The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-15
NOT PROMOTER
BROWNS FIRST
TASTE OF Law
Behind The Bars Here For
Passing Bad Check, He Has
Records In Other Cities
Police Magazine Bears His POr-
trait With DescriptiOn-C.
N. DeQuetteville's Ex-
perience

Gustav A. Brown, known also as
Brownie, is held in bail of $4,000 for
trial in the city court on March 23d
on the charge of passing worthless
checks to the tune of several hundred
dollars The checks were caShed by
several local business houses but as
all of them bear the endorsement of
Dr. Fl G. Abernethy, the latter will
probably be the principal sufferer.
With Browns arrest a great scheme
comes to an end-or, according to
Mr. Brown-a temporary halt. The
suffering humanity for the small pay
ment of SO a year. In the meantime,
while Mr.. Brown was in the process
OF painfully putting together the
bricks for this Temple of Beneficence,
he issued various checks to make both
ends meet AS Mr.. Brown was not
we'll known enough-or too well known
to get his checks cashed in Bridge
port, he made them out to DR.. Aber-
nethy and prevailed upon the lattes
to cash them. In doing so, DR.. Abef
nethy was obliged to endorse the
paper and therefore under the law is
responsible for making good" the
various amounts. Brown claimed to
have an account of several thousand
dollars in the Corn Exchange Bank in
New York, but his checks on that in
stitution all came back marked no
funds"
Following Mr.. Browns arrest yester-
day by Detective Sergeant Cronan, the
latter looked through the files of 1.-The
Detective, a magazine that enjoys a
wide circulation among detectives,
sherfffS and police. Sure enough, In
one of the back numbers, he found
most striking Photographic portrait OF
Mr. Brown, dated at Detroit. Mich,
Oct. IL. 1910, with the interesting in
formation beneath it. Arrested for
grand larceny, Detroit, Oct. g." Fol-
lowing were Mr.. Browns description
and measurements.
Then Detective CrOnan unearthed a
Letter from C. N. DeQuetteville, form
erly manager of the windsor Hotel in
this city, now manager of a hotel at
Mexico. near Geneva, N. Y, complain
ing that Mr.. Brown on the strength of
a former acquaintance with Mr.; De-
Quetteville, had stopped at his hotel,
cashed a number of worthless checks
with the guests, and then decamped,
leaving the paper" and large un-
paid bill as souvenirs of his visit.
Butter wouldn't melt in Browns
mouth, so the police say, and honey
is as nothing to the mellifluous flow
markable is his talking ability that
the police say he even succeeded in
-.hornswoggling' the ticket agent a,
the Grand Central station in New
York for two tickets to Bridgeport
free of charge. That's going some
if you don't believe it, try it yourself
When Mr.. Brown came to town.
along with Mrs. Brown-they put w
at the Atlantic. Hotel, ordered the
most expensive suite of rooms anc
Mr.. Brown at once launched into his
great scheme. which. he claimed, hac
the endorsement of many prominent
Bridgeport business men,
This was to be a s.Home for Work
ingmen,'' Membership in the associ-
alton was to cost SO a year. This pro-
vided a certificate. Should the GER
tificate holder become ill, he was tt
be entitled to free treatement at the
institution until cured. Such q
scheme, said Mr.. Brown, is in highly
successful operation at Syracuse, N
Y. where the Park Avenue hotel is
devoted to it.
Such was Mr.. Browns devotion tt
this philanthropic enterprise-fo,
which he had selected Steeplechast
Island as a site-that he forgot al
about the little matter of the checks
and did not bother to leave town
even when they began to come back
marked mo good.''
Yesterday Mr.. Brown was placed
behind the bars, which afforded hin
point of view, as he remarked to the
reporters. bearing some of the ca
marks of familiarity. This morning
he was arraigned in the city cour
and his case was continued until the
23rd under bonds of $4,000, in lieu o
which he remains in durance vile
attorney Frederick Bartlett has beer
retained as his counsel.