The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-07

one man. When 1 called on him he was
niger and, of course l could not con-
sistently ask him for assistance"
Mr.. johnson suggested that Township
Trustee MaKepeace might furnish him with
a pass. William r. King-Johnson, alias
Royal S. Ripley. alias Sebright Stuckmeyer,
replied that he had seen Mr. Makepeace,
but was informed that the best thing that
could be done for him was to give him an
order for half-fare ticket.
IF you were to write Mr. Makepeace a
note, he said persuasively, me might do
more. 1 don want TO promise you, as 50
many deadbeats do, that will pay 1t back
with interest. / don't know that | can
ever do that, but 1 will if l can"
That was clineher and convinced Mr..
one deserving of sympathy, and he wrote
a guarded note to Mr.. Makepeace saying
that the young man seemed TO be deserving
of assistance. He thanked Mr.. Johnson
with quiet dignity, apologized for occupying
his time and left with an elaborate bow.
A moment or two later Myron King came
into the controllers office and the latter
related the story to him. The description of
the fellow, the story he told and everything
about the case reminded him of his caller
of Wednesday. An investigation showed
that the fellow had gone from Mr.. john
sons office to the Board of Health, where
his campaign was varied somewhat: 1t was
the same in details, but he exhibited 70
cents in money to Mr.. Ripley. If he only
had 81 more he could get back to Chicago,
etc. He talked a long time, but Mr.. Ripley
suspected him and did not produce. Then
the fellow asked for 81. Have not said
matcally.
You have said enough to convince me
if talk could do that" replied Mr.. Ripley,
giving emphasis to enough and talk
About half hour later the fellow waited
for Mr. Johnson and caught him as ne
came from the office OF the Board of Works.
BY this time Mr. Johnson was up to the
game and was rather out of patience. The
young man of many names said he had been
heart was callous." The controller is known
to be benevolent. He does not like to be
picked out as being "easy," however. and
he stayed not to parley with the skillful
mendicant.
From the fact that the man told Ripley
that he was originally from Manchester,
England, it is believed that he is. the same
young man who tried to work Father
O'Donaghue couple of weeks ago. A young
the. City Hall beggar called on the. priest
with an unusual story. He said that he
had but recently arrived from England;
that he was born IN this city many years
ago; that his mother was killed by train
at the Virginia-avenue crossing in 1877.
after which his father took him to England.
His father died and the fellow came back
to this country. He was anxious to take
an examination to get a place as cadet In
the United States navy, but could not do SO
unless he could prove that he was born IN
this country. 1t was necessary for him to
get a certificate of birth from the Board
of Health. He had called at the board
office, but was Informed that the fee was
g. He had no money, he suggested, expect
ing the good priest to produce it. Father
many plausible stories not to trust to ap-
pearanceS altogether and he quietly pro-
posed to GO with the fellow to the office of
the board, suggesting that he might be
able to arrange things satisfactorily. He
could not go at that time. bur made an APP
pointment to meet the fellow at the west
entrance of the courthouse. The priest was
there on time He waited quite a while
but he was disappointed. On inquiring at
the boarG's office he was told that no young
man by the name of Buckingham had ever
inquired for q birth certificate; that the
boards records do not go back to 1877 and
that no charges are made for certificates.
1t was then plain that the man with ambi-
lions to enter the United States navy was
a rank fraud.
1t is not known how many other people
he may have appealed to, but judging from
his well-dressed air and the fact that he
had some money, he has evidently found
Indianapolis a rich harvest field. w. f.
Moore, of Moore q Moran, is another of
those who have encountered this trickster.
He introduced himself under the name of
Moore, saying that he was a printer, but
this time from Washington Mr.. Moore
was induced to fix him up for a night S
lodging and two good square meals.
So far as his mention of the Journal is
concerned, his story is entirely false. He
has never applied to this paper for en-
ployment. Another mendicant who was
in the Journal office begging, said he had
seen the other one trying to work Post
master Sahm '"They are the kind of fakes
that make it hard on us honest ones,'
said he.