New-York tribune., 1901-07-13
LIEUT.. R. BRUCE ARRESTED
OFFICER FLEECED BY GAMBLERS ON
THE CAMPANIA CHARGED WITH
PASSING WORTHLESS CHECKS.

Richard Bruce. who signed his name on the
register of the Hotel Netherand last Saturday
as Lieutenant Hon. R. Bruce, r. N, H. NJ S.
1mperieuse, was arrested last night and locked
UP at Police Headquarters on a charge of swim
ding and of passing worthless checks. The
rest of the prisoner brought out the fact that
he was the same Richard Bruce who on landing
from the steamship Campania last Saturday
was said to have got mixed up In a game of
cards at sea and to have lost f40 to gamblers
From what could be learned last night at the
Hotel Netherland, Richard Bruce reached there
on Saturday evening after leaving the Cam
pania. He was assigned to room 1884, which
So day room. At the time he said he
was a lieutenant of the royal navy. and so
signifed his title by placing the initials "R. N"
after his name on the register.
The newcomer did not run up any extra bills,
but two days ago said he would like to pay
something on his room account. He gave the
cashier check for 5000 The check came back
shortly as worthless from the bank on which
II was drawn The hotel management then in
formed Captain Titus of the Detective Bureau,
and Detectives Herlhy and O'Connel were put
on the trail of Mr.. Bruce. After a search of the
TenderIoin they found him last night at Sixth
ave and Twenty-third-st. They took him TO
Police Headquarters, where cards were found on
MIN with lHe siSha1uAe oA $1,000
Bruce, r. N"
The noI,ce saw however that the mans name
&c Richard Bridges that he Is well known In
England.
The first complainant against Bruce Is the Ho-
tel Netherland management, who complain OF
a. 5000 check he gave them. Maurice Hosen-
baum. a jeweller. at No. 90 Nassau-st'' is also
a complainant upon 81, 100 draft on the oahK-
ing house of ]. P. Morgan & Co., and signed
Richard Bruce r. N" A tailor at F1rth-aVe'
and T>wenty-sixth-st. has a check for sZoo on
J. p Morgan g. Co.. with the same signature
which he says was offered in payment for three
suits OF clothes. The police say Bruce is wanted
also in England for passing bad checks
Passengers on the Campania told this story OF
Bruces experiences on the Campania:
Lieutenant Bruce got into a game OF CARDS
with gamblers and lost money. The
amount according to the statements OF the lieu
tenant was $500. He complained to people all
over the vessel and finally went to Captain
Walker and asked him TO recover the money
II was found afterward that the lieutenant. who
was a poor loser had overstated the amount OF
his loss For this reason. but more particularly
because he was not man enough TO stand his
loss-as one passenger put II, because he was
souealer"-he was socially ostracised by the re-
malnder Of the passengers. The lieutenant was
down for a recitation-Tennysons Revenge
at the Fourth Of July entertainment given on
board the vessel but he had been made TO feel
that he was an unwelcome person, and so did
not attend. His place was taken by Professor
Frederick Bell
Captain Walker told a Tribune reporter this
story OF how he had regained the lost money
The alleged gamblers were G. Hollander and
]. b Mackay. Captain Walker dealt with Hol-
lander lie threatened him with having his pict-
placed in every Cunard office in the world.
and thus preventing him from again sail
ing on one OF the Cunard vessels More than
that. he threatened TO put him and his fellow
gambler in irons and hand them to the
authorities on reaching New-York. They re-
turned the money 10 the captain in person
On Sunday Lieutenant Bruce issued state
ment in which he denied that he had suffered
ostracism from the rest OF the passengers. He
said. also. that he had lost f5}. all his ready
cash and that the with whom he had
played the game of banker refused TO accept
his personal check for portion of his losses,
and thereby stamped themselves not in the
grade OF gentlemen.
He said also, that the passengers had made a
very natural mistake in mentioning the amount
of his loss. Fifty-three pounds equal nearly
$500. and they had spoken OF the dollars. which
in some way had been confused with pounds.
Thus II was that the passengers, and not Bruce,
had magnifled the amount. Forty pounds, Bruce
said. all that Hoander and Mackey had
remaining of the money they had won from him,
and he accepted this amount upon the advice
Of the captain only because they had spent the
rest.
Speaking of his future, Bruce said he was on
the flagship of the British Pacific squadron. He
will stay for ten days at the Hotel Netherland