The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-15
A QUARTETTE OF
CLEVER SWlNDLERS
Police of Now York Land Four Men
Who Have Operated the
World Over.

New York, Nov. 14-There is at po-
lice headquarters here quartette of
prisoners, in whom the police of almost
every large American city and many
OF the leading business houses, banks
ana trust companies have deep inter-
est. They are rounded up after being
watched for several months and wore
FORMALLY held by a police magistrate to-
DAY on the nominal charge of being sus-
plclous persons. The police of New
York say that most of them have been
convicted here and elsewhere of sWind-
ing that has Melted them many thou
sands of dollars. The prisoners are
Danville, N. Y, the alleged head of the
gang. He is a graduate of Columbia
law school; Frank Edmunds. 40 years
OF age, a clerk Of New York; John
thompson, alias William Hartley, alias
r. L. Lawton, alias DR.. George w.
Johnson, 81 years of age, clerk resi-
dence unknown; Robert J. Knox, AZ
years of age, lawyer of New York.
There is under arrest at Pittsburg
ntth member of the gang, Charles D.
stewart, alias Charles Ward, about 80
years of age. He was arrested there
Yesterday. According to the statement
given out tonight by Captain McClus-
key, chief Of detectives, members Of
this gang have recently obtained sew
- - elouSelAd SOIldlG tHIoASH lIldulpu-
lation of bogus drafts and other evil
dences of credit. Their general plan
was to enter into alleged business
transactions, sometimes for the pur-
chase of real estate, and after deposit
ing bogus drafts for large amounts with
banks or with the business men with
whom they sought to deal, then draw
upon the alleged credits before the
bogus nature Of their drafts could be
ascertained.
Whiteman, who came from Danville
to this city on Saturday last, was ar
rested at the Hotel ST. Marie on Fifth
avenue, where he has registered as &C.
W. Caldwell, Philadelphia He had
been sending invitations to himself by
telephone and telegraph to occupy a box
at the horse show and to dine at various
prominent clubs. Chief Of Detectives
McCluskey says Whiteman is wanted
IN Chicago and the police records in
this city show that he had swindled sew
eral hotels In this city, Chicago, Boston
and Atlantic City.
Thompson is also accused of being
hotel swindler. Edmunds picture isfin
the rosues' gallery and he has served
terms In both Elmira reformatory and
Sing Sing.
Charles E. Stewart served a term of
il i've years in Sing Sing for forgery about
1878 and later Is months for obtaining
money under false pretenses. In 1889 he
stabbed a woman in Cincinnati and
served four years for 1t in the Column
bus penitentiary. He served term in
Rochester for robbery and last of all,
three years and three months in Sing
Sing for the theft of thousands Of dol
| lars worth Of bonds and other papers
from the Waldorf Astoria, the property
of John c. Calhoun.
| Alonzo j. Whiteman has been arrest
| ed a score Of times. He has Travelled
| the world over He inherited $4,000
from his father in 1888 after leaving
| college. He led his class in the Column
| bia law school and after getting his
| diploma and being admitted to the ban
| he went to Duluth. He made great
| deal of money there during the boom
| times. When he was defeated for con.
| gress he began to lose money and hil
downfall was very fast. He lost his for
tune in the Chicago board of trade
| within a year. He then turned to the
| race track. He made money as book
maker, met a bad streak of luck, WEIGH.
| ed and was ruled off the track for pass
ing bad checks. He was sentenced tc
| serve nine months for forgery in Sar
Francisco in 1896, appealed got re
versal and was released. Subsequently
he was arrested for swindling the Co
lumbia bank of this city out of $3.50. H,
| got out of it and has successfully eyad
| ed prison walls ever since then, though
| arrested several times on various
l n