The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-14
Queer Freak of a Former Oahu
Teacher.
BRAKENRIDGE'S BAD BREAKS.
Orders SI2, 200 Worth of Goods-Makes
Sight Draft on H.w. Schmidt e Sons.
Supposed to be Insane - Merchants
Suspect Refuse to Fill Orders.

In February last N. B. Breckenridge
was relieved from his position as school
teacher and prosecuted in the District
Court for actions unbecoming teacher
of young girls. On conviction he ap
pealed to the Circuit Court, but before
a second trial he left the country.
Numerous letters have been received
here during the last few weeks from
firms in the East and South, inquiring
about Breckenridge, who had ordered
heavy bills of goods to be shipped here
to different firms.
Almost invariably the man drew sight
drafts and gave instructions not to ship
until drafts were paid. That he made
any attempt to swindle anyone has not
appeared but once, and then by making
a loan on the professed intimacy with
a member of a prominent firm here. On
this occasion he secured 5000 from the
gentleman's brother in New York.
B. F. Avery & Sons, manufacturers
of agricultural implements, wrote. to
owing to a suspicion they had that
Breckenridge was not the firms author
lied agent. With the letter they sent
the mans draft for S2,71O.35. Messrs.
order until further instructions had
been received.
A letter from J. G. Brown & Sons, of
Louisville, distillers Of the McBrayer
whisky, was received at the same time.
In this it was stated that Breckenridge
had ordered for account of H. W.
Schmidt & Sons nearly $4,000 worth of
whisky, and they would like further
information before shipping goods.
]. J. Egan, the Fort street merchant,
was acquainted with Breckenridge when
he was here, and the latter prevailed
upon him to become surety for him
when he was arrested. Mr.. Egan, it
seems, was one of the men for whom
Breckenridge imagined he was buyer.
1t is poSSiblt that the phantom buyer
intended calling on the firms later on
and securing loans; but in Louisville
he did not practice this threadbare
game. He promised to return to the
store of Brown & Sons within day or
two after he left the order, but he did
not do so, and this omission on the fell
lows part prompted the firm to write
to Schmidt & Sons and make inquiries
about him. B. F. Avery e Sons, manu-
facturerS of agricultural implements,
wrote Messrs. Schmidt & Sons at the
same time.
Breckenridge was school teacher at
Hauula. in the district of Koolaupoko,
this island, and had a happy existence
pounding grains of knowledge into the
brains of aspiring pupils. This position
he held down for some time and was
completely lost to the world in the per-
fOrmance of his duties.
One moonlight night, out of the good |
ness of his heart, he loaned his horse |
and brake to a couple of young ladies. |
The drive was a pleasant one but the |
horse came too near to a patch of tall |
grass, and suppoSing this to be oats, the |
horse made a furious attempt to get |
nibble. The result was broken brake |
and a couple of bruised ladies. Braken- |
ridges anger knew no bounds, and he |
sued the ladies for damages, which he |
did not get. The ladies were going to |
enter a counter suit for damages and |
bruises and for harboring an animal |
possessed of hallucinations, but they |
were prevailed upon by their friends to |
desist on account of the complexity of |
the law regarding this point.