Connecticut western news., 1896-04-02
BEAT THE BELMONTS.
THEY cAsHso MENoozA'S SPURIOUS
 SIGHT DRAFT.


 One of the Mos. Audacious Swindliny op-
 er~.iens That Has Occurred In New
 York In Years-He Was Employed as
 an Undersecretsry.
 NEw YORK, April LA suave, middle aged foreigner. protesting complete igno- rance of the English language and describ- ing himself nfodestly as a tourist, arrived here from Cuha on March II. He travel ed alone. carried no ba gage except D eminently re pectahle iooSinv saichel ard registered at the Ho,el America in Irwin. place as Manuel Gonzalez Mendoza ol Havana
 Although a stranger in 8 strange land. Mendoza instantly m ,de himself very much at home. Un tLe afternoon of his arrival he employed Mir. Genlini. pro es- sionai interpreter, as secretary and com panion.
 That night Mendoza and his secretary occupied box in a .ety theater and the latter noticed with surprise that his employer apparently enjoyed every joke cracked by the hnglish speaking come dians as If they spoke his mother tongue. Observing Mir. 6ehtini's wonder, Mr. Mendoza smiled inscrutably and re- marked:
 ''I laugh at everything. It's harmless habit oi mine.'
 Later in the evening the light hearted Mendoza emetied two quart bo,t ties of champagne and samp. ed a great variety of American mixed drinks He was finally taken from under a table in the Hotel America cate and carried, still laughing. to his room.
 Eariy the next morning Mendoza reap peared as fresh as daisy. Accompanied | by the faithful Gentini he entered a coupe | and was driven to the offices of August | Belmont & Co. g Nassau street. There | the stranger. with true Castilian grace, presented a sight draft drawn on the l of Hidalgo & Go of Havana It was for a large amour. probably In the neighbor> 1 hood of ssa. GOO.
 | Presented at Be,mont's. | Of what followed Mir. Gentini alone of the interested parties will talk. According to the interpreter. the pres | enta,ion of the draft was met with de mand for Identification by Belmont x Co. 's | chief clerk
 Mendoza was unruffled at this and ex- plained that. anticipating the difficulty, Hidalgo & Co had written letter inclos- ing his (Mendoza'sl signature and asking that the matter of personal identification be waived
 "I am surprised" murmured the plsus- ible Mendoza. .'that the letter Is not all ready here. It should have arrived by the steamer on which I came"
 As if in providential vindication of his truthtulness, while this conversation was still in progress the talked of letter ap- peared- It was preciSe.y as represented by | Mendoza and bore the seemingly genuine signature of Hidalgo S Co
 Reaching for pen. the smiling and tri- upmhant Mendoza swiftly traced his name on a slip of paper and handed it with a bow and af1ourish to the still doubtful Bel mont clerk.
 "Observe.'' he remarked. through the medium of Mir Gentini. that this writ ing Is an exact reproduction of my sigma sure inclosed to you by Hidalgo & Go 1 Now. kindly oblige me with the money. '
 ..It is probably all right" responded | the hesitating clerk. "hut us the amount Is large one must trouble you to satis fy me stilll further.''
 Blandly protesting perfect willingness: so submit to any form of investigation
 Mendoza and the interpreter accompanied
 Belmont 6 Co s representa- ye to II; Wall street where the Havana bankers Hidalgo & Co. have an agency. Mir Said, | draft bearing stranger was introduced
 Everything Looked Regular.
 According to the interpreter. the paper
 and signatures were carefully examined and Mir. Saldo dissipated the last l ngerins
 doubt of Mendoza reliability by remark ing:
 Everything looks regular. guess 1t i all right"
 The draft was then cashed and Mendoza |. returned to the Hotel America. Tor th
 next two days Mendoza celel rated hi
 affiuence and the worthy 6entini was kep constantly at work drawing corks and or , dering fresh glasses. . Then tie hi Hr;ous stranger departed oetensibly for tour of tLe south, takinI
 the interpreter with him. At Washington
 Mendoza suuddenly disI Iensed with Gen ] tini's services.
 According to Chief Clerk Lewis of tn 7 Hotel America. nothing more was hear of the mysterious stranger until tw
 weeks ago, when two detectives question cd every one in the hotel about Mendoza n apr earance and movements and final . explained to the management that tb
 draft collected from Belmont k Co. was | forgery.
 Nothing has been heard of the presen
 whereabouts Of Mendoza August Bel
 mont refused to say anything about th a matter and showed intense annoyance a
 being questioned in regard to MT. Mer | doxa-
 At Hidalgo & Go. g agency. 1lS Wa t- street. Mr. Saldo was almost equall
 reticent. "This is Mir. Belmont's bus .i ness" he explained "It would be ot | viously wrong for me to speak. "