The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-08-07
SWELL GRAF TERS
Two New York Swindlers
Lodged in Jail for Sell
Tickets for a Bogus
Charity.
THEY CALLED ON fR. sMYTa
Told Him They Were Sent
by Sheriff zeller But He
Had Them Arrested.
THEY CALLED ON FR. sMYTR


Two young men, well dressed and of
pleasing address, and hailing from New
York, were doing a swell grating busi-
ness in this city yesterday when they
were tripped up by the police and are
now in limbo, three separate charges of
obtaining money under false pretenses
being already lodged against them, and
it is expected more charges viii follow.
The Rev. Father Smyth, of st. Jo-
seph's Parish, and the treasurer of the
Franco-American Food Company vera
among the victims.
The two men travelled about the city
in a runabout with rubber tires. They
drove up to st. Joseph's Rectory in Pa
vonia avenue. They said they came
from the tax office and that they wanted
to sell Father Smyth some tickets for an
excursion which was to be run off for
a charitable purpose under the auspices
of the Seneca Social Club to Empire
Grove on Labor Day, September /.
They said Sheriff John Zeler sent them
to the rectory, and finally induced Father
Smyth to take ten tickets at 81 apiece
After they were gone Father Smyth
consulted the assistant rector, Father
Foye, and said he had some doubts as
TO whether or not the men were impos-
tors.
The Sheriff's Office was called up by
telephone and the Sheriff said he had
never heard tell of the men described
Then Father Foye called up Police
Headquarters and notified Chief of Po-
lice Murphy off what had transpired,
and furnished him with description of
the two men and Of the rig they occu-
pied.
A general alarm was sent out from
headquarters to the various stations,
and an hour later Detective Gallagher
espied rig answering to the description
of the one sought standing in front of
the Office of the Franco-American Fruit
Company's establishment at Central ave-
nue. and Franklin street.
One man occupied the rig. He an
Z
swered the description of one Of the men
wanted. A few moments later another
man answering the description of the
other wanted stepped briskly down the
steps of the Food Company's office and
started to jump into the runabout The
detective grabbed him and said he was
wanted by the police. The man tried to
break away from the detectives grasp
while the man in the runabout belabored
Gallagher over the head with the butt
end of whip. But Gallagher held his
man and Patrolman Winters. rushing up,
arrested the other man. They and the
rig were taken to the Central avenue
station.
AT the station they described them
selves as Henry ]. Bennett, of No. 1919
Third avenue Manhattan. and George
Walters, of No. 213 Bowery. About two
hundred bogus tickets and about 5000 in
money was found in their possession
1t was learned that on the representa-
ton that they had been sent to the Fran
co-American Food Company's Office by
Democratic Leader Robert Davis the
manager Of the concern purchased
twenty-five tickets at 81 a piece.
The two men had not been in the Cen
trail avenue station long when a number
of persons went there to identify them.
Among these was William Germaine, a
saloon keeper, Of No. 81 Reservoir aven-
ne, who said he had purchased five of the
tickets on their representation that they
had been sent to him by Colonel Sam
Dickinson, the local Republican leader.