Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-07-25
SWINDlER CONFESSES.
Alleged Crater Admits That He Is
a Bold SwindIer.
TELLS STORY TO FL PAS0 POLICE,
From FL Paso News.

roof arden, confessed TO Chief OF 20
lice W cotton last night that he was a
crook and said that he had been work.
ing the whole United States with the
same game for months. The accused
said.
You might as well try me here for
the theft of the watch. ! have done
about as much here as anywhere. II |
have to be taken back anywhere,
would like to go back 20 Los Angeles.
| am feeling all broken up. You can
see that am not well. | have been
in bad health for some time.
Il admit that / am a CRATER, but
have worked equally IN every part OF
the country. | might just as well be
tried here as anywhere. All can be
| tried for here is the theft of the watch.
| have been in almost every city of the
union. | am CRATER by profession
and make my living at 1t.
IL don't see why ! should be prose
cuted by the people | graft They
are as big rascals as | am, when you
come to figure the matter down. No
body but a cheat would sign one of
the contracts which | use In my bust.
ness. His agreement with me is a
sign that he is willing to beat the
show. My game Is to go to a mer-
chant and get price on a certain
amount of supplies and get his price
on them.
| Il generally know my man pretty
well before / get into the scheme and
feel them to see what sort Of men
they are. then | tell them that
have been in the habit of paying say
a cent pound more for supplies than
they price them. After | have got the
contract, | come right out and ask for
my divvy, which | claim should be he
difference in price between the goods
as agree to take them. That is what
| have done all over the country and
| don't think | am any more dishonest
than the merchants who erter into
the scheme with me to defraud the
shows, for that is all that il Is in plain
English. | tell them as much every
where / go and they know what they
are going up against"
Chief Wootton received a telegram
last night from Los Angeles, stating
that the swindler was not wanted in
that city. The telegram said that 1t
was thought that he was badly wanted
In Denver.
The local police then wired to Den.
yer, but they discla!-led any knowl.
edge of the man.
II is probable that Primrose las
been operating under numbers OF
aliases and that he has thus covered
up his tracks pretty well. A few
days may be needed to discover where
he is wanted. He is held here on the
charge of the watch theft.
Late yesterday afternoon the watch
was found in pawn shop. The brok
er identified Primrose as the mar
who had pawned ii. II was very
handsome imported movement, manu-
featured in Rome. The watch be
longed to Mrs. Rodriguez, guest al
the Hotel Angelus and had been stolen
on the night Of the crooks arriva
there. II will be held as evidence
against the man.
Reports from Los Angeles say the
man operated in Pacific coast towns
under the name of Harry Seamon
There is Harry Seamon who repre-
scented number OF theatrical con
Germs, and was once in the circu.
business, IL is claimed that the fel
low worked the Hotel Rosslyn in Lo,
Angeles, for a board BILL and that h,
got away with number OF small
amounts OF money on fraudulent con
tracts.
He is Thought to be an imposter a.
far as his claims to being an EiK ar,
concerned Every accredited Elk hal
his card, which contains his real full
name and address, as well as his HON,
lodge. The man has the signs OF tn,
antlered brethren ana knows some o
their secrets. he wears a lot of ELL
, pins and has cuff buttons made from
elks teeth. He works the brothe
! racket to a finish. il has thus tar beer
an impossibility to tell whether he n
, an Elk or not. He has not the car,
anu refuses to tel his name.
Some Las Vegas people identified
sNehNiNoy 90 q man WIN nav
: jumped his hotel bill there unde
: the name OF Harry Rose. In fact. tn,
' man grew confidential coming in oil
: the train Tuesday morning, after h
: had tried to work Conductor Giffor,
Q OF the Santa Fe for a passage, an,
! told his fellow traveller that he ha,
a worked Las Vegas and Socorro pee
) pie for suckers. and he expected I
3 work El Paso the same way.
D Primroses companion put ConduC
, tor Clifford next. and the conducto
8 went back and made the alleged eli
J. Gus man pony up his fare. Tho fe
}. low had plenty of money, but SCENE
to like to beat his way.
As soon as Conductor Giffor
reached town he gave Chief OF Polio
Q Wootton a description of the mar
The prisoners description is unmi:
d taxable. He is sma.I man. of daI