The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-15
BUNcoED OUT OF $4,000.
JOHN FRENCH OF BROOKLYN GETS
INTO A LITERARY LOTTERY.

Charles Pratt, So He ThinlSs-BOy
Loses $1O,OOO-"oh, My Mother!
What a Disgrace! Please Lend Me
| $4,000" He Cries, ard MIR. French
| Says "CertainIy."
From the New York Sun.
John French, a former Brooklyn alder
man and one of the Oldest and best known
residents of that borough was buncoed
out of 5000 last Friday morning, by two
young men, who worked on him one of
the oldest confidence games known to the
police. There were certain variat tons TO
the familiar methods, made TO fit the case,
and Mr.. French succumbed TO them. The
most inexplicable part of it all is that a
person like Mr.. French newspaper read
er and man who has been in public life
for over two-score years, should be so cas-
| lily gulled. He is So years old but his
| mind has always been clear, and he has
| never needed any assistance in the man
| agement of his affairs Yet the two young
men who got his money actually induced
| him to go mile TO his bank TO get IS, 900
( after they had informed him that he owed
| them that amount, and for fifteen min
| ut@@ of that time he was alone with ample
| opportunity to think the matter over. But
| the idea that he had been buncoed did not
| occur to him until twenty minutes after
/ he got home. He then put the case in
the hands of the police, but il was too
| late. The swindlers had decamped and
| the Brooklyn police are stin looking for
| them.
DR.. George F. Little, Mr., French's
| grandson, told the story of the swindle
! last night after an inaccurate account of
q ra1 D.
paper. As long as the fact that Mr.
French had been made the victim of bunco
| steerers was out the family decided to
| tell the true story
Mr.. French left his house. at Clinton and
Gates avenue, at IL o'clock Friday morn
ing, 10 go to the Mechanics Bank at Court
and Montague streets. He walked slow
ly over to Fulton street. which is only
| one short block away, and was standing
there waiting for a trolley car when a
well-dressed young man walked up 10 him
| and, grasping his hand, exclaimed:
Wen, Mr.. French, I'm glad to see you
| again.
Mr.. French looked the young man over
but couldn't recollect ever having seen
| him before. He is a good-natured man.
however, so he merely said:
i m sure l don't remember you, sir"
| OF course you don't of course you
| don't" said the youth, vigorously pumping
pect you would. Why Alderman, the last
| time you saw me l was a little codger.
| Can't you guess who j anl2'' '...-
Il give it up" said Mr.. French, and
| then the young man said:
Why I'm Harry Pratt, the son of your
| old friend"
Mr.. French and Charles Pratt, the late
millionaire oil man of Brooklyn, were
close friends, and the thought that he was
shaking hands with the son of MIR. Pratt
pleased the old man nightly.
well, well, my boy, I'm very glad to
| see you" he said. MY, how you're grown
I'd never have known you"
Young Mr. Pratt said he was going to
walk down Fulton street a few blocks He
wanted to know If MIR. French wouldn't
accompany him. 1t was a pleasant day
he said, and the walk would do MIR. French
good Mr. French thought So too, and the
two men started down Fulton street Mr.
French asked many questions about the
Pratt family and his companion answered
them readily. He had such an intimate
knowledge of the family affairs and talk
ed so affectingly of his widowed mother
that the suspicion of his being an imposter
never came to Mr.. French. When they
got near Cumberland street, young Mr..
Pratt said:
"Oh by the way, Mr.. French, my meet
ing you solves little problem for me. A
short time ago l ordered a new universal
history from a man down here and it is
to be ready for me to-day. It's some
thing unusually fine and induced a friend
of mine to order one, too. My friend told
me the other night that he didn't want the
book, as he couldn't afford to pay $40 for
1t. l ordered the two, so I've got to take
them. VIII you accept one of them from
me? 1 don't know any one I'd rather give
1t to-"
Mr.. French is a man of literary tastes.
Of
history interested him. He thanked Mr.
Pratt for his kind offer and accepted it,
but said he'd rather pay for 1t himself
But Mr. Pratt wouldn't hear of such a
thing. Nothing would please him so
much as to make this little gift to his
fathers old friend.
The two had pafsed Cumberland street
by this time. SUI ienly Mr.. Pratt stepped
I'D 10 a door between two stores and
reckoning to Mr.. French, said;
"Why, here's the place now. Come up
and see the book. I'll have it sent to you
but I'd like you to see it"
Mr.. French thinks he went up one flight
of stairs, but he isn't sure. He knows
however, that his young friend opened the
door of a room and that inside, seated at
a desk was another young man. up to his
neck in business. Newspapers and time Ia
bles were scattered everywhere, a dozen
bill files were on top of the desk. and the
man De0lUu II WAS SCilDBiltB away dA SOult
letters as If his life depended on getting
them done at once. He glanced up as the
two callers walked in, then banged away
at a bell on his desk and called out:
boy, boy, hurry with this cable. Excuse
me a moment, Mr.. Pratt" he continued
glanciug at that young man, but that
boy'n drive me mad"
He banged at the bell again. but as no
hoy appeared, he threw down his papers
and with a sign of resignation turned to
his visitors.
"Mr. Pratt" he said. I'm sorry to dis
appoint you about those histories. but I've
got TO- They came last night but found
so many defects in the bindings that
sent them back, and others can't get to
me until tomorrow. I'm awfully sorry
about this, but couldn't give you an in
ferior article.
"Oh. it's all right said Mr.. Pratt, but
7 did want Mr.. French TO see the book.
Wen. I'll be in tomorrow. Good day" and
he started for the door,, Mr.. French fol-
mar ont in he haI md