The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-24
HE PLAYED 1T FINE.
HOW MR. CALDWELL vICrTMIZED
HIS SEATTLE CREDITORS
Bought Out q Prominent saloon and
Paid for IL With . Bogus Check
Grand Opening With Band OF
M.sic-A Man With Many Aliases.

Sore twelve days ago there cane 20 Sc
str1s a rnz1 ~h1 gave his name as ". J.
Caldwell bat whose true name Is more
probably william o'NeaL He was q man
Of smooth manner and reateei appear
sncs. and MADE good impression on those
with whom he came IN contact He had
been in the city only day or tive when
he began negotiating with O. Nelson for
the purchase O. the Clipper saloon. at
1905 First avenue, between Madison and
Seneca streets. The deal was finally
closed, Caldwell agreeing 10 pay s66o for
the stock and fixtures. In payment he
presented q check On Minneapolis bank
for SIC. This check, IL now turns out. was
absolutely worthless.
Meanwhile Caldwell was not idle He
ordered goods for his new place right and
left and prepared for a grand opening
which was duly celebrated more than a
week ago. Ae bought 81 worth OF goods
from the Hsrrison-Treat Company. sI5o.7o
from F. A. Buck & Co. sees.IT from 81. s.
X. Gottsssil- and So from the Seattle
these Arms be made representations lat
he had money in the bank in Minneapolis.
They trusted him. and the goods were
duly delivered.
While Mr. Caldwell was cutting such
wide swath the United States mails were
busy working out his undong. HIS check.
placed in one Of the local banks. was duly
forwarded % the German National bank
OF Minneapolis, and came back protested.
with the statement that IL was worthless
and that no such man was known 10 the
bank
Caldwell must have known that his
scheme would be unearthed. Just about
the time his creditors IN this city realized
that they had been yictimized b. a
sharper, he skipped out for parts un-
known. ". Gottstein and others yester-
day said they had good reason 10 believe
that be had gone 10 Alaska
No criminal proceedings have yet been
brought against the man. and the only
record Of his misdoings thus far recorded
IN court annals Is Eve suits filed yester-
day BY his creditors IN the superior court
with attachments to get possession OF the
property. The attachments were issued
Mr.. Nelson has his saloon back. and the
dealers have such OF their goods as had
not been sold. The nest is there but the
bird has flown No smoother scheme has
yet been worked in Seattle for passage
TO the klona.ke.
II is said by a man who knew "Cald-
well" in Salt Lake City that his real
name l. not O'Neai but O'Brien, and that
he left Salt Lake on account OF trouble
with a woman. He Is described as a
rather short but very stockily built man,
height about feet or . inches. weight
lis pounds. He had a jovial and COM
panionable manner. shaping people or
the back Familiarity and making friends
readily with a certain class OF people.
His grand opening was planned and
carried out last Saturday night, and on
that occasion II IS estimated that he took
in rot less than 500. He had a band, Of
music and other special attractions, and
TO every visitor he seemed TO extend some
srecial courtesy. For one gentleman who
complained that he could drink no more
on an empty stomach he sent out and
ordered an elegant lunch.
This was all on Saturday night. On
Tuesday he left the city ostensibly for
Tacoma His bartender that day received
a telegram dated Tacoma stating that he
would be absent for several Gays. He Is
still absent