Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-14
A GOLD BRICK
Costs Heman WhipIe of Scion
a Cool $4,000.
Man Giving Name Of Dan Dean
Works the Game.
SwindIe Opens at Long Pond, Closes al
Watervile.

Waterville, May -(SpeciaD. - One
of the boldest swndles ever perpetrated in
this section Of the country, was brought
to light in this city, today. 1t is the same
old story of the gold brick, the mining
stock and the slick -tongued sharper. The
victim is Heman Whipple of Scion, one of
the wealthicst and most influential men
of that town, who allowed himself to be
bypnotized and swindled out of an even
$40, 600. The job was done in this city,
last Thursday but no one knew of it I'M
| til today.
Mr.. Whipple is n man "A years Of age,
and for the past 50 years he has been en-
gagged in the driving of logs from Moose
river That he is, and always has been a
shrewd business man, Is attested to. from
| the fact that, by hard knocks, strict at
tention to business and good investments,
he has amassed large property. estimated
by some to be worth $50, 900, while some
place it at 500 000
He is prominent owner in the Moose
head Navigation Company, which lows
all the logs across Moosehead lake, and
also in the Moose River Log Driving
| Company. He also owns valuable tracts
of lumber lands in northern Maine, as
well as considerable real estate at Scion
and a large, productive hay farm at Long
pond in the Moose river region, from
which he sells, annually, hundreds of tons
of hay to lumbermen.
! With his son he has taken this year &C
cording to his usual custom, IA miles OF
Moose river to drive, and has crew of
men at work there 1t was at this place
that the bunco man found him and com
menced to work him into his little scheme.
The sharper went to Mr.. Whipple's
house in Scion, last Monday, and inquired
for Mr.. Whpple. He was told that he
was at work on the drive at Moose river,
whereupon he took the afternoon train
and went there, by way of Dexter, the
Bangor & Aroostook and G. p. r., arriv-
ing at Jackman station at midnight.
The next morning he went to where
Mr.. Whipple was working on his barn at
his Long pond farm, and commenced to
talk with him in a soft, pliable fashion,
and according to Mr.. Whipple's own state
ment, he was completely under the fell
lows power from that time. till after he
had paid over the money and had gone
| home.
|
acquaintance of Mr.. Whipple at Long
pond he produced the gold brick" which
| figured in the case, as well as some gold
ore, which he said came from a mine in
Texas, Colorado or somewhere, and sue
ceeded in interesting his victim in it,
They came to Waterville, last Thursday,
went to the Elmwood, where they met a
third party, who pretended to assay the
| rio
hundreds of dollars to the ton, and the
brick of great value. This done, the
sharper sprung his scheme ard wanted
$40, 900.
Mr.. Whipple is we'll known, and his
check would be honored for almost any
amount. He went to several of the banks
in this city, and any would have gladly
loaned him the required amount, but it
so happened that none had that amount
of ready cash on hand at the time. He
then went to the telephone Office called
up Cashier Page of the Skowhegan bank
who, though he did not have the cash on
hand readily offered to send on the after
noon train Il draft on Boston.
Mr.. Whipple then went again the rounds
of the Waterville banks accompanied all
the while by the stranger, whom, it is
| stated he introduced once or twice as his
nephew, and found that tho Merchants
bank could spare $4,000 and the Ticonic
could cash a $4,000 draft He went back
and telephoned Mr.. Page to send the two
drafts, which came in due time on the
afternoon train. He took them to the
banks got the cash and paid the swindler
who has not been heard from since, and
went to his home in Scion, then after
time began to realize that he had been
duped
Today his nephew, Lewis G. Whipple of
Scion, and his SON law, DR.. Green OF
the same town, were here looking the
matter up, and left on the afternoon train
for Boston to place the matter in the
hards of a detective. Mr.. Whipple was
also here, this afternoon, having come
from Skowhegan, where no had been to
settle with the bank, depositing checks,
cash and notes for the whole amount,
calmly rejecting to himself that they
| badn t broke him yet" 1t is said that
one party in Fairfield owed him $1,000.
which he took check for and deposited 1t
in the Skowhegan bank. He left at 80
for his home in Scion.
Mr.. Whipplc is sharp and bright man
for one OF his age, and while he feels his
loss severely, blames no one but himself,
and does not understand the power the
man had over him while he was with him,
for he affirms that h. began to realize that
he had been swindled as soon as he had
left the fellow for an hour or more.
The fellow is described by the people at
the hanks here as being OF medium
height dark complexion, apparently from
20 to 81 years of age. He wore full
beard, and was dressed in dark clothes OF
rather rough, coarse cloth While in the
banks he made some conversation which
gave the bank officials in both places, the
impression that the money was to DO used
on the drive up river, to which MIR.
Whinple seemed to assent. In neither place
was the gold brick or the mine or mining
stock mentioned.
"a nnrtiand