The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-28
BRAINS NECESSARY
TO MAKE "GRAFTER"
Intelligence, Says Impostor, Is
Needed Successfully to I'm
pose on the Public

MUNCIE, Ind, June 27.-"Put brain
into your work and you will succeed.
That has been my motto and l have
always succeeded until today"
1.-The man who four-flushes can al
ways get through the world"
IF you keep still you grow pretty
wise"
These were bits of philosophy drop
ped by Herbert Harvey Whitney, of
Indianapolis, known as THE Man in
the Iron Mask in police court. Whit
ney says he spoke recently in public
for the first time in two years.
1t was choice specimen Of the
rogue which Detectives Charles White
and John Guffigan brought into head
quarters who uttered the words, re-
markable rogue who could seemingly
neither speak nor hear, yet who proved
to be as clever an imposter as ever
excited the pity of the good house
wives of Muncie and caused a loosen
ing of small change in pocketbooks.
Imposes on Housewives.
Since May 25 a stranger has been
canvassing Muncie residences and pre-
senting at the doors Of houses a card
upon which is printed the following
touching appeal:
To the lady of the house-Dear
Madame: Three years ago 1 became
deaf and dumb from severe attack
of scarlet fever. I have family to sup
port, and as l cannot follow the business
which l was brought up to l am forced to
sell merchandise for living. Will you
sheets of good writing paper and en-
VelopeS for 10 cents. H. Buchanan.
For the past two years 'Buchman, ="
who later gave his real name, states
that he has been working the graft"
has made good living, and never once
until he came to Muncie has he been
suspected. Thursday, after a search
over the city two plain clothes men
finally located him at the Lake Erie
hotel, in South Walnut street. Whit
ney can play his part we'll as his sue
cess testifies. When he was arrested
the puzzled look which he directed to-
ward the officers and the significant
manner in which he touched his ears
might have fooled many. When taken
to headquarters he maintained his
stoical gravity, and not until he was
Cashmere did he finally break down
and find his tongue.
Proves a Fluent TaIker.
Afterward the deaf and dumb man
proved himself quite fluent talker.
He says he regards his business as le-
Ultimate as any merchant who adver-
Uses. he States ne TGSdEQS The
| card as an advertisement which is
just as good as any other, although a
trifie out of the ordinary.
When asked how long it had been
since he spoke Whitney replied with a
smile and better English than many
| use: well, often go away by myself
to 'cuss' a little but as a rule l am
deaf and dumb everywhere but in In
dianapolis, where my family resides.
/ have canvassed all the towns of any
size in Southern Indiana and Ohio
during the past two years, and never
until l came to Muncie have / been ar
rested. have been successful and
that is because l put brains into the
work"
Whitney talked in an intelligent
manner for some time of himself. A
number of those who took pity on the
deaf and dumb" peddler state that his
control of his features is remarkable.
learned never to flush when or
| dered away from a door and
never to obey anything but a
gesture. He is proud of his self-con-
| troll, and states that he has been dub
bed by a jocular friend of the pro
fesh' as 1.-The Man in the Iron Mask"
| A number of Whitney's remarks con-
tanned more truth than fiction, and he
proved himself as he claimed, "a man
of some brains.'
He was held by the officers on a
| charge of violating the city ordinance,
| i. e., peddling without a license.
| Hin -df? plasa