The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-04

There may be one or two slicker con-
idence men than the internationally fa-
nous CRATER who is now doing time in
Sing Sing for his recent successful at
tempt to bunco the presidents of Column
bia and Yale Colleges, but If there are L
would make a detour of many geograph-
ical leagues to avoid meeting Them" said
a Washington man who spent number
of years on the Hawaiian Islands. 'He
put it ON the residents of Honolulu in
much the same fashion that he got intQ
the swell population of Calculus in In
iia, only on scale a trif1e smaller. He
hit Calcutta from Paris. In Paris he had
posed as the courier-in-chtef of the
Khedive of Egypt, and he pretended to
be arranging for a ceremonial visit Of
the Khedive to Paris. He rented q mag
nifcent establishment and scores of ssr-
wants. and fitted the place up orieataily
without paying sou down, and ineide
Of four months he had chiseled sone-
thing like 100000 francs out Of the EafdS-
ians. He effected his departure Just
about the time his victims were 'becom-
ing WISE and hiked for Calcutta. wiaers
he didn't do thing but rent vacant
maharajah's palace. hire literally hum
dreds of servants, and live like grand
mogul without actually laying out q pen
ny. He lasted much longer in Calcutta
than one could possibly believe were he
not closely acquainted with the facts,
wi 1IIy farx hat
clothing, he took ship for any old place.
and landed next In Honolulu
Il was in Honolulu when he got there.
He arrived on an English bark that had
sailed from Bombay just at the time the
game began to get a bit warm for him
in Calcutta. The Honolulu folks never
looked for distinguished folks to arrive
on sailing vessels. Therefore, they
were considerably surprised when Sir
James Ross debarked from the English
bark one fine summers day, clad In q
spotless linen suit with pith helmet to
crown it's wilderness. and staggered. a
pretty fine figure of a man, through the
streets.
His baggage, consisting of many
trunks, was removed from the ship to
the best hotel in Honolulu, and Sir
James dropped around at the newspaper
offices on the evening of the day of his
arrival in port and vastly impressed the
proprietors of the sheets with his affa-
bility of manner and his conversation
anent sundry investments on a large
scale which a syndicate he had formed
meditated making in the contemplating
line all over the Hawaiian Islands On
the following morning the papers con-
tained announcements of the arrival OF
Sir James, and interviews embodying
his views as to the possibilities Of the
South Seas in general for English In
vestors.
HE Immediately took very beautiful
house out on the Waikiki road, q few
miles from Honolulu; engaged some sew
eral scores of Kanaka servants; stocked
the plant with thousands of dollars
worth Of viands and wines. which tn.
tradesmen of Honolulu were only tot
eager to furnish without any immediat,
compensation, and got things to hum
ming generally. He quickly proved him
self a society man from away back. He
OF course, posed as bachelor-althougl
he had wives scattered in many parts O
the world, and q few Of them In tn
United States. He began to give splen
diferous receptions at his superb hous
on the Waikiki road, which all of tn
dignitaries in every walk attended. an
his manner as host was simply unim
peachable. He sure did get the Homo
lulu folks a-going. Needless to say hi
touches for money, and for big sums a
that, went through with rush Their
were wealthy men down there who az