The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-12
THE BUNCO KING,
Levi w. Jackson's
Story of Reeds
Escape.
SAYS JOHN REED is IN LONDON
And That He Assisted Him
in His Famous
Escape.
SAYS JOHN REED is IN LONDON

The old fake story relative to the es-
cape of Reed, the famous bunco man,
is being revived again.
Levi w. Jackson. otherwise known as
James D. Blake, 1.-The dude con mang'
who was sentenced in Springfield, Dec.
&c. 1891, to ninesyears. in state prison on
three indictments charging him with
attaining money under false pretences,
was released last Saturday.
In the course of a conversation with
some newspaper men he said: 81 knew
John Reed the bunco king, as early
as 1888. He was then in the gold brick
business, and was also a short card
man. He has been in the bunco bust
ness ever since. knew John well, aad
1 know for fact that he made over
100000 in this state alone.
He had all the qualities that 60 to
make up successful confidence man.
He had 'cinch,' but he was winning
all the time and wouldn't quit He hit
one man in Worcester for $4,000, but
the fellow didn't squeeI. on him, because
ne was out for the stuff himself and
hoped to get it finally. Reed got s2s, :
GOO in Worcester alone. He fought
| shy of Boston, of course, because he
wanted to deal with farmers
know something about Reeds es-
cape. 1t took six months to plan it and
| IL worked to a charm. John was very
shrewd, He felt his way about for
months. He asked me to write some
letters for him. am a shorthand man
and by penning combination % the
/ MGrnS0n. ENra h.
and writing out of position, 1 made my
| self understood.
L wrote to Reeds wife and to his
! banker in New York. They understood
my system Of stenography The letters
were mailed for us by an officer of the
prison. Reeds banker is a curbstone
broker in New York, and he sent S12. o0C
to Reed. 1t came in the form of a GER
titled check, and was delivered to Feed
by an officer of the prison.
Reed, as you will remember. left the
rprison on the Sunday afternoon before
/ the trial was to begin. This was an
unusual arrangement. He left the prison
| shackled to Keeper Abbott The warden
patted Reed on the back as he left and
| said Good luck I can tell you some
thing that is not generally known
| Reed never went to Worcester as the
story has been told. Mark my words, ]
|
everything. Reeds place was taken here
In Boston by dummy, who went to
| Worcester. Reed went to Providence
| that Sunday afternoon and took the
boat to New York. From there his es-
cape was easy.
He went to San Francisco overland.
He had painted a huge birthmapk on
his face and dressed as laborer From
| San Francisco he doubled his track.
| took md AV,o Il g. a..
don from Philadelphia. He is now in
| London and Mrs. Reed is with him.
| l know that he took $780, 900 to Lon
| don with him. He is under an assumed
name in London, of course. He can't be
| extradicted or 1 would never advance
| this information.
| Wa den Bridges was asked this MORN
ing what he thought of the story that
Reed had escaped by the substitution of
dummy, and that there was regular
tariff on struggled luxuries at the
Charlestown prison.
First speaking of the luxuries, he
said: do you think it is probable? Do
| you think such thing could exist in
prison run as this is?"
Then about the alleged substitution,
he said: IT must refuse to discuss an
article Of this kind, printed on the
vestigation."
WAS Blake troublesome in prison p"
was asked
HE had been in prison three times.
I don't remember that he was specially
troublesome lately. He was what we
speak of as not all there We have a
good many prisoners who are not in
sane enough to be committed, but who
are what outside you would call cranky
You may be sure Reed wouldn't and
didn't have anything to do with any
such men as Blake"
Inspector Patrick O'Day of the local
police force knows Levi w. Jackson,
who, it is claimed, told the story of
dummy being used in John Reeds es-
cape, and is of the opinion that Jack
son could not tell the truth If he tried.
Che inspector arrested Jackson twice
for working an old worn-out game of
buncoing clergymen which has been a
plan of his for years. He was first
heard in the matter at Boylston,
where Inspector ODay says he told an
old man a story about Just being re-
leased from states prison and being
shut out of a job in Worcester because
the man who was going to EN-
ploy him, heard about 1t. He asked
the old man for a pair Of shoes and
ticket to Manchester and got ordersI
for both. The order for the pair Of
shoes he raised to an order for three
pairs of shoes, and the order for the
ticket he also raised to an order for
three. He followed this game until
landed in Hartford. The last time
he was arrested was in Palmer. A Spy
man called to see Jackson's wife last
night, and was told that nothing had
been seen of Jackson in Worcester by
his friends.
Col Gile, who was counsel for John
Reed does not place much credence in
the story as told by Jackson, although
he says he has not the slightest idea
how he escaped.
"Of course" the colonel said yester-
day, ut is something that 1 did not
want Reed to do, as there was fight
ing chance for me to win that $500
case. which wouldNbe a good thing for
John. and would practically settle up
expenses incurred by litigation. 1t is
my idea that John escaped right here
in Worcester and the story told about
his going to London with 100000 is all
a fake, for I believe that he was broke
when he got away"