The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04
CnICAGUS SOCIETY THIEF.
MANY VICTIMS or ALFIANDEk
HAvILaAD GILDERSLEEvE.

He Attended Social Functions, Made Love
to Women and Stole Thousands Of Dol
lars Worth of Diamonds and Jswelry
Got Away With Much Borrowed Money.
CHICAGO. Fob. 3.-Thls has been a day OF
great an xiety on the part Of those members OF
ChicaRo's "sm art set" who were the victims OF
Alexander Haviland Gildersleevs. All day the
ONCE Of the Chief OF Detectives at the City Hail
has been filed with fashionably dressed men
and women. an xlous to get a glimpse OF the
trunk full OF pawntick eta left ut tho Audito.
rum Annex by the exquisite confidence man,
In order 10 ind among them. II possible.
a clue to the whereabouts Of rings.
watches. diamonds. &C. taken from their
homes during the past six weeks, but which
ill now were believed to have been taken by
burglars. These reople In q majority OF In.
stances found what they sought, and upon
giving . bond were permitted b take the tick
etc and redeem what had been pledged BY Mr..
Gtldersleeve. All were more anxious that
their identity should not become public than
they were to recover the property, and would
refuse to give their names or bonds ell as
sured BY the police that there would be no
publicity.
This m an Gildersleeve was certainly . wonder
In the confidence line" said chief OF Detectives
Colleran tonight. From the pawntlck-ts In
his trunk we find that tens Of thousands OF
dollars worth OF jewelry passed through his
hands during the past six months. and from
the number OF claimants and their names and
addresses should Judge that most OF the
fashionable people Of Chicago were his vic.
tins. We find also that he has In that time
operated In st. Louis. Denver and San Fran
cisco. though In none Of these cities did he
md such easy graft as In Chicago"
Besides the Iewelry and borrowed money no
got away with. Gildersleeve left debts amount.
Ing to $1,000. which young Mr.. Camp and
others whose confidence he had won stood
sponsor for and will have to pay.
Where Gildersleeve failed to find Jewels or
a chance to carry on his work OF stealing no
made violent love to young women and thereby
was able to make away with his booty. Since
his arrival In Chicago he has paid marked at.
tention 10 a half dozen young women. In one
case he 80 far gained the confidence and trust
OF the young woman that he had declared his
love. and. 1t Is said. IL was returns ed. The
name OF the woman has been kept a secret by
her friends. but she ha, been a resident OF the
Virginia Hotel for q long time. and is at a
private hospital to-day. Frustrated with the
shock aud grief over Gildersleeve's actions,
Talking OF your social hlghwayman," said
an acquaintance OF Gilderslesve to-day, this
man was a wonder. | have met him at three
different functions on the South Side and have
heard OF him at a score Of weIl-to.do families.
He entered a classes Of soclety-I mean that
he was at home with the pink-tea crowd at the
gathering OF the Authors Club, a church con.
vention-in fact. he was such an actor that he
could gain entrance to any set or class Of society.
He was polished In his manners and acted the
part OF a well-bred and highly cultured man.
He has certainly proved to be one OF the great
est rogues OF the day and I am only surprised
that he did not carry his methods with q
higher hand-play for larger stakes. 40 to
speak. Instead OF stealing jewels and selling
them. he could have gone into the check husi-
ness and won thousands. Still his method was
one that would last longer. and hs could play
the part he seemed to like 90 well-a hero OF
society folk"