New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-29
WADDELES BAD CAREER.
THE CONFIDENCE MAN SHOT IN PARKS
BY THOMAS OBRIEN.
WELL, KNOWN BY TIE POLICE OF THIS COUNTRY
70, MS MANY SHADY OPERATIONS
HIS AssAILANTs EQUALLY OBJ

FOR MS MANY SHADY ofhi'AliONS-
HIS AssAlLANTs EQUALLY OBJ
NoxloUs RECORD
,,., ,,o victim of Thomas OBrien's
-, -. ,ho Northern station in Paris on Ne""'H-
e.. e., ,,,ioue specimen of the American Sharper
v-oddou Was born In LousNHie' N.Y. anu - "'
,h,r.v.four wears Of age. His father was %e %
tho uaalthicst gamblers in the west so"'e va"
AL racoiyed an unlimited allowance OF money ana
va o,,or, educational advantage. 50 that he was
,roa,, superior in intelligence and in appearance
N his associates in later years
- ~at1 that WtIden was a bookmaker. He dll
49,, ., interest in a bookmaking venture at Mon
Mouth Park several years ago. He Was the ie'ueI
80 ,be band Of confidence men who have operated
IN this country for the last five years Wade" Is
why. nervous and active. OF medium stature WIN
snappy penetrating black eyes, sharp iea'urel anu
smooth-faced. and possessed OF an insinuA'''S man
ner WadIeI found Il easy matter 10 gam '''e
confidence of his victims. Although OF SleiN'' pug
sioue. he had the courage Of a lion lie was VIM
dictive 10 a marked degree and not one OF MS az
sociates dared to provoke his enmy. HIS career d.
an adventurer reads like romance
The first time his name was associated Win S"auS
transactions was some eight or nine years ago
when his name mixed mp with the diSaPped'-
snce OF diamonds WORTH $4,000, the property OF the
wife OF noted Chicago gambler anu ra'e,ia.N
owner A bookmaker from Virginia escorted .ne
diamond-decked woman 10 her home. ana IN wv
morning when she arose the dianlohus "' -,
ing The case attracted much at'en''on ,,
time Earlier in the evening OF 'ne lain" ~
nearance a well-known cotton planter rom ''e
-. - ,.os celebrating the sale of his cotton
go ~, t,vitnc everybody to drink at his expense
and by wearing $1,000 bill pinned TO the iapel Oh
his coat In the midst OF the hilarlty the WV"
,iu disappeared This, together win the disappear
once of the diamonds caused some persons 10 re-
gard the innocent smCOth-iaced pIduS'pe OOI l'O'i-
Louisville with suspicion.
When fairly launched his career he made IRE
Quent trips Europe 10 permit things TO blow over
in the localities in which he and his associates OPP
Grated Gold bricks were sold 70 'shrewf' bank
presidents: farmers jumped a; the opportunity 10
sell a worn out farm 10 d young man who mad JUS
come into a fortune OF several millions. 1t may he
surprising 10 the readers OF The Tribune 70 hear
that the confidence men relieved gu,lible persons,
who believed they were cheating either the Govern
ment or an unsophstica;ed youth of over 100000
in four years The swinders made so much money
that when arrests were made it was easy to com
promise with the victims Moreover, Waddell and
his associates seldom invaded county unless the
county was "right'-whch means complasant OH
Gals Wadden in the Fonda Jail two months
ago but succeeded in securing his liberty
In Paris Waddell cut a wide "swath, and caused
many of the wealthy Americans TO stagger in try
ing TO keep pace with him. Howell Osborn IN
CURED his enmity by talking about his calling in
America. which injured him in the eyes OF some of
his Partisan acquaintance.
Wadden met Osborn in Slxth-ave. cafe in this
city a couple of years ago and gave him teriihc
beating. superintendent Byrnes caused his arrest
but the case never was called for tria.. -,
The police OF this city were poweress ana could
not arrest the members of the gang, "a the Nenal
officials of the country towns would not make com
plants They never operated in TINS cy a. p ,neg
believed that Waddell betrayed him to the authori:
ties giving the Information that led to the arreg G 0I
ship. Waddelrs friends scout the idea that he be-
trayed OBrien. 1t makes difference whether the
story is true or false O Brien shot HIM Moreover,
IL is said that OBrien was N ms ciiy IN January
s 0Bfens craer is fully as Varied Cfmna as
Waddelrs. He is well known TO the police through
from his Victims was what is called. IN The par
@pSs Of the RG the n bd aT Precnc
where he engaged in many desperate lights lie IS
esSaeR hair and Sf1 @ and
Is a dangerous looking customer at all times lie
Vas Wa soCat as gun H escape from
Dannemora Prison keeper when en- Under tten,yeaT
$1,000 Is still fresh in the memory Of The readers
OF The Tribune Should Waddell die. O.Brien stands
an excellent chance of being sent TO the gulilone
fate fully as bad as the alternat I'VE Is 10 be
French Guiana The lot OF the confidence men has
not been a happy ore OF late, as several Of them
vate detectives follow them all over the country,
hoping to force them 10 disgorge portion OF their
Nl-gotten gains
London. March 2S.-The Scotland Yard authorities
are strongly OF the belief that the O'Brien.
who was arrested in Paris Yesterday for shooting
a companion in a railway station. Is the o. lrien
dSt' qa TeHa fsnsaciions The police ere
tracing some Of MS proceedings " 0Fue' 10 DC '07
Paris. March 2s.-The police here refuse 20 talk
concerning O'Brien's case. Everything beyond what
has beenapubished already is likely 10 be kept Sc
ere, until the trial Ii understood that the chief
Of the detective Department is convinced tnat
OBrlen IS not a confidence man.