The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-02-07
BREAD UPON THE WATERS"

John Nash, retired manufacturer,
sixty-fve years old and supposed to
be still in possession of all his senses,
did most foolish thing. l had been
his lawyer for six or eight years, but
without asking word of advice he
fell into the hands of a sharper. When
he was approached by a promoter
who was striving to float gold mine
in South American state and need
ed the influence of his name, the old
man was hattered and listened to the
vow of the tempter. The sharper
pretended that he did not want any
money from Nash. The name of
John Nash on prospectus as an in
vestor and shareholder would be
guarantee to others. His first aim,
of course, was to convince the old
man that the mine in question was
good thing. He did this by lies,
forged reports and false documents.
This duplicity could have been ex-
posed and the swindler sent about his
business had Nash come to me or any
other lawyer, but he determined to
act on his own judgment.
In order to give matters business
look, as he put it, the promoter, whose
name was Philbrick, passed over 1o,-
900 shares to Nash at SIS per share
and in return required a promissory
note due in six months. Then an
agreement was drawn up to the effect
that the notes should be invalid. This
was to blind other investors. In
plain words, John Nash sold his name
for those shares and was assured over
and over again that his annual divi-
dends would amount to at least 100
per cent. By this explicit statement I
have published my client not only as
a fool, but as the willing confederate
of a swindler, yet have had to give
facts to make my story clear.
Nash was made to believe that no
on~ cIse wouIu suneI II nc got this
stock gratis. The agreement was of
course made out in duplicate, and the
old man deposited his copy in his
safe. Philbrick saw him at intervals,
always making the most fattering re-
ports about the mine, and everything
went smoothly for a few weeks.
Then, six weeks after the agreements
were drawn up, on some excuse or
other, they were compared. After
the comparison Nash returned his
copy to the strong box, and that was
the last he saw or thought of it for
the next three or four months in
fact, until Philbrick walked in on him
one day and asked whether he would
be ready to pay the note at maturity.
Then it transpired that the supposed
contract was no contract at ali, but
vastly different document. In word,
the old man had been fimhammed.
1t was then he came to me to help
him out of his trouble.
That Philbrick was plotting ras-
cal needed no assurance. 1t was
put up job from beginning to end to
raise stake at the expense of the old
man. You may say that as the affair
was ''plant" and swindle it would
not hold in law, but unfortunately it
was a legal transaction. Philbrick
did have mine. No matter if it was
not worth a cent, the old man had
taken shares and given his note. He
might plead that there had been a
written agreement, but where was his
copy? If he said it had been mislaid
or stolen, that was no excuse. As a
matter of fact, if he referred to the
agreement at all he would be con-
victing himself of having engaged in
a swindle on the public.
Philbrick had him fast, and there
were but two plans open to me. The
first was to bluff Philbrick and the
second to settle on the best terms Sc
durable. I at once sent for him and
tried bluff. 1t was no go. He de-
fed me and laughed at me. AS to a
compromise, he would make nope.
He wanted $50, 900 or nothing. The
note would be banked at maturity and
if not paid would be protested and
sued. If his mine was not the Col
conda he had hoped for, that was no
crime on his part. If it was a dead
swindle, as 1 contended, then my
client had stood in with him, and the
public should learn the fact. Mr..
Philbrick clearly had the best of us.
One night week before the notes
were to be presented for payment I
returned from late supper to find a
strange man in my bachelor apart
ment. He had effected entrance by
the fire escape. There was not much
worth stealing, but the fellow was
about to take his departure with some
clothing and bric-a- brac when 1 walk
ed in on him. There was tableau
for a minute. Both were too sur
prised to move or speak. The stran-
ger was the first to recover, and he
called out:
"Well, I'll be hanged Say, now.
if I'd known it was you I'd have kept
clear of the place. You bet your life
you're the last man T. want to rob-"
$50 you are here to rob me? I
said as 1 looked him over.
cit looks like it, eh 7" he laughed
as he pointed to the bundle. "Say,
it's all a mistake, an I'm sorry"
"Who are you?"
"Don't you remember? Take a
good look at me. Lord, but you did
melt the jury in that speech of
yourn p
"You are Jimmy-Jimmy-"