Evening journal., 1896-08-10


change and had only out Of town custom
ers, The business being done by mail
William A. 1homls Is said 60 havo car
rled on the same sort OF business In Gin
cinnati, st. Louis and New Orleans.
Grew Rich by swindling Operations.
CHICAGO, Aug l0.-T The bogus commits
SIGN merchants, William A. Thomas, JOIN
l.. Tonan and James H. Mcclure, who
were arrested as a result of their swim
ding operations that arc said TO have net
ted them $3.50 600, spent the day In iar
rison street policc.station. and no incident
onliyonod their heated surroundings.
Aside from some consultations Will
friends and attorneys. the three mon did
nothing and IL anything Of interest trans
pirod during their con abs with their Wis
itors tho did not let It tocomo known.
Being United States prisoners they were
kept from exercising no easily work
cd bail privileges of less exalted prisoners,
and nothing can o done IN that respect
today. lt is possible that some arrange.
ments may be mado about bonds bat
# the prisoners do not succeed in satisfy.
ing the federal judge they will be remoy-
cd to the county jnil in Joliet for safe
Keeping until the case comes up Friday
next.
The history Of the men makes interest
ing reading. The ringleadcr is w. II. Nc
Clure who comes from q respectable fam
ily and was raised in Junction City, Kan
Ho was for many years a railway postal
clerk on "A line running out from ST.
Louis. Ho Is married. DR.. John Craig
formerly of Guthrie O. T., Is his brother
in-law. james II. Mcclure Is his younger
q
Oklahoma, where they formed tho &C
quaintanoe Of William A. Thomas.
Thomas Ruined Bank.
The latter was raised in Cedar Falls,
Ia, and began his life as a bank clerk in
Abingdon, Ills. lie became cashier Of q
bank in Edwardsvillo, Kan, and assisted
in the organization OF tho Capital City
bank Of Guthrie, O. r. After receiving
$751; 900 IN deposits lac and the president
borrowed tho entire deposits and left thoil
notes as security. The bank failed and
the depositors lost eyory cent they had in
trusted to the dishonest concern.
John J. Toiman was for Is years a rail
way postal clerk and is supposed 10 have
formed tho acquaintance Of the others III
Oklahoma.
W. H. Mcclure blossomod into promi.
nonce as the proprietor Of a fake lottery,
with headquarters IN Kansas City He
was run out of Kansas City, forfetina
his bond by failing to appear for triul.
They next won't Go Wichita, Kan, and De.
gan 60 operate a second lottery. They were
driven from Wichitn, and next opened in
Now Orleans, where they got up tho cello.
DRAFTED forgery OF the tickets on tho Louisi.
ana lottery.
They returned to Kansas City and offer
cd 100 lottery tickets for SIS, guarantee
ing that the purchaser would draw $40
600. On the day after tho drawing they
wired 600 of their dupes that they had
drawn the $4,000, and requested the 30.
mittanoes to be made promptly. and mos,
OF the dupos sent In $50 each. In their va.
rlous lottery schemes they never had a
drawing.
After the fall Of tho lottery business
they came to Chicago and began business
under various aliases as hnnkcra aud hso.
kers, sending their onticing circulars
through tho mails and advertising largely
in country newspapers. Their customer.
were to send money orders to buy and sell
grain. At no time did any Of the custom
ers make a penny. Every cents chat oamC
into their Golfers was just so much madc.
Numerous other equally bogus schemes
were worked
The gang has accumulated thousands Of
dollars, md each member Is rich today.
W. n. Mcclure recently showed ceriin.
cate Of deposit in his wife namo on a
national bank Of Now York, for 500, COO.
They are, tho federal authorities say. tn,
most adroit aold and dangerous conndonc,
men today i'm the United States. Thsy
have perslstently and systematically do
fraudod, without one exception. It Is said,
every customer they have invoigled into
their net They mover return a cent under
any protest.