The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-21

The police yesterday made an i'm
portant capture when they gathered In.
on a charge of violating the city orai-
nAncef, man giving his name as G L.
Curtis, and his business, sign painting.
Curtis. by his own admissions and sub.
stantiating kilograms from various
places, turns ont to DO what in police
circles is known as a "rounder, which,
defined in common parlance, means IL
sharp nan who lives on the dullness of
others. He is evidently no common
specimen Of this typs either. He ia a
graduate OF Harvard and did roper
,orial work for Bradstreet, "beiore
Wiman began TO pull Dun down. as
he expressed it himself. Among his
accomplishments he numbers that Of II
which Joe HunzArder, Denver"
Barnes. w. K. Post, Ell O'Bren and
other well known confidence men. He
talks about the various bunco and con-
tdence games with the same tluency
with which he quotes poetry aud
sketches even Rs we'll as he plays card
tricks. Chief Simpson. who has had
considerable dealings with men OF TINS
stripe, confesies that Mr.. Curtis is
about the "slicEest" individual that no
has as yet come across
TRIED TO SELL BICYCLE.
Curtis WAS arrested as he was COM
ing from his hotel, the Wyoming, on
suspicion OF having stolen bicycle,
the charge, howey-r. being that OF try.
ing to dispose Of bicycle without liz
cense to deal in merchandise as pro-
vided by city ordinance.
During the morning he entered
Dunn's store and after purchasing q.
necktie tried to III Ike a sale Of Dicy-
Gle He said h. had a wheel for which
Ae had paid 1928 and which he WAS
willing to dispose of for $50. Mr.. Dunn
suspected that something was wrong
and after making an appointment to
try the wheel later on, communicated
the facts to Cfli ,er Roche, who is at
present On the lookout for the bicycle
thieves. After making some inquiries
i, was decided TO hold Curtis and he
was accordingly arrested A telegram
was sent to the Oyerm3n Wheel COM
pany, the manufacturers of the wheel
III question, and from them it was
learned that the wheel had bseu gold to
u party in Utica. N. Y A telegram to
Utica elected the fact that the wheel
had been stolen from +. L. Jones of
that town few days previous.
This information was followed up
and it was learned that Curtis arrived
in Binghamton with two wheels in his
possession at G O'Clock Thursday eveu-
ing. OIe wheel was disposed Of in
binghamlon and the other is un-
duuotedly the one which occupies an
adjoining cell to Curtis in tue base.
ment os the municipal building
CURTIS MAKES CONFESSION.
Last night when the chief and Off
Ger Roach confronted Curtis with the
evidence they had secured he broke
down and confessed even more than the
officers thought he knew, He admitted
that he had been engaged, in burglary.
ounce steering and confidence games
and When tine chief, to draw him out
hirted that he was only Dragging Cur.
It's sent Officer Roche after proof, whicl
lie said he would fiud in a leatbe
case in room 1O8 Wyoming House. l
turned out to ue tine set of burglar
tools. Curtis firmly believed that h
could not be held in this state, aud Il
slow his utter contempt for the Law
talked openly OF his doings and gavt
the officers some pointers on the lates
confidence games.
The bicycle racket" rs be calls it, j
both new and rare. 1t is being worked
y large gang scattered all over th
country. They operate in pairs some.
thing after this fashion: One of then
steals bicycle and when a reward i
offered, as is the case nine times out o
ten, the other fellow after few day
represents himself as a detectiv,
from such ard such plac
and returns the wheel with some ex
panation rs to how he recovered IL. Ii
secures the reward and by this tina hi
pal has more detective work for him t.
10. 1t ia not often that tnev resort tt
the bold method in which Curtis cam,
10 grief. That is left for ordinary
thieves which may well be believed i,
not the stripe OF Cugtis.
The chief of police of Binghamtol
WAS expected on an early morning
train. Ho will probably tnke Curti
back to New York state.
OTHER BICYCLE THEFTs.
A wheel wnich was stolen from 4
front OF the Qovernmen. building n
Auburn. n Y, WAS recovered in Pitts
ton by Officer Roche, and singular ?
say, another which was stolen fror
Foley G& Holt has been recovered i
Auburn, n. Y. Two other stolen wheel
have been located and will be recov
cred. it is expected in day or two.
CONCERT WEDNESDAY EVENING.