The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-20
1t Was Never
More Strange
THAN REEDS LIFE.
The Bunco Kings Escape
Recalls the Queer Story.

The career of George Spencer, or as
he is known about here, John Reed,
and in some other parts of the coun-
try as Arthur CreenhaIge, reads like
a page from fiction Possessed of the
tabled wealth Of the Montezumas. he
has been enabled to elude the stern
right arm Of the law, and today with
a half dozen indictments hanging over
his head and a sentence Of - or IA
years in state prison before him, he is
to all intents and purposes a free man.
Reeds recent revolt against his con-
tinement has served to call attention
again to a remarkable parsonage. AL
though only about 40 years of age,
Reed has for years posed in different
parts of the country as a respectable
citizen, and as late as a year ago MAIN
tanned luxurious home in Plainfield.
II. j.
Today he is known to all New Eng
land and the country as the king of
buncO men, the prince Of gold-brick
experts, and, although his last escape
from justice was well planned and thus
far successful, it is only in line with
similar operations i'm the past The
wine supper held at the Lincoln
House a few days before his departure
recalls similar banquet given by him
to his friends in New York city on
Jan. z of this year just previous to his
attempted departure for foreign shores.
At that dinner the guests were all
men engaged in neutrality-suspicious. in
gold BRICKS and green goods, the con-
Z .Hge..s
brOkers-WhO looked upon Reed as the
Napoleon of their craft. There the
plans Of the leader. We're discussed and
it was as a result of the peritdy of one
Of his comrades that his proposed
movements were revealed and his ar
rest effected in Philadelphia, q few
days later
In police circles it is conceded that no
more accomplished sWindler ever oper-
ated in this country than John Reed,
the acknowledged head of the green
goods fraternity. He is said to have
been backed in the various operations,
extending through several years, by
unlimited capital. He was never with
out money and it seemed that the
more he made by his unrighteous
means, the more lavishly he spent it
with his friends.
He has been arrested scores of times,
and his subsequent trial and imprison-
ment, he had no difficulty in regaining
his liberty. His plan was to pay out
in cash whatever was imposed as cash
bail and then disappear. These sums
paid out by him as bail money he
seems to have simply regarded as le-
ultimate expenses of his peculiar bus
mess, and simply charged them up to
profit and loss, and began a new scheme
MI OF ifyr 81
Aside from his local operations he
is wanted by the authorities of seven
teen states on similar charges. Yet
while he made frequent trips into va
riOus states and carried on his buncO
schemes, he was regarded L. + the cit
liens of Plainfeld as a respectable cit
izen, and his wife was welcomed into
the most exclusive society of that city.
In the summer of 1897 Reed started
on q. tour of the New England states
and visited beside this state, New
Hampshire, Vermont and Connecticut,
receiving the contributions of the hon
est farmers who clamored for counter
felt money TO pass off on their unsus
pecting neighbors. His trip was high
ly successful until last December. when
he was arrested at East Cambridge for
swindling Charles SWeetser of Chelms-
ford.
Friends came to his rescue at that
time as formerly and deposited cash
bail to the extent of $1,000 on which
Reed was released. This however was
only the beginning of his trouble, for
within the next few weeks he was ar
rested and rearrested, and so great
were his losses in cold cash deposited
in bail and 50 great did the risk Of his
apprehension become, that ne shook the
dust Of old New England and betooll
| himself to quiet old Philadelphia
He had hardly had time to regain his
composure and begin anew his opera
tions, when he was again arrested as
he was about to embark for foreign
shores. On requisition demanded by
Governor WolcOtt, Reed was turned
over by the Pennsylvania authorities
and brought to Cambridge for trial He
was indicted in three counties and SEN
fenced to not less than eleven or more
| than fifteen years in states prison, and
was serving out this sentence when the
officials in this county decided that he
must be brought to this city to stand
trial on an Indictment found on com
plant preferred by Comfort Thompson
of Uxbridge
In New Jersey Reed was regarded as
a respectable man. He is said to have
paid his bills promptly and his manner
was irreproachable. AT home he was a
retired financier and scholar. but when
away on his trips into other states for
| plumber he was a modern brfgand using
craft instead of strength. He went
among the farmers Offering to buy land
and proposing three-card monte games
in the intervals of bargains, Offering to
sell gold-bricks, stealing satches con
tanning valuables, robbing the weak.
the clever and the unWary He was a
prince among the criminals of his class
and on one occasion when among his
friends in the Tenderloin In New York
city is said to have spent $1,000
One of the most amusing incidents in
connection with Reeds career in this
state was the petition of Martin Wood
Of Plymouth, one of his victims, to the
state legislature asking that the county
be compelled to pay over to him the
sum of $500 the amount of the bail
money Reed forfeited by skipping at
! that time. 1t was developed later that
| after Mr.. Wood lost his money he re-
ceived d letter from New York stating
that a detective would undertake to eff
feet a return of the money for $500. and
he, poor, unsuspecting man that he
was, regardless Of his past folly. sent
on the three hundred dollars and added
just so much more to the confidence
mans pile.
The Wood petition for legislative re-
endorsement was followed by a similar
one from SWeetser, the Chelmsford far
mer who was another of Reeds victims
1t is needless to say that both petitions
We're froWned on by the legislature
JUNIORS ELECT EDITORS.