The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-09-05
A QUEER QUARTET.
Shady Ways Of Getting Cash on Goods
Ordered.
Escape Of o Furniture Dealer and Two
Tailors hut Broker Was Fooled.

lHtft W Ms ITO illtlt tAtlttucnb On nv
bott Park place, yesterday forenoon, when
one OF the John M. Dean Company's wag-
oDs was seen there, and a number OF
strong men were handling nearly new fur
niture at a rapid rate. 1t Is not often that
this company does anything OF the kind,
but IL would seem as II a lot OF their
goods had fallen into the hands OF par
eel of scoundrels.
A few weeks ago Lewis b. whipple
came here from Norwich, Conn, and
with him came &. N. Sweet and married
woman who left her husband, Thomas B.
Brown and two daughters, aged aud IL
respectively, at Hartford, Conn.
Whipple is "a years old, Sweet, %, and
the woman about as old as both OF them
together.
Upon their arrival In town, they called
upon the John M. Dean Company and pur-
chased 800 worth OF good, on which they
paid $40 down, and so far as can be
learned this was all.
Whipple gave the name OF Charles Mil
Ter when he came to town, but the police
has since heard his right name.
About 10 days ago, Whipple went to
O'Neili the tailor, and under the name OF
Charles Sweet ordered $40 suit Of clothes
TO be delivered at his home on Abbott
place yesterday morning between the
hours OF q and 10 o'clock. On the same day
Sweet called upon Sweeney, the tailor,
and ordered a suit, and he gave the name
OF Charles Miller, and he, too, wanted the
suit delivered at Park place between the
same hours as did his companion. Both
suits were Z. y. ID.
Yesterday morning the two men ac-
companied by f. j. Johnson called upon
William Ii. Draper, the broker, at the COR
ner of Dorrance and Weybosset streets,
and wanted TO mortgage their household
goods. Mr.. Draper wanted TO see bill
from whom the goods were purchased
and this was shown by Mr.. johnson, who
said that he had sold them the goods,
and at the same time Mr.. Draper was
shown bill by Whipple, dated Septem-
ber 4, 1894, showing that Whipple had
purchased the goods from Il. j. Johnson,
the amount of which was $S7, and also
showed where Whipple had paid for same
in weekly payments from IS to $40 each.
This was sufficient evidence for Mr.. Dra-
per. as he knew that Mr.. johnson was at
one time the manager OF the Excelsior
Chain Company, SO Clifford street, and so
he advanced Whipple $40 on the goods.
In some way the John M. Dean Company
got wind OF this ransaction, and bright
and early yesterday morning sent one OF
their teams TO the Park place mansion
and took their goods.
While the goods were being loaded into
the wagon, the errand boy from Mr..
Sweeney called at the house with Sweets
suit, but Sweet was not there TO take
them, and when tailor O'Neiil's boy
showed up few minutes later the house
was empty. IL was undoubtedly the in
tention OF Sweet and Whipple to take the
suits from the boys, request them TO wait a
few moments, and then slip out the back
door.
The next man to be interested in the
deal was Mr.. Draper, and he called upon
detective Parker, who in less than two
hours had Mr.. Sweet and johnson in his
office. Johnson said he did not take out
the bill showing that the goods had been
bought from him, but Sweet swore that
he did, and at last johnson acknow-
lodged il.
The police officials then set to work
looking up the law, but as MIR. Draper
did not care TO prosecute, the men were
allowed to depart.
johnson, who played prominent part
in the matter is well-known in this city,
and has recently returned from Europe,
having made the trip in 'stramp"
steamer as a cattle tender Ii is be who
swore that he saw Keegan looking into
the window of a tailor shop on the day
that Lizzie Chambers was murdered.
Johnson, Sweet, Whipple and the
Brown woman are said TO be related by
marriage, as it is claimed that Johnson
married Whipple's sister, and that the
Brown woman is the wife of Sweets un-
Gle of Hartford
Sweet told detective Parker that II was
the intention OF the gang TO divide what
ever amount of money was raised by the
quartet.
Just where they are today is not known
but it Is hoped by the police that they
are outside OF the city, if-not the State.