The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-02-21
Former Convict in Ohio Peni-
Tertiary a Society Favorite
and Lived by SWindIing
Rich BritonS.
HIS FAMILY DIDN'T
KNOW CROOKED PAST
Full of Romance and Thrilling
Adventures Has Been the
Life of the Man Now Held in
the T0mbS.

New York, Feb. 21-Red Adams, in
ternational swindler and confidence
man, whose illegal operations have
gained for him enormous sums of mon
ey, most of which he still retains and
who in exclusive social circles in
rie, is in the Tombs. He was sup
posed to be a capitalist, a member of
clubs and lived in style at No. 1870
East Eighth street in Brooklyn.
His wife and family knew nothing
of his crooked career. Yet at one time
he served term in the penitentiary at
Columbus, Ohio.
Full of romance and thrilling adven-
lures has been the life of this man of
dual personality who will be arraigned
tomorrow in the Federal court, charg-
ed with defrauding William Lea, an
Englishman, out of $4,000 in gold
brick" scheme, similar to one through
which scores of wealthy English fami-
lies are said to have been victimiZed
to the extent of nearly ST 100000 by
Adams and his band during the last
ten years.
Deceived the Wife.
MY husband is now in the West in
specting some mining property" Mrs.
Curtis said, land l am expecting him
home within three weeks She knew
nothing further, it appeared. Yet at
that time "Mr. Currie' was a prisoner
in the Tombs. Link by link the Unit
ed States Postoffice Inspectors added
to the chain of evidence, which dis
close the two sides of the life of Red
Adams, and by which United States
District Attorney Wise hopes to obtain
a conviction, which will mean long
term in prison.
In his home life Adams is said to
have marked himself as an actor of the
highest rank. Throwing aside his
Shaking jacket and volume Of
Shakespeare, he could affect the dis
guise of the miner of the hills of Brit
ish Columbia, and lure wealthy vic
tim into paying thousands of dollars
for a brick of brass filings, which he
represented as the pure metal from the
mine in which the victims dead rela-
tive had owned considerable interest.
JekyI ana 7yQe..
Then, forgetting his criminal haunts
and deserving his companions of the
lower world Red Adams, crook and
confidence man. would resume his life
of responsibility and parade as law
abiding. honest citizen. He would re-
turn to his fireside and renew his in
terest in affairs befitting a prosper
T.;
wealth after years of prospecting in
the canyons and along the hillsides
of the Rockies.
Such has been the life of Red Ad-
ans for more than a decade.
For 40 years he has been known to
the police of two continents as dan
gerous and shrewd confidence man.
Central hotel on December %, when
he called there for letters addressed
to James Thomas Southwick, of
Bayonne, N. j." one of the names he
used in writing to his intended vic.
tins.
At police headquarters he gave his
name as John Williams, 81 years old
but he refused all information as to
his place of residence. Bernard Nc
Conville. of the Central Office Detec
tive Bureau. was not satisfied with
the mans Identification.
Knew Him Well.
THAT man is Charles Adams, alias
Red Adams, a notorious swindler,'
he insisted.
NcConville won and the prisoner