The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
MAYOR SEES A CROOK CAUGHT
SLEUTHS on STEAMER WATCH
S2J BUNCO GAME.
Florida Fruit Grower Didn't Fall for Story
of Baggage on the Dock No Change
Police Think They Have the S3 900
Swindler OF Two Easy Portuguese.

Florida Fruit Grower DlOnt FaIl Tor STORY
OF Baggage on the Dock and No Change
Police Think They Have tho 90 900
Swindler OF Eve Easy Portuguese.
just before the American Linz steamship
New York sailed yesterday morning Deteo-
tive Sergeants Moody and Leason, who
are detailed to watch for transatlantic
crooks, made an arrest on the first cabin
deck in the presence of Mayor Mcclellan
and his wife, who were sailing on the ship.
Albert Vigand, a fruit grower Of Cocoa
nut Grove, Fla, was standing on the promo
nade deck watching the group that was
bidding farewell TO Mayor Mcclellan when
a slick looking young man approached
him and said:
Il say, old chap, are you sailing''
vigand replied in the affirmative, where
upon the young man addressed him as
follows;
Il nave just reached the ship. My cab
man got delayed on the trip from my
hotel and my baggage is all on the pierl
Very embarrassing. don't you know; I
haven't a cent OF change on me and / must
pay for the expressage or else my luggage
won't be put on the ship. Please lend
me s25 and take this check as SEQ urity
and then we will arrange matters with the
purssr after the ship gets under way.
You don't mind obliging a fellow passenger.
do your
Fruit Grower vigand isn't from Missouri
but he says you have to show folks in Florida
also. He co uldn't see where 1t was up to
him to give the stranger S2S, and refused to
do 30. The young man became greatly
excited and tears almost came to his eyes
as he told how he would be Inconvenience
should his luggage be held up. Mr.. Wig
and's heart melted and he reached into his
pocket and extracted his roll. Then he
hesitated and finally walked away from the
Young mar
The proceedings had beer watched by
Moody and Leason and they were hoping
that Vigand would hand over the $25. This
would have given them some sort of evil
denoe to present againtt the man. Fearing,
however, that the slick young mar might
get next to the Mayor, they nabbed him
and marched him down the g~angplank.
An investigation showed that he wasn't
booked for passage and that he had nc
baggage on the pier.
Tn, Central Ofioe men knew the young
man. He gave his name a 8 Ralph Matt
land, his age MS 80 years and his adcIess
as IA West Twenty-fourth street. He
WdS ldh6u W u ofNt
locked up as a suspicious person. His
picture is in the rogues' gallery.
According to the detectives the prieoner
ia a professional steamship crook. They
say he speaks both Italian and French and
works ships bringing over immigrants Of
these two nationalities, The detectives say
that he often makes trips abroad and COM
ing back works the old game OF collecting
a bunch Of foreigners, posing as n OF
them and suggesting that, owing to the
sharpers that are to be found in New York,
together and pool their money.
Maitland's game. the sleuths say, is
usually to get his party ashore and in como
turning Joint have the money put in a
box and placed In the care Of some NOM
Der OF the party other than himaelf. The
stranger simply gets a box filled with paper.
or at the most a LAYER OF small bills at the
top 30 that he will think he has 1t all in case
he takes a peep at the contents before the
crook makes his getaway. The police
think he ia the mar who skinned two Por-
tuguese citizens about a month ago out OF
nearly $4,000. They will maze IN effort to
find the two complainants in the hope that
they may be able ~ identity Maitland as
the man who bunooed them.