The Indianapolis journal., 1898-11-22
a NEW SWINDLING GAME
II. G. wEsTCoTT, ARRESTED HERE,
IN WITH A SHREWD GANG.
Electrical Manufacturers Over the
Country Worked-E. s. Dean
Crowd Back of Ii.


the police station yesterday afternoon and
fairly rolled and kicked up his heels with
glee because of the attention paid to him
by detectives and reporters He represents
combine of swindlers who work on an ex
tensIve plan, and he is proud of it. He was
arrested yesterday afternoon at his office,
at Rooms and 8, 2716 South Delaware
street, by Detectives Asch and Dugan, and,
after acknowledging to the detectives and
Chlef Colbert that his business was crooked,
he was locked up as a fugitive. Here he
represented himself to be A. Bernstein.
wholesale junk dealer of this city, and had
ordered large quantities Of electrical goods
from companies in other cities. The scheme
was that when the goods arrived they
would be shipped away to some other city
and sold and the consignors would never
hear of their goods and their customers.
The same gang has worked the same scheme
in several cities.
Westcott came here week before last
Friday and stopped at the Bates House.
He rented the room in the South Delaware
street building, also rented typewriter and
bought two chairs and cheap table. He
fastened the typewriter to the table and his
establishment was complete except for let
ter heads. His bosses" had seen that A.
Bernstein was quoted we'll by the CONNER
cial agencies, and he was chosen to be hon
ored by having his name used by Westcott.
fatal mistake was made, however, when
the address of the company was printed on
the letter heads, for the address line read,
''29-SS North Delaware street" Those num-
bers fall in the courthouse yard. Because
of the defect some of the answers to West
colts letters were delivered to the true
Bernstein
Westcott used the letter heads to write
letters to manufacturers of electrical ma
chinery all over the country. He asked for
prices on certain kinds of machinery. He
was able to use the technical terms because
he was familiar with them. Most of the
manufacturers were wary because they had
never done business with A. Bernstein, but
the excellent quotations by the commercial
agencies was sufficient for some of them to
agree to extend credit to "A. Bernstein"
Westcott called for his mail several times
day at the postoffice, but after few days
letters were delivered to the real Bernstein.
The. detectives learned that some one was
working a racket under Bornsteins name,
bernstein was located. Bernstein called on
Westcott and talked with him, but for some
reason did not notify the detectives where
WeStcott could be found
Yesterday morning Superintendent Quig-
ley received a letter from the Pond Electric
Company, of Boston, accompanied by mass
of correspondence that the company had
with Westcott and his partners when they
were operating in other cities The letter to
the superintendent said that the company
believed the gang was working in this city.
superintendent Quigley turned the matter
over to Chief Colbert. He learned where
Westcott's office was located and Detectives
Asch and Dugan went to the rooms. West
cott had gone out, and the detectives ar
ranged to be called when he returned. AT
noon they received the tip that Westcott
was in his office, and they went after him.
When they opened the door and told him
he was under arrest he was not surprised.
He went willingly with the detectives,
though he protested that he was a legiti-
CHICAGO END TO 1T.
Look here" he said, there's my creden-
tials. He showed the detectives a letter
which was dated Chicago, Nov. 10, and
which read as follows:
ITO Whom It May Concern-The bearer
of this letter Mr.. Thomas G.. Westcott, is
in my employ, and when he rents an office
and Typewriter l will be responsible for
william +. MANDREws"
Westcott maintained a good front when
he faced Chief Colbert in his private office,
until he was shown the correspondence
which had been received from the Pond
Electric Company. Then he broke down and
called for glass of water. He slipped the
ure and then he said Eyes, you've got me-
as he passed through the corridor to the
cellroom he whirled about in waltz steps,
and laughed with the detectives.
In his office was found a stack of cOrre-
spondence from different manufactures. 1t
showed that he came from Chicago and
some ss2Ir!a of the letters were addressed TO
Express Building, Chicago" There were
also three bills showing that goods had
depots. and the owners will be notified so
that they may reclaim it. The bills are as
follows: Sawyer Man Electric Company, AL
legheny, Pa. 500 electric lamps, $100; Bea-
con Lamp Company New Brunswick, N
j., 500 electric lamps $3.50; Shelby Electric
Company Shelby O., 600 electric lamps, $96
tions of sale on dynamos and other electri-
cal machinery.
The correspondence tells the history of the
scheme. 1t began in Newark, N. j., last
May. The letter heads used were of the
Jersey Electric Company" and the Off
GERS were given as follows: j. H. Cameron,
president; George Douglass, vice president;
Harry Gregory treasurer and manager
Letters were sent out asking for prices on
burned-out lamps. explaining that the COM
pany proposed to renew them. Quotations
were asked on 100000 lots 1t is presumed
that considerable business was done. at
Newark and warrants for the arrest of
Westcott and the others have been issued.
The swlndlers then went to Buffalo and
eier of high standing Things became too
warm for the gang there and they went to
Chicago. Then Westcott came to this city.
CLAIMS 1T A GOOD GRAFT
When Westcott was asked for his story
yesterday, he was eager to tell it. lie
showed himself to be intensely egotstical,
and also that he had boyish nature-he
is twenty-four years old-but, nevertheless,
his shrewdness shone through his other
characteristics. "Say, friend" he began,
tits a mighty good graft and the people
behind me have got the brains and the
A,lv,
for being particularly bright, and l am only
an employee. l can't be found guilty of any
crime because l am simply stenographer,
man McAndrews, of Chicago, is the Harry
Gregory, of Newark, and he's one OF the
best in the country. He's been down mere
several times, and he was to have come
here tomorrow, but he'll read in the news
papers that the jig's up here and the de-
years old, and has experience. l am his
figure head. | haven't got cent, or l
would have blowed this town last week, be-
cause l saw, when Bernstein visited me,
that it was all Off Say, there's about $500
worth of goods on the way here. We would
they never would have caught us if it hadn't
been for that mistake in the letter headS.
My people have made lots of money out OF
this game, and they can't be touched by
the law. We did no business here nor in
Chicago or Buffalo. In Newark we did lots
of business, but nothing but civil suit
can be filed againsl us. If you sell me
goods on credit. and don't pay for them,
what can you do but file civil suit? Thats
the way my people work, and they've made
money.
DO you know who they are? Well,