Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-10-26
An Agent Who Puzzled Many
Business People.
HIS METHOD SEEMS MYSTERIOUS
And His Stories Are Some-
what Suspicious.
Wants TO Know of Jewellers Where Their
Safes Ars Located and How Large a
Stock of Diamonds They oarry--A Truly
Mysterious Man.

and a number of trade papers, has been |
visiting the leading merchants of this |
city and the questions he has asked has
caused the former no little anxiety. |
The stranger gives the name of A. |
Werning Of Cincinnati, Ohio, and de- |
clares he is q native of the Buckeye |
State. He came to this city on October |
18th, registered at the Clayton House,
and was assigned to room 25. After the
firemen's parade was over he set about
to obtain data for an alleged publica-
ton which he declares will be printed
in New York, setting forth the business
interests of the city of Wilmington, and
containing illustrated notices of busi-
ness houses.
Werning has devoted most of his time
here in visiting the leading jewellers and
plying them with questions calculated
to make their hair stand on end. Notably
among the jewellers visited was G. y.
Rudolph. To the latter's son Werning
propounded number of questions,
which launched the ieweler in a sea of
perplexity. Mr.. Rudolph showed no
uneasiness when Werning wanted to
know how long the house had been
established and what sort of business
was carried on, nor was heamazed when
the stranger wanted to know whether he
was director in bank or connected
with any trade organizations. But
Werning did not stop here. He asked
whether or not the jeweler carried
large stock of diamonds; whether
he was member Of the jew
elers Security Alliance, which is
national organization which employs
Pinkerton detectives to hunt down
jewelry thieves; whether the store was
connected with the police station by
burglar alarm, and where the safe was
located. The last question dazed the
jeweler for time. He wondered what
connection the location of his safe and
the fact of his being connected with the
police station could have to do with the
illustrated catalogue of the business
interests of Wilmington. He came to
the conclusion that something was
wrong and refused to answer questions
of such character. He asked Werning
for his credentials. The latter had
none. He assured Mr.. Rudolph, how
ever, that he was doing work for the
JoaeeteTs' Weekly, and the Keystone, and
all of these questions were essential in
the business He also said he was a
member of the "United States Reporters
Association"
Mr.. Rudolph doubted this assertion
very seriously. This was Tuesday week.
After the man from Cincinnati left the
store, Mr.. Rudolph wrote to the Keystone
and the Jescelers' Circular, and tele-
graphed the JeDelers' Weekly.
This is the reply of the Je,celers'
Circular:
In reply to yours of the 18th, we will
say that we have no man on the road,
writing up the iewelry trade. as you say.
We have never heard of the United States
Reporters Association. The man is doubt
less an impostor.
Here is the reply of the keystone, a
paper published in the interest of the
jewellers in Philadelphia:
We employ no such person as the party
you describe. We have never heard OF
him before, and would think that his busi.
ness was not of such nature as to be any
benefit to the trade. The writer would
rather Judge that lie belonged TO band Of
parties who were planning some robbery
on jewelry store. We will take pleasure in
publishing warning to the trade if yor
deesire us to do so.
Mr.. Rudolph received the following
telegram from the Jetoelers' Weekly:
Have no Werning in Wilmington ant
no Werning in employ.
Mr.. Rudolph placed the matter
together with the above letters, in the
hands of Chief of Police Dolan.
At the jewelry store of Samuel II
Baynard, Werning asked Harry Guthrie
one of the clerks, about the business O.
the house, and wanted TO know how
many safes were in the store anC
whether they were connected with tn,
police station by burglar alarms. HI
: also wanted to know what was in tn,
second story of the building.
A number of other jewelry store
were visited and similar questions pro
pounded.
Caleb M. Steward, cashier of the Ma
tional Bank of Wilmington and Bran
dywine, says Werning entered the banI
and told him he was representing
financial paper. He wanted to know
the standing of the bank. Mr.. Shew
: ard asked him for his credentials AM
Werning replied that he had none
whereupon the cashier refused +
answer his interrogations, and Wernin
! left the bank.
At the dry goods store of w. Z
Sharp s. Company Werning said he wa
representing publishers house i
Boston and wanted to write up the town
He was in the store of Kennard & Com
rany and asked few questions con
| cerning the business of the house AM
3 when the establishment was founded.
!. Ferris Giles says Werning told hir
g he was representing clothier's paper.
A. representative of THE GAzETT
interviewed Werning at the Clayto
House, Tuesday. He was asked fc
his credentials from the american Pul
fishing Company" and said he di
q not think 1t was necessary to have thei
i when he came, but had written fl
them. He said he was born in CinciI
. natl. He had written up 604 towns fc
y trade papers, he said, and had nevt
I been "queered" before or his wor
a questioned.
e AS 604 were large number of town
a the reporter asked him for single boo
a he had written. He said he left thel
all in New York. Then he was asko
for a single page of his manuscriI
about the business interests of Wi
9 uington. He was unable to produce
r He had just mailed his manuscript
g New York and was sorry he had NJ
n reserved page or so for reference.
!. He was asked whether Or not he W,
d not aware of the fact that there was n
d such organization as the "United Stat
n Reporters Association" of which
n said he was member He assured Il
i reporter that its headquarters was