The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-25
TRIED WRITING TO The DEAD
BARTENDER TtkES ~ THE
SPOIIED GtNF or ~. %. kEEN.

ThIs One Caush, Trying TO G-t Ris Mail
NJ the Pest Onie~- Leak i up Death
Notices and ASKED fer Payment on
Dlansn.i Ring otherwise to Br Forfeit
John Riedel. a bartender out OF work.
who was arrested Yesterday by postal
inspectors. confessed To them tina, he had
attempted to repeat the swindle "a man
calling himself II IL K--n operated last
fall
About month ago. 50 he told Inspector
Rsddy h. read in the newspapers about
Keen. who in An office in West Twenty
third stree, scanned th.. newspapers To
select promising names aud addresses
from IN. death notices. Keen then would
writ. u letter addressed to a man whose
death notice he had just read asking the
man to send SO or so a. a last instalment
ON a diamond ring which the man was
supposed to have bought on tn. install
msnt plan. or he would not only lose the
ring but his previous payments on e a.
well
When such a letter came to- the homa of
the dead man his relatives upon opening
IL were tempted TO send along the small
amount asked for in order To get the ring
u pom which seemingly. so much had been
paid. When "a few of the d,Ipes had for
warded III. money and then mad received
Tno diamond in return they complained
10 the postal authorities k-en's mail
was stopped and traps wer. laid 10 catch
him. but he escaped
Riedel saws that when he first heard OF
the operations Of Keen he had been out
OF work for about three months and need
ing money thought h.. would take up the
game where Keen had dropped II Ried.i
had worked for some tim. a. "A bartender
in Brooklyn
The letter that got Ri.d-l INTO trouble
was mailed 10 Thomas McDermott. -
School street. GharlsStown. Mass ON
December IL McDermott had died few
DAYS before Rietiel, vino signed his letters
james T Coleman wrote 10 him. and
Riedel had read the death notice Riedei
wrote on note paper with heading which
said: James 7 Coleman. Diamonds
Watches and JeweIry- but gave no ad-
he told the recipients 10 forward the
money TO his Offices at ?52-25i Pearl street.
New York The postal inspectors say
Ri.cirl had not even desk room there. hut
had made. arrangements TO receive his
| mail there
The letter addressed to McDermott was
opened by a relative named J McDer-
mott. who knew that Thomas never had
4 LII
mott forwarded the letter signsd Coleman
| To the postal authorities
No, having received your regular
monthly instaIment ran the letter Ia
McD-rmo,,. nor heard from you for the
last five weeks | have to stat. that The
| lady- diamond ring which you ordered
! through my mail order department
and on which YOU already have paid
so will be di-po-ed Of for the balance
OF $50 II II H. not paid by the nd OF this
month. at which time the offer expires
! | arm az a Io-- o why you are far
~ arrears having hTr TWO NOR. install
m.nt- TO pay. or II Won -a. iii all IN one
payment
| On Thursday night Ri-d-l or Coleman
called al tn. Poet Office for som. letters
which the inspectors had fixed up for
| him a. "a Daii. blll when me CLERK A-ktI
him II h.. was Coleman he became con
fused and lefr the window hurTi.dIy
4 poorly d-s-4-d man came 10 he win
do~ again Yesterday afternoon and asked
for th. mail 81 Coleman Postal In
sp...uor R.-ddy was NO it.'i and grabbed
the man "a ne window II. WASH Cole
man ne -aid and admitted that the mem
bersnip card Of th. For-Ster- which he
had presented for me Identification
necessary TO receive r-girgered mail
had been handed 10 him by man out
in Park row who ah.o had given him a
dollar 20 20 inside ard ask for the Coleman
mail
Tn. postal inspectors persuaded the
shabby man TO point OuT 10 them he man
who had gwen him the dola- Ri.-i-
Wa found near the BROOKLYN Bridge on
trance and taken 10 Headquarters. where
the inspectors say he confessed A. the
Federal courts will he closed until TI--
day RiedeI was locked mp and will b.
arraigned on Tuesday morning before
Cnmn,isatonpr Shields