred Stevens. He appears TO be about
Is years old, but may be older. He is rather tall
and has rounding shoulders. His face is oval
and his brow is narrow and retreating.
He is fairly well dressed, but his shirt front is
anything but clean, and his necktie shows
constant tendency to ride his collar. His
most marked popularity is hesitation in
speech, which at times becomes painful When
asked leading questions about his past life he
stammers and shutters. His memory also fails
him on such occasions. He writes a beautiful
business college hand and can change his style
Of penmanship with great facility. Therein
lies his power for evil.
The young swindler first appeared at police
headquarters about q week ago. He gave Chief
Rogers q letter of introduction from some per-
son unknown to the chief, in which it was
stated that the young mans father and mother
had died in San Francisco a few days before
and that he had come here to get work, but was
destitute. The chief was asked to assist him.
The boy told the chief he had been messboy on
W
who sized him up az a swindler, and was kept
in Jail two days. The day he was released he
appeared at Grace hospital, where he presented
the following letter:
Superintendent Grace Hospital-Dedr Sir.
Pardon my addressing you, but beg to ask You
can you admit this boy into your institution for
few DAYS? l found him on the street at an
early hour this morning, wandering up and
down, aud when spoke to him he told me the
following: lie came here from Chicago
Friday morning in search of his brother,
but when he go; here he found out
his brother was drowned. His parents died at
his home in Chicago a little over two weeks ago,
and he has nowhere TO go and has no money.
He seems 10 have gone through a great deal
lately ard is going to work in a store next
Thursday, and he has no place TO stay until
then hope you will take pity on the Lad Tor
ne deserves 1t, aud oblige.
Machinis,, Blake & Graves Might shift.
Superintendent Tremaine, in the kindness OF
his heart, took the young man in At the ex-
piration of twenty -four hours he was asked TO
sweep out one of the wards. He took the broom
and that was the last seen of him there
Tie young swindier had similar letters TO
snake sympathy In several quarters. The sig
natures in each case were different, but each
man signed himself an engineer for some frm,
the name of which does not appear In the direc-
tory Last evening he called at the PoST-ISTEL-
LIGENcER editorial rooms He had this letter OF
introduction:
Editor Posr- OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Sir: Par
don me in addressing you, but beg 10 ask you
II YOU can give this boy position OF any KIND.
/ found him in the street at al early hour this
morning wandering aimlessly up aud down. l
approached HIM, spoke to m ana hnalIy
ELECTED the following story from him: He had
been living with both his parents in Chicago.
They both died there about two weeks ago of
typhoid fever. He came here expecting to fnd
his brother, but on inquiry found that he had
been drowned few days before he came.
The boy seems 10 have the worst OF misfortune,
having had his trunk stolen while changing
cars at spokane. He is entirely without funds,
and has nowhere 10 stay. His case ought 10 e&-
cite pity in any one who calls himself man.
offered him money, but he natiy refused II, say
ing he never has accepted charity and would
not begin now. Hoping you viii help Lam
JOHN STEVENS, Aachinis,,
Care OF Burns q stafford.
When asked his name the young man was
seized with a suffering spell and taking sheet
OF nsper wrote the answer in q beautiful round
hand, steven A. Lsferty. His attention was
called 20 the fact that no man named Laferiy
had been drowned here To this ne replied thaI
he only had the word of a man ne had met on
Second street for il When offered dollar he
refused to take IL, saying with asnlile Of inno-
cenee;
40. sir, l did not ask for charity"
''You may work for it tomorrow" urged the
giver.
Then l will take it, kind sir" said the young
msn Hs took the coin and slid cut of the
room.
He will not apply for work today. The news
paper man was only one of Fifty or more suckers
caught on the same lay The young swlndier
writes the pl.iful letters himself and reaps
rich harvest His turn for doing pen work Is e
dangerous trait, as il has been noticed that be
hangs about the check counters OF banks great
deal
Here is case that would have been thor
oughly examined under the system OF associated
charities.