The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-25
THE town OF Lorraine was a big

Dictated by what appeared to be a small
irregularly shaped piece Of mosquito
netting, from which there radiated at
least half a dozen railway lines. This
fixed its status from the start.
But there was one thing the matter
with the town. 1t was too easy-that
was all.
Its business men, as business men.
were cautious and conservative. They
would not buy corner lots nor lend
money upon them without making IN
examination Of the title to the land.
And yet, almost as one man, they would
Place good sized wads Of bills in the
hands of any smooth-tongued stranger
who pretended to own a mine or an oil
well or a gold brick.
In other words, Lorraine was the
stamping ground of swindlers. Singu-
larry enough, none Of these swi1dlers
was eyer caught.
Now there were in this town Of LOr-
raine a. few hard headed fellows who
had been swindled once or twice too
often. They started I'm TO watch.
And they soon discovered that the po-
lice depa Iment not only winked at the
little games played by these genteel
BWiudiers but further, that the police
department was itself hand in glove
with them The local papers were put
n work on f1he case. much to their de-
light. and on e bright morning when the
chief of police rose from his couch he
read with mich surprise in the Lor-
raine Liberty Bell this OminOus head
line; Sharpe Shares With Swindlers."
As the name of the chief of police
happened to bes sharpe. he considered
the suggestion 10 be somewhat too per-
sonal. HOwevelE he took the pains 10
read column after column upon the
subject
Hang those fellows" he muttered to
himself. there AMT a word o. truth I'm
what they say. But the devil OF it is.
he finally concluded. that they can
prove the whole d;trn business"
One hour later he handed in his resig-
nation, drew his back pay and left town
by a circuitOus rOIIte. This relieved
the hard headed OlC' fellows who had
begun the investigation. and while il
robbed the papers Of the delights OF
sensation, still it was the easiest way
out of it,
Now, I'm the town or Lorraine there
was a man whose naI ne was Peter r.
Clancy. He was said 10 be an honest
man. He was also a StSdent Of human
nature and none of the swindlers who
had ever come to town had been able
to come it over him.
The hard headed old fellows made it
plain to the mayor that Peter +. Clan
cy was the man for the vacant place Of
chief of police. The mayor, whose skirts
perhaps were not altogether unsuIlied
He started in, in "A conventional way.
10y talking for publication Both the
Liberty Bell and the Morning Glory
had the pleasure of printing a long in
teTview. In this Interview the new
chief stated that the crying shame Of
the town was swindling. and that he
proposed to stop it. and stop il quickly.
All went well for the space of two
months. No swindler dared to show his
face i'm the town Of Lorraine.
1t was on May p that a stylishly and
well-dressed young man stepped into
the private office of p. Toler Andrews.
Mr. Andrews was young man who
had just come into \ fortune
The stranger presented letter of in
PRODUCTION from a prominent New York
man with whom young Andrews had
some slight acquaintance He ex-
planned that he WIS stopping at Bel
mont Lorraine's SWEETEST stopping
place
Mr. Andrews became his guest at the
hotel and played several friendly
games of cards. at the close of which
the stranger was slightly out of pocket.
Andrews was about 90 leave when a
messenger arrived with a special de
livery letter addressed to the stranger.
The stranger excused himself opened
the letter, and from it there duttered a
handsomely engraved and profuseIy
certified check on one OF the big banks
ger, and to the amount of several thou
sand dollars.
''Wen. by George" exclaimed this
genial man. we've got TO have another
bottle on this thing"
over this bottle Mr. Andrews host
explained 10 him all about the check.
It represented his profits on a lucky
deal i'm sugar.
He had placed a few hundreds with
Roberts-Of Roberts, McCoutts & Co..
Of Wall street. Roberts had inside in
formation. and this inside information
was making for the friends Of Roberts
rapid little fortunes on the quiet
The next day Mr.. Andrews. as a sort
of fier, put up a hundred-by wire. Of
course-with Roberts, McCoutts & Co.
The day after ne received his check. 1t
was for $3.50 This was a good thing
too good to keep.
With the permission OF his new
found friend he told some Of the boys
about &c. and Andrews and the boys put
up several thousands on sugar. 1t so
happened nj this juncture that the
strangers business was concluded in
Lorraine
He was on his way back to the me
tr0p0iis. and, as q matter of accommo-
Gation. he agreed To deliver the few
thousands to Roberts McCoutts & Co.
He gave his receipts FOR ii. and emery
ing from the light blue smoke OF 20
cent Nt-1fAAHf ANAL tltN 6tt'A DAA toN d OF
Lorraine.
In a few days Mr.. Andrews. who had
received no word from Roberts. Nc
Coutts & Co. wrote them "A letter. The
letter came back. There was no such
nrm.
He had deposited his check OF $3.50 IN
his bank at Lorraine. The check came
back. JIG was a forgery.
Mr.. Andrews and his friends had
been dOne-dOne brown. They sQUealed
and the newspapers took IL up.
The chief OF palice was Mortified. par
aiyzed And he was more so when it
was discovered that the swell stranger
had not only done up Andrews and his
crowd but two or three other crowds
as we'll all OF whom he entertained Law
ishly at the Belmont at different hours
OF the day and night
That's devilish strange" muttered
the new chief OF police. How the devil
could 1 have missed that fellow, any
way2"
10 was strange. But the strangest
part OF sc was that on the very night
that the stranger disappeared two men
sat i'm the back room of a saloon in an
obscure part OF the town and conversed
I'm whispers. one Of these men resem-
bled the chief of police the other the
slick manager.
At the conclusion Of the cOnversat ion
the stranger passed a wad of bills to
the chief. and the chief buttOned them
in his inside pocket And then each
went his way rejoicing