Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-15
NOW A BOGUS DRAFT.
MAN CLAIMING TO REPRESENT TIN
TRIBUNE swIyDLEs HERE.
BROAD.ST. MERCHANT The YICTII.
The New York Paper Exposes the
Frnuds-Sum Gotten Here Was ESQ.,
An Unsuccessful Attempt to Wesk
Richmond JewcIlcr.

A prominent Broad-street merchant was
very clevery swindled out of $JS-& last
week, and is so mortified because OF the
fact that he raised serious objections to
having his name appear In print in con-
nection with the matter. The case 10
an ordinary one, but the ruse adopted
by the sleek individual would deceive
most any businessman. william Lodt"
man, or a man giving tina, name, came
TO Richmond last Wednesday and regis
tered at Ford's Hotel, assigning New
York as his home. His wife accom-
panied him. The stranger had dinner at
Ford's, and in the afternoon Lodtman
walked into large dry-goods emporium
on Broad street, and calling for one OK
the proprietors, was soon in the presence
of that gentleman.
IL am connected with the New YORK
Tribune" said the stranger, 'and am on
my way to Old Point. want to get
a few articles of merchandise from yous
II you will cash this little draft
THE DRAFT WAS TAKEN.
As the New Yorker spoke.he handefthe
Richmond merchant a slght-draft, pay
able TO Lodtmans order, for 80, drawn
upon the Tribune Publishing Company,
New York. and signed. The Tribune
Editorial Department. James ~. Eiiio,t'
Assistant Editor" The draft was num-
bered 36a B, and "the Tribune Pubhsh-
ing Company, New York" was printed
upon the lines provided for the name OK
the payee and the address. The WORDS:
"the Tribune Editorial Department =
were stamped in red ink just above the
signature of Elliott. The dra1t hab
every appearance OF being perfectly gem
uine. and Lodtman. "A brisk-talking Ger
man. with open, refined features. tail ana
fine looking, excited no suspicion, and tns
merchant took the piece of worthless
paper gave the goods and the change,
and the stranger departed-he said. Tor
Old Point.
Lodtman and wife left Ford's Hotel
chat afternoon, but IL Is not known whera
| they went.
The draft was returned to the Gichmond
ry-goods man protested ana marked
fraud" Accompanying IL was the usuaf
demand for protest fees, amounting %
| Sl35. causing the merchants experiences
| to cost him 1866.
EXPOSED BY THE TRIBUNE.
Along with the returned draft was the
| following clipping from the New YORK
, Tribune Of recent issue:
",The public especially I'm the West ana
! South. Is warned against casDing or &C.
cepting drafts on The Tribune PUBLISHING
| Company of this city. number os
which have been received recently Dy
| banks in town. They are all In ths
] same handwriting. and a dozen or more
have been made out to the order of Will
| diam T.odtuan.' and signed by James r..
| Elliott. Assistant Editor No such con-
cern as The Tribune Publishing Cons
many. of New York Is known 10 this OF
fee and the persons named above ere
equally unknown to The Tribune. Az
a large number of drafts in the same
writing have been received by the banks
of New York, drawn upon newspaper OF
e,,,s here all OF which have bsen declared
| fraudulent by the offices to which thoy
were addressed, It Is presumabio that
| twenty or more banks or persons IN the
West and South have paid out money
| which they will never see again. Is there
| no way 10 stop the depredations or ras-
Gals on the public in the name OF repu-
table concerns in this cityT
The merchant has not as yet applied
TO the police authorities for the arrest
of Lodtman, and may not do 80. since the
| sum involved is less than $50, ana the
stranger could not be extradited for any
smaller offence than grand larceny, ana
Iodtuan has doubtless been out OF tno
| State for several days.
A well-known jeweller yesterday stated
| IN n Dispatch reporter that a man an
| swering exactly the description or Lodt-
man had tried to get him 10 cash draft.
but that he declined TO ACCOMMODATE
him, he being a stranger.