The Portland daily press., 1899-04-29
Claimed to be a Subject
Of Five Countries.
From Three Of the C0nsuls He
Obtained Money.

/ n man VIM ePcoAo boFttoA Aos8 es8e'
iuently has BENIN Portland during the
past few days and has been working the
foreign consuls In Portland rs his espec-
ial victims From them he has obtained
considerable money and good deal Of
attention and sympathy. To all he told
the same story with notifications and
sad to relate, the swindler was arrested
ana afterwards sent out of town without
receiving any of the punishment which
should have been his reward.
| A few days ago man entered the office
Of James 4. Marrett on Commercial
street. He was apparently q sailor and
spoke Spanish fluently, but English only
brokenly. He asked to see Mr.. Marrett,
who is consul for the Republic Of Uru-
quay, and told him in Spanish that he
was a subject of Uruguay and wanted to
get back home. He said that he had
shipped on a vessel which had arrived at
st. John, where he was left stranded. He
wanted to get to New York where, he
thought, he could get a ship for Uruguay.
Mr. Marrett give him s. and saw him
depart with a happy face.
Shortly after this Mr.. Marrett ensount-
cred. MIR. Stephen X. Small, who is consul
in Portland for the Argentine Republic.
Mr.. Marrett told him the story and TO his
disgust learned that the same man had
called upon Mr. Small, told him similar
story and had been given u with which
to get to New York.
Mr.. Marrett then called upon all the
foreign consuls In turn and learned that
the same man had been to all of them
and told them the same pitiful story. Mr..
John b. Heating, the British consul, was
told that the man was a subject of Great
Britain. and wanted to get home to Eng
land. MIR. Heating secured passage for
the man on the Bristish schooner Moama
to the point where he said he wanted to
go.
He also tried to obtain Bmoney from
William Leavitt, Jr, consul of Hayti
here. He told Mr.. Leavitt that ne vas a
subject of the Hayden Republic, but his
bluff did not work in this place.
When Mr.. Marrett learned all of these
things he determined to locate the
coundrel if.possilbe, and have him pun
ished. 1t happened that his clerk saw this
man on the street aud told MIR. Marrett
about him. Mr.. Marrett started out to
look for the fellow and found him in the
office of the French consul, Mr.. Il. De b.
LeProhon where he was falling Mr.. L.
Prohon that he was French subject II
native of st. Pierre, Martinique, and
wanted to get back home. Mr.. LeProhon
gave the man quarter and secured for
him an order on the Boston boat for a
passage to Boston.
But in the meantime MIR. Marrett was
watching the fellow from the street and
had sent for an officer. Before the officer
arrived the man came out on to the street
and MIR. Marrett endeavored to keep him
engaged in conversation until the arrival
of an officer from the police station. But
the man finally got away and ran down
towards the wharves, lodging through al
leyways and around buildings with Mr.
Marrett and his clerk close at his heels.
Finally the fellow was captured and
policeman took him to the police station.
Then Mr.. Marrett assembled all of the
foreign consuls in Portland who had been
bunooed. and each in turn told his
story. 1t was finally concluded that as
long as it would cost the County of Cum
bsrlsnd consi ierable to pay this swim
dler's board at the Jail for the length of
the sentence he would be certain to re-
oeive. perhaps 1t would be better after all
to send the man out of town. According
ly the man was shipped to Boston on last
evening boat and will probably proceed
to work some of the sympathetic foreign
consuls in that city.