The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-10-16
EASY MARKS.
Captain" Davis Awarded
$4,000 Contracts and Bor-
roWed on the Strength
Of Them.
THEN HE BOUGHT WINES
Finally His Dupes Realized
They Had Been Swindled
and Had Him Arrested.
THEN HE BOUGHT WINES

A man who described himself as Harry
Davis, thirty years old, of West Creek,
Ocean county, worked up a new film fam
game that for while was more or less
successful. But he selected the wrong
field for his operations. The police here
knew of the matter only a few hours be-
fore Davis was caught and landed in
limbo
On Saturday afternoon clever, athletic
looking chap, dressed in uniform of the
Corinthian Yacht Club, called at the dry
docks of John Swanson at the foot of Van
Worst street. He saw Mr.. Swanson and
told him that he was the sailing master
of the yacht Fredonia, and that he and
his employer, Dwight Bramay, of the New
York Stock Exchange, who lives at the
Cambridge Hotel, Fifth avenue and Thir-
ty-third street, New York City, had just
returned from an extended cruise and
were preparing to sail again as soon as
certain renovations could be made in the
yacht. He said that about $1,000 worth Of
work would be necessary, and closed with
Mr.. Swanson for the contract.
After extending to the natty looking
to a man who talked of $1,000 contracts in
the most off hand manner, Mr.. swanson
shook hands with his new customers and
they parted. A half hour later Captain
Davis, as the visitor called himself, re-
turned and told how he had lost his pock-
etbook containing a large sum OF money.
Fredonia was at once, and asked Mr..
Swanson to advance IS to. him. He did
not get the five, but he did get 81 Then
he hastened away i'm order to stop pay
ment on some of the checks he had lost
in the pocketbOok.
A little later Mr.. Smith, of Smiths dry
dock, was shaking hands with Captain
Davis,n and promising that the $1,000
worth of work necessary on the Fredonia
would be completed as speedily as pos
sible and expressing great satisfaction
q
the contract and that he had made the
acquaintance of the affable captain"
The captain left smoking one of Mr..
Smiths good cigars but returned very
shortly with very troubles expression
on his face. He had lost his pocketbook
and money and wanted s.. He accepted
25 cents and left.
Then the sscaptin' was heard of at
various places about town, mostly
saloons He told gullible saloonkeepers of
the yacht that would arrive at Swanson $
dry dock and received numerous samples
of whiskey and wine. The yacht must
be stocked with whiskey and wine, of
course. In order to make the game
stronger Davis told of experiences in
tropical countries and grew enthusiastic
describing the fine specimens of animals
and birds he had brought home with him.
He offered monkeys and birds and dogs
| to various people and told them to call
| at Swanson's for their gifts.
| Yesterday Mr. Swanson was almost
driven crazy by crowd Of men demand
/ Ing LnG promised present. he dppSdieu
| to the police and Detective Lee was sent
| to look up the Captain The officer ar
rested Davis in Hoboken yesterday and
! this morning he was arraigned before
| Police Justice Hoos in the First Criminal
| Court and held for further examina-
! tion.
He said that he had acted In the manner
/ charged against him so that he might
get liquor to drink. Then he said he had
| begun to drink two years ago when his
| wife ran off with friend. taking with
her their six years old child.