New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-04
Educated Crook in ToiIs
Down South on Charge Of
Swindling Woman.
ONCE MORE SLEUTHS
ARREST NEW YORKER
Held with Pal in Atlanta for Get,
ting $4,000 in Zion City-Has
Remarkable Record.

Hot Springs, Ark. March 3-Alonzo,
Whiteman. former member OF the q,
cago Stock Exchange, and Edward
Gibbs, alias Jackson De Forrest. said !.
be wanted in New York, Chicago a..
other cities for alleged swlndling op.,,
tons, were arrested here to-day. Wbr.
man was arrested on a charge OF svi,d
ling woman at Zion City, ILL.,, Oh, a,
$500 Gibbs is accused Of raising a dr,,
from s. 10 5000 The men were stav,rs
at different hotels and were arrests
when they met here.
You are the most remarkable prisor.,
who has ever come before me, and %,
only say that I am deeply grieved 10 Ga.
man OF your high intellectual attain.
ments In such a position" said Juas.
kenenck In the Superior Court at Buffalo
in 1905. when, after years of fruitless -.
fort, the Pinkerton detective agency
succeeded In having Alonzo J. Whitemar
convicted OF grand larceny.
That Whiteman is one OF the most "a.
markable criminals ever known in tbi,
country is attested by his record Hs
was born in Dansville. n. Y. the son ~
a wealthy manufactures. who left nearly
$l00000o. part of which the son Inherited
Whitemans brilliance and his passion
for gambling soon asserted themselves
AT Hamilton College he was known a.
an exceptional student and the best poker
player. After graduating he went to Du.
luth, where he went into business. Al
twenty-four he was elected TO the Mime
sofa Senate. He became president Of
two banks and a manufacturing firm, and
was fayorite In society.
A setback in his political career seemed
to mark the turning point i'm his career
After term in the Senate no ran for
Congress from the 5th District and was
defeated About this time his specula-
lions IN the wheat market were unfortu.
nate. and within an incredibly short time
he was broke.
Whiteman then devoted all his time 10
poker in his clubs Stories OF his sue
cess filtered back home, and Robert j.
Knox, chum at college. young lawyer
of promise and a son OF a clergyman at
Elmira, n. y, appeared in Duluth. With
Whiteman he went into scheme 10 beat
the club poker games, and they were ex.
posed and left the city.
Under Whiteman's influence Knox tried
his hand at forgery and later smuggling.
He was caught escaped, recaptured and
given a prison sentence Whiteman
escaped. Knox was given an iudetenn-
nate sentence OF from two 10 fourteen
years in the ponitentiary al Michigan
City, Ind. He is still there.
Subsequently. Whitemans operations
became international. lie was arrested
many times, but always wTiggied out Of
triuble When the United States got too
hot for him he would so TO Europe I'm
the Far East he made a criminal record
but escaped its penalties.
Whiteman's amusement was beating
bookmakers and crooks lie was bank
and hotel swindler as side line.
For long time his prepossessing ap-
pearance and courteous bearing were one
OF the features Of the old Fifth Avenue
Hotel in New York City. In 1898 when ne
did" the New Amsterdam Hotel out Of
a big board and lodging bill he was ar
rested and brought before q magistrate
Bail was fixed at $500. He amazed the
court and spectators by taking OF his
shoe and producing 500 in bills. lie never
came back to claim H.
When the Pinkertons finally got White
man for the offence on which ne Wa
sentenced to Auburn he made break lo'
liberty by crawling through the "indo'
OF a drawing room car while tho usm
was in motion. lie was recaptufed anu
given eight years in Jail Later he vas
transferred TO Dannemora for insahlU
He recovered quickly and was releass'
two and e half years ago.
Whiteman. IL is said, has been arres'.a
"A times, indicted q times. convicted
times and has been given prison zen
fences aggregating fifty-one years. u.
has served six Of them. II is alless'
also that he has stolen more than inl".
ion dollars and has been divorced by '"''
women.