New-York tribune., 1898-01-23
SWINDLED BY TELEPHONE.
COMPLEX SCHEME OF DEFRAUDING DEAL
ERS IN SILKS - THE SWINDLER
COMES TO GRIEE

BY judicious use OF the telephone and by con-
tnual employment of American District messenger
BOYS, Charles Walker has succeeded in swindlnS
some Of the largest importers and manufacturers
agents in silks in this city. Detectives McDonoush
and Campbell. Of the Central Office. arrested walker
Yesterday and took him 10 Police Headquarters.
where he divused his scheme and admitted MS
guilt. The scheme unfolded 20 Captain Nc
Chsky was so complex that 1t staggered him Tor
while end Walker had 10 have recourse to dia-
gram to explain 1t fully.
walker said that he was fifty years old native
Of Canada end lived at Believlle, n. J. For years
he has worked in the drygoods district in this city.
and understands all the methods in vogue, partcu-
larry az to the purchase OF goods by out-of-town
buyers, and the usaGcs as 70 shipments, invoicing
etc He was well fitted to carry on the peculiar
style Of peculation that he resorted 10. The spe-
clhc charge against Walker is the swindling OF
Eseman Brothers. dealers in silks at No. Il
Grand-st.
On the date mentioned Walker went TO a tee-
phone and called up Eseman Brothers He repre-
sented himself rs NJ. Sparks, and stated that ne
the buyer for E. d. Garrett. OF Galveston
Tex He wanted Elseman Brothers TO send two
pieces or rolls of black silk TO the H. B. Clailn
Company for shipment implying that he had Just
purchased large amount of goods from the Car
lin company and wanted tho silk shipped with
them He wanted the silk OF the same grade and
texture the last sent to e. d. Garrett ho also
said that the goods purchased OF thc IL ID NI"ilii
COMPANY were to be shipped on January Il, and ne
wanted the goods TO be there on time for shipment
at that time. The two pieces or rolls OF SILK were
sent b. Eiseman Brothers TO the Claflin company.
On the morning of January Il the H. g. Clanin
Company received a telephone message from Sparks
stating that no had sent a messenger boy 10 the
store for two pieces OF silk and insructing the
firm to deliver the rolls the boy who would take
them TO Sweetser, Pcmbrook & Co., VINO were
going TO ship them with lot OF goods ne had puF-
chased there. The hoy arrived at the Clann COM
pany's store with the order from Sparks written
on the letter head taonery OF SweetSer, PemDrooK
& Co. Everything appearing regular the Claim
company delivered the silk to the messenger A
few blocks from the store Walker, alias SPARKS
Intercepted the boy and took the bundle from hin.
After getting the goods the man took them 70
pawnshop and pawnod them for few hundred
Besides Eiseman Brothers. Walker has swindled
Valentine & Bentley. Of No. s. Grand-St, tiahn .
Kahn. of No. 80 Grand-st.; Speilman Brothers, or
No So Crand-st.. and many others N the same way:
He admits having realized between 800 and $1,000
thus far this month by his operations. When Eise-
man Brothers heard from Galveston Tex, they
realized they had been swindled and reported the
On 50 10 Captain McClusky. Detectives McDonough
and Campbell hunted the drygoods district, ana
questioned every messenger boy they saw carrying
a bundle Finally they saw messenger coming
out OF Strauss & CO s. No. 357 Broadway. with a
big bundle of silks. The boy aroused their sus-
picions and. following him. they discovered walker
in the act OF taking the bundle from MIN. Walker
was ~ once arrested.
Joseph Pollock a second hand clothing dealer, OF
No 81 SiXth-ave. was also arrested, charged Win
heiug receiver Of the goods stolen by walker Both
mon were arraigned before Magistrate Deuel. In the
Centre Street Police Court and held Tor eNaInlna-
ton in 81 coo bail each.