Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-15
QUARTET OF BAD MEN
Rounded Up by New York Police Wanted in
Many Cities.

lice headquarters here a quartet Of
prisoners in whom the police of almost
every large American city, and many
Of the leading business houses, banks
and trust companies have Keen in
terest. They were rounded up after
being watched for several months, and
are formally held by police magis-
trate, today, on the nominal charge Of
being suspicious persons. The police
Of New York say that most of the
prisoners have been convicted here and
elsewhere of all kinds of swndling that
has netted them many thousands of
dollars. The prisoners are: AlonZo J.
Whiteman of Evansville, y. Y, the al
legged head of the gang. He is a grad
uate of Columbia Law school. former
state senator of Minnesota, a former
candidate for Congress and once d mil
lionaire: Frank Edmunds, clerk of
New York: John Thompson, alias VIM.
Hartley. alias =. Lawton. alias DR..
George w. Johnson, a clerk, residence
unknown; Robert J. Knox. lawyer of
New York. There is under arrest at
Pittsburg 4 fifth member of the gang.
ID. Stewart. alias Charles Ward. about
60 or 20 years old. He was arrested at
Pittsburg. yesterday.
The police records in this city charge
Whitcman with sWindling several no
tells in this city, the Grand Pacific no
tel in Chicago. in May. 1895 and the
Parker house, Boston. in June. 1898:
the lslcsworth hotel in Atlantic City,
iii August Of the same year.
Thompson Was tried here for swind-
ing the t,ntral Trust 40 NJ Brooklyn
Among his operations the police credit
him with swindling the Hollywood no
tel, Long Branch; the Narragansett
hotel Providence; the Russell house,
Detroit. ana the Spaldng house in Du-
luth.
Edmunds will be sent to Woonsocket
in all probability to stand trial with
Stewart for the theft Of $4,000 there.
He has served terms in both Elmira re
formatory and Sing Sing.
Charles +. Stewart served five years
in Sing Sing for forgery about 1917 and
later IL months for obtaining money
on false pretenses. In 1889 he stabbed
a woman in Cincinnati ana served four
years in tn columbus penitentiary.
He served Il term in Rochester for rob
berry and last Of all. three years and
three months in Sing Sing for the theft
Of thousands Of dollars worth IF bonds
ana other papers from the Waldorf
Astoria. the property Of John &. CAL
houn
Cf Knox. Capt. McCluskey says he
knows nothing at present save that he
was with the others.
Alonzo j. Whitcman has been arrest
"a score Of times. He has travelled
all over the world. He inherited $500, NJ
900 from his father in l>SS after leav-
ing college. He led his class in the
Columbia Law school and after getting
his sheepskin ana being admitted to
the bar he went to Duluth. He made
over 81 900. 900 there it is said. during
the boom times He drafted the White
man election law. under which that
state voted for years. He was a dele
gate to the national Democratic con-
vention. When he was defeated for
Congress he began to lose money and
his downfall was very fast.
Boston. NOV. 1i-Chief Inspector Watts
was notified. this afternoon. of White
are held here against him. and Inspector
Wise viii be sent to bring him back to
Boston. Whtcman is wanted on thu
charge of beating the Hotel Tourainc OF:
of $il.9O \ check of $3.50 was offered in
payment for the bill of salsa but the
clerks refused to take it. They were
asked to wire to bank in Kansas To
veryify the check. While they We're in
Vestigating, it is charged that Whitcmdn
left town. AT the Victoria Hotel March
81. it is charged that a check for 800 on
the Fidelity Title Deposit Co. of Newark,
y. j.. was passed.