Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-24
WALL STREETS MAN-HUNTER.
He Runs Down Desperate SwindIers
Who Know No Dead Line"


Who Know No Dead Line"
One day last week boy wa. sent
from a down town brokerage house to
the Empire Trust company with $400
in currency to purchase a supply Of
New York state stock transfer stamps.
Returning with the stamps he passed
them in to the cashiers cage, and was
sent on another errand. There was no
suspicion of anything wrong, but the
cashier, glancing at the Empire
Trusts receipt for his $400, noticed
a mistake In the manner in which 1t
had been made out. He called the
| Empire Trust on the telephone, and
learned that his messenger had not
been there that day to purchase
stamps.
The Wall street investigator was
thereupon called upon to learn where
the stamps which the boy had deliv-
cred were obtained. Within twenty
four hours he had cleared the matter,
and returned the $4O0 to the broker
age house. Without interrogating the
boy he had looked up an alleged stamp
collector downtown, Of whom he had
for some time been suspicious; by a
little shrewd detective work of kind
not unusually resorted to by the ordi-
nary headquarters sleuth, he had un-
covered the manner by which the "col-
lector" had inveigled the boy into
purchasing the transfer stamps from
him instead Of the Empire Trust, and
had placed in the hands Of the police
evidence which rid the financial dis
trict Of a thief who. IL permitted to
continue his operations, might have
mulcted more than one broker before
he was finally found out.
| or itself, this incident may not have
been important; 1t was probably one
Of the most simple and colorless cases
which have been taken to the Wall
street investigator to unravel. Never
theless, it served to emphasize the
scope Of the work that Is being done
by the man who, in the fulfillment Of
his vocation. has proved one Of the
most valuable unofficial assets of Wall
street for the past twenty years.
There is no one within the radius Of
half mile of the Stock Exchange
whom the investigator does not know
or cannot learn about at short notice;
for detection of men or boys who make
1t their business to defraud downtown
brokers through such petty schemes
as the sale Of ill-gotten stock transfer
stamps. or for foiling international
plots involving millions Of dollars, the
investigator is always called upon to
take an important part.
The investigator is known personal
ly to the head of every financial insti-
tuition in the city, but few Of the thou
sands Of clerks and underlings know
even Of his existence. He has an office
in building on Broad street, midway
between the New York Stock Ex-
change and the Consolidated Ex-
change, and within hailing distance Of
a dozen of the largest banks in the
financial district. Armies Of people
pass his place every week day, and
suspect the investigator Of being what
he is, or who know that within his two
moderate-sized rooms have been un-
folded more secrets than could posi-
bly, be told about. He does not mind
talking about his work-up to a GER
tain point. Beyond that he will not
go.
| One room Of the investigators office
contains his desk and two long steel
filing cabinets; there are $4,000
names represented in these cabinets,
every single file item in the place be-
ing catalogued and numbered, and
each single reference having a his
tory. The investigator knows which
Of the histories he may tell about and
which he may not; both he and the
cabinets have about them a distinct
atmosphere Of secrets well kept.
| About some of his cases the inves-
tigator will talk, but he uses no names.
He tells of mining deals by the hun
dred in which promoters were foiled
in securing funds from banks solely
on the information which he had fur
nished, and were finally compelled to
abandon their swindling plans because
he was on their trail. He will tell,
when in a talkative mood, with res
ervation of certain particulars, Of
the time not long ago when he put a
spoke in one Of the most audacious
Undertakings upon which financial
schemers have been known to ven-
ture.
The authors of this particular un-
dertaking were not Of the ordinary
type, anxious to turn a trick, and come
away with enough "swag" to finance
a life of idleness for a few months.
They were the kind which move in
what is termed high society," and their
plans were laid far in advance. A
promoting company was incorporated,
with an authorized capitalization that
was written with seven ciphers and
with prospects that were truly daz-
zling. The ground work finished, one
of the band was sent to Europe, where
prospective prey among the wealthy
was to be stalked, letters Of introduc-
ton, handsome face and an American
manner soon made him a favorite with
the one who was to be the prey-a
wealthy French nobleman. In due
course, the scheme was broached-
very, oh, very carefully-and the rich
nobleman's interest was so encourag-
ing that the American pressed his ad-
vantage. Soon he had the nobleman
completely won over; visions of sin
gle million francs converted into a
number of millions Of dollars with a
single "Pouf!" made him almost pray
erful to be permitted to contribute Of
his fortune.
Just when prospects were most gilt
tering came the slip-up. The promot-
ing firm whose members composed
the band which planned to relieve the
Frenchman Of his wealth needed ad-