The evening times., 1899-01-19
ON THB TRAIL OF THE
PRINCE OF BORROWERS
Builder Rhodes Thought to Be
i'm New York.
Made a Specially of Obtaining
Loans From Women.
Lived in ExtravaGant Style and Vic
timized Many by His COIOs-
sal Bluff.

Philadelphia, Jan. 19.-The news Of the
wonderful borrowing achievements OF
William Rhodes, the one-time operative
builder of this city, has caused great
sensation in business circles here. So far
he has succeeded in keeping out OF the
clutches of the police, who are hot after
him.
1t is not known exactly what amount
Rhodes obtained from his various victims,
but a former business partner of his said
today that million dollars was conser-
vatiye estimate.
Rhodes is thought to be in New York,
as he telephonef to this city from that
place on Saturday last for the purpose
of trying TO borrow S2G0 from one of his
friends.
Rhodes made a specially of bo.ro %ing
from women, and strange stories, limiting
CT hypnotic power, are told CT the case
with which he obtained their money. He
is also charged with taking advantage o.
the feminine passion for baI gains by offer
ing fake mortgages at a discount he Ge-
ducting $500 Tor cash on 81 900 mort
gage
1he mans downfall is ascribed to stock
gambling and an inordinate desire to be
regarded as extremely rich. He talked
ana acted on Napoleonic scale and made
many people believe that he was one Of
the wealthiest and most successful man
in the city.
Accounts vary as to Rhodes integrity
up TO the time of his failure. Some of
. his acquaintances say that he was all right
until two years ago, meeting all his OBJ
legations and conducting his affairs in Il
business-l like style. Others declare that
Rhodes has always been somewhat off
in his transactions.
Some idea Of the standing that Rhodes
obtained upon what appeared to be a CO.
lcssal blur can be formed from the eX
! tent of his operations. His ventures in
| building within a period of ten years are
| said TO have aggregated 81, 000 GOO In val
! ue. In that time he erected more than
! 1000 houses and stores All this busi-
| ness, il is said WAS begun by Rhodes with
| a capital CT s., 900 and an experience linn
! tied to that obtained in dry goods COM
! mission house
The great borrower lived in luxurious
! style and was recklessly eXtravagant in
making purchases. If said one of his
acquaintances, "a little girl at a church
| fair pressed a grab bag aand asked him
| TO take a chance for cents he would be
! more likely TO give s.. If 81 bouquet
was put up at auction at a fair he would
! bid SO for it
| Rhodes victimized Henry R. Shoch TO
! the extent Of $500 600 In telling today of
! the visit Of Rhodes to his house when the
now missing builder crawled across the
! floor and begged piteously for a loan to
! help him out of difficulty, and declared
that if he failed TO pay back the money
! he hoped that he and his soul would burn
eternally and that his family would come
| 10 want, Mr.. Shoch said:
! On May is, 1897. Rhodes borrowed 50 900 from
me, and gave me the following remarkable note
IN acknowledgement:
! You have loaned me So 900 this day for which
this is to be your voucher. II | have any instinct
J OF honesty about me, and am not actual
Swlndler, | viii return this Thursday next, ne
/ fore p. m. MAY / be etcrnay damned il this
+ Is not done, and | then desire You To publish
/ this WILLIAM RHODES
On Thursday. the 2Gth. lie appeared with the
money but begged of, and wrote on the back
! of the voucher:
May %, 1885,. The money mentioned in this
| paper having been presented and again loaned
/ 10 me, i TO he returned tomorrow. with all the
faith mentioned before.
And, continued Mr.. Shoch. have never
/ seen the money since, and out OF $50 900 which
loaned him, after having invested 100000 in hi,
operations have received only 81, 800 in return
| Rhodes Is the Smoothest talker il has eyeI
! been my lot to meet. One OF his most success
| full methods of obtaining money was by repre-
n'iIllHS l!di ht WIS Il ldiSf Hialei!btutf III INT
| Danville. Hazleton and WlkeSbarre Railroad and
I yielding to this and other representation;
! which he made and Others loaned 10 him OF
/ various occasions subsequent his assignment
I sums aggregating sljO,0O0
Rhodes is said TO have got the better o.
the Chestnut Street National Bank sew
eral years ago by depositing $50, 900 ir
| worthless checks and drawing agains
them. AS it was impossible to prove {
case of conspiracy the bank was never abl,
TO secure the return of the money.
Rhodes seems now TO be without money
in spite of the large amounts he is charg.
ed with having borrowed and appropriated
We have been hunting for Rhodes fol
! several days." said Captain of Detective!
Miller, "and have traced him to New York
where l expect he will be taken into Gus
tody soon