Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-31
HE WORKED EVERY FIRM IN TOWN
Charles w. Aliens Record Shows Him
to BE smooth Individual.

SnarleS w. Aliens HeCOrd shows Him
to BE smooth Individual.
1t was estimated yesterday that Charles
w. Allen, the plausible and enterprising in
dividual who succeeded in defrauding a num-
Der Of the business men Of this city, must
have derived between 5000 and s4OO by his
old-time scheme. Investigation showed that
he sold over $400 reserved-seat tickets at rs
cents apiece in addition to securing several
sums Of various amounts for straight ad-
vertiang In the program which will never
be gotten out
Aliens scheme, as revealed by one Of his
victims yesterday, was one that Is almost as
old as the hills, but one that seems to never
fail to work. Allen, or Wesley, as he called
himself to some, represented that he was
going to place a military show styled "Our
Heroes" on the boards OF the Dohany with
local talent and arranged for the hiring Of
the opera house for the nights of November
and 10. That is to say, he informed Man
ager Harrington he would rent the house for
| those nights provided he was successful in
| securing sufficient support In advance from
| tho townspeople.
He then managed to secure the endorse
| ment of Grand Army Organization and with
this went to a local printing firm and had
several hundred reserved-seat tickets
printed. These tickets are all the business
men who patronized him will ever see OF
the money he succeeded in buncoing them
out Of Every ticket that he sold carried
with 1t certain amount OF advertising space
He adopted this plan. he explained, 90 as
to insure the printing Of the souvenir pro-
gram. With few exceptions every firm he
called upon purchased ono or more tickets
some of the larger houses buying as many al
ten tickets 90 As to secure the greater ad.
vertisins space In the program.
Aliens scheme appealed to their patriot
ism. The entertainment. "our Heroes,
was most appropriate, seeing that the Fifty
first Iowa volunteers would be home at tha
time and then again he represented the Higl
school cadets were to figure prominently il
the show. The scheme worked and the tick
cts sold.
Allen, however, was willing to take good
where the merchant did not feel inclined
to part with his cash. From one cga
dealer to whom he sold two tickets he Sc
cured cigars to the amount of $1.50 From
, another firm which deals In dry goods, h
procured two dressing sacques for his wifi
! and in fact investigation yesterday showe
that there is hardly a firm in the city h
did not touch" for money or goods.
The printing firm which supplied him wit
the tickets is out that much and tn
cost Of preparing a skeleton program wit
the title page in three colors.
The young woman whom Allen elaine
was his wife and whom he desterted afte
taking from her all the money she had |
!. still in the city. She left the hotel wher
they were stopping Sunday evening an
= went to another hotel, where she secure
employment as chambermaid. When see
!, yesterday she still refused to tell her rigt
o name or where she came from. The polio
g are inclined to believe that Allen induce
Il her to run away from home with him an
n that now that he has abandoned her. sh
e does not want her parents to know whel
! she is. The police are working on the cas-
It but up to last night had secured no clue
"A as to Aliens whereabouts,