Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-21

The body Of Reed waddell who was
shot and mortally wounded by his
whilom associate. Tom o'Brien. the
king Of the bunco men, at the Northern
railway station in Paris on March "a.
last, is on the French line steamship
La Gascogne. which is due here today.
The mother of the deceased Will re-
ceive 1t and take it to Springfield, his,
where she lives, for interment. a let
ter from Paris gives a graphic and de-
tailed account OF the murder. Both men
were known from the Atlantic to the
Pacific and from the Canadian border
10 the gulf Of Mexico. They ranked cas-
lily as the leaders in their particular
line among the gilt-edged swindlers
of America-in fact they were known
by reputation to the police Of every
country, and in several nations the po-
lice found it necessary to become per-
sonally acquainted with them.
The stakes they always played for
Were so high that when ever they
turned trick" successfully-and they
Were nearly always successful-the
whole country soon knew the story OF
the crime. There was as great a diff
men as there is between night and
day.
Tom O'Brlen is a bull dog. Reed Wad-
dell was by instinct and education a
gentleman, If ever q swindler could be
called such. He had and yet has
friends among some of the SWEETEST
society men in this town, who admire
MN FOR the many manly qualities he
had, and who are sorry that such a bril-
liant man should have gone wrong.
Waddell never committed criminal
act in New York.
The swell set with whom he mingled
here always thought he was lace
buyer. Whenever lie would leave town
II was generally supposed that he had
gone TO buy lace. He would return as
quietly as he slipped away, literally
loaded with money. He has been known
10 display grecnbacks In great heaps
lie not only spent money lavishly, but
he gave II away In hundreds. He is
Known to have gone around town night
after night with from $4,000 10 $50 900
in cush In his pockets.
O'Brien he had befriended time and
time again. O'Brien's black inFrati-
tude has been cursed silently and deep
ly since the murder by men on two
continents. The French sporting man
IN describing the last meeting between
the two, says in his letter:
Reed had been living ut the Hotel
scribe. He was very quiet, and as we
knew he was wanted In America, we did
not make much fuss about him,
OBrlcn we thought was In Bupuos
Ayres. Reed left his hotel about Ii
O'Clock on the fatal morning. He met n
friend who asked him whore he was
going. lie said he had nm appoint-
ment ct the Northern railway station.
He walked away rapidly, and at lf4O
o. m was standing In the station. when
ne started slightly, and n moment later
" btlen was seen rushing for him and
pulling n big pistol from his pocket
There was murder IN OBriens face
ana Reed saw IL. Although he was IN
armed he never llnched, but ran right
at o'Brlen. The latter. like a cur stop
ped and backed away, firing aa he re-
treated. In all he put six shots into
Reed, who never had a chance 10 yet
near him. He fell still facing O'BrIen.
THE shooting was such cowardIy
one u AZ the station men who witnessed
II rushed upon O'Brien and beat him
numerically. only for the arrival of
the police / think they would have yIl-
ed him. He was promptly locked up,
Reed was taken to the hospital Larl-
helstote. He was game tn che last.
Wher the authorities brought O'Brlen
before him at tho hospital and asked
him II that was the man who had shot
MN, ne glanced AT him cOolly and calu-
~ and then replied:
NO; / never saw him before"
20 Brien seemed about to speak TO
him, but Reed gave him one look ana
then turned over In bed with his back
towards the party. He would not saw
another word"
At nrst 1t was thought that Waddell
would recover. but he took n turn for
me worse and died in the hospital on
Aprll J. The meagrc dispatches re-
ceiVed moro stated that Il was thoupht
that a woman was the cause OF Tho
tragedy but this Is not SO. O'Brlen
was broke" and wanted more monrN,
irom Waddul, who refused to rive il
70 him, and that was the cause OF Tho
trouble O'Bricn had frequently threat
ened 10 KIN him before FOR similar ne.
flanls 70 supply him with money.
The histories OF both OF these mon
are unique IN the annals OF crime
Nccd Waddell was born "a VCara
hg2 In Springfield, III. His people were
Well-to-ao and respectable, ana he
grew up never knowing the want az
money. He was slim-bullt. delica -
rehned-loolting man and never grew
10 look older than % or % years 10
was one OF the most fashiunably Dress
ca men In the world Poole OF London
always made his clothes and his Jewels
We're the best money could b,iy.
There was never uuythlne pro4or
tlous about his jowelry, hut frequently
connoisseurs noticed that even I'm a
party OF mllllonalres' sons WaddelTA
diamonds were the finest Walden
never knew the meaning Of fear. He
was never known to go armed. Yet no
never hesitated TO 40 up against the
toughest man when occasion REQUIRED
Just when he started his criminal ca,
reer Is not known positively. 10 was
AT tlrst gambler and made and Ioat
a good deal OF money.
INVENTOR OF GOLD BRTCTgc
rhat life was not exciting enough fo-
MIN, though, and then he invented 10
gold brick swindle. Moulding n nieco
of lead about the size of n brIcis b.,
would have II gold-plated rough Pight
IN the center OF the brick he woi,ld
sink solid plug OF gold. These brlelis
Were generally marked as they are Nv
united states assayers At one end
We're cut out the letters U. S. ana he
meath was the name of the sunnosc,
assayer. Underneath that anneerei
the weight and fineness OF the snn-
posed precious metal In gold.
When Waddel caught a "p,iv" 10
would take him 10 an accomniIce VIII
posed AS an assayer. He would test
ire metal and assure him that n Tvos
all right. but to make assurance douhi,.
sure he would pick out the piece on ser,
n'ne gold and tell the victim to 70 Ia !
some jeweller he knew and have bt,n |
r. Is ~ course the test resulted All
right and In ninety-nine cases ont ~ = |
bait '"e
Neddell never sold one OF his brio,,q
Tor less than ~ EO0 49,.