Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-16


Last week the GLOBE infereEtially OBJ
served that Washington was the heaven and
haven Of takers and men with hot air
schemes. Almost every issue Of the daily
papers demonstrate the truth Of the observa-
ton and as everybody knows the Washing
ton daily papers only publish such aagrant
or notorious cases that have come under
the surveillance of the police. The numer-
ous schemes on i street, from organized
companies to extract gold from gold FISH to
bridging the Atlantic with pontoons. and
which issues handsome and deliberately
engraved certificates Of stock to male and
female suckers (princlpallv Government
clerks, are never referred to except in the
advertising columns at so much per
The past week gentleman named L. B.
Hilles received several columns of painful
details touching his numerous transactions
with our too coniding citizens Mr.. Hilles
came to grief finally at the hands of our
former landlord NJ. S. Gregory, No. 4o7
Eleventh street, known as the Carleton
Restaurant This restaurant and the GLOBE
did business in the same building for
several months. The restaurant declined to
advertise in the GLOBE for fear of injuring
its aristocratic patronage (SfaY manufac-
turers across the street, and the GLOBE
(makers) refused to eat in the restaurant for
fear of the-mosquitos. So we parted COM
pany one sultry summer day and the
restaurant and the GLOBE have been feeding
the stomachs and intellects of its distinct
classes of patrons ever since with more or
less satisfaction-to the stomachs and iu-
tellects aforesaid.
The specimen aristocrat of the Gregory
restaurant whom the daily papers have
been exploiting all the week blew in here
in January last and proceeded at once to
advertise in the Star and eat hash at the
Carleton.
As stated Mr.. Hilles came here from
New York during the early part of January
saying he was the purchasing agent of the
Down and Feather Company, with Offices at
45 West One hundred and tweuty-ifIh
street He came to Washington, he said, to
buy feathers for the concern, which he de-
scribed as one of the largest in the country
OF course he caught the women; they read
the Star for bargains and snaps of all kinds
Here is what the daily papers say as to
MI. Hilles modHS obeyanai:
When a woman called in response to his
advertisement, or when one from whom he
had agreed to purchase feather bed came
for her money-which he insisted she
should do before delivering the goods
Hilles informed his caller that he had been
compelled to use all the cash he had on
hand in making a large shipment TO the
Down and Feather Company, in New York
Then he suddenly remembered that he had
a check, and producing it, suggested that
rather than miss the sale of her feathers
the lady might take it, get a friend to cash
it, and return him the change, which In
some cases, amounted to $40 II is known
that in a number of instances this was done
Of course, the feather beu was never called
for. In carrying out this scheme, Hilles had
an assistant whom he sent to examine the
feathers, parley with the owner, and finally
to purchase them
The extent of the mau's transactions in
the feather line may never beco e known,
as many people who accepted and endorsed
the checks drawn by him on the New York
bank with which his concern was alleged
to carry an account are not willing to incur
the unenviable notoriety which would fol-
low an attempt to prosecute him. More
over, now that he has been caught, his VIC
Tins say they feel sure that justice will be
meted out to him, and that is all they want
as there is no prospect of recovering the
money out of which they were swindled.
This is particularly true of business men
who were taken in by the smooth tongue
and winning ways of the feather man, albeit
in dealing with them he adopted tactics
altogether different from those employed in
his transactions with the women
Hilles was quick to form the acquaintance
of prominent people, and in order to inn
press them with his financial standing he
undertook several deals IN real estate He
had been in Washington only a short time
when he learned that the Ray farm, near
the Soldiers Home was for sale. ne paid
a visit to the place but after looking it over
decided that il did not exactly suit him.
Rather than disappoint the owner, how
ever, he agreed, If certain improvements
were made, to lease it. But that was as far
as Inc intended the matter to go. and there
it stopped.
AT another time he arranged to lease a
farm near Bladensburg, and, il is said.
actually offered a check in payment Of the
first months rent Hlles then went into
the newspaper business, aud succeeded IN
collecting money from residents of Bright.
wood and vicinity, telling them that paper
was to be issued in the interest of that sec
tion of the District. How much he col
lected in this way Is not known, but It s
alleged that the subscribers numbered a
score or more. To a newspaper man, whom
he subsequently caught for S74, Hilles re.
marked one day that il was folly to work
hard in a town in which there was so much
easy money lying around.
Besides the GLoBE's testimony as to the
easy thing" Washington Is, we now have