13
B30K53JCSni
PC
Tlie Three Swindlers of Lorraine
B"7 W1IX1AM HAMILTON OSBORNK.
TUB UMA11A DAILY BEK: RATTRPAY. FKrTEMHRIC 2R, INK!.
Cc.pjr!ght. 1S0S. by Wnv Hnrollton Osborne ) spwed
in town or lorr,n was ft big town
and a successful Kwn and an Important
town. On the map U was not Indicated by
dot or by a clrrle not by a long ahot.
It waa Indicated 'jy what appeared to be a
mall piece of Irregularly shaped mosquito
netting, from "which there radiated at least
half a dose? railroad llnea Tht fixed Ita
status from the start.
But thera waa otia thing the matter with
the town, it waa too eat) -that waa all.
Jts bufinejw men. aa business men. wera
cautlu-jB and conservative. They would not
l"iy porner lota nor loan upon theia without
rnaJilng the moat exhaustive examination
of the title to tha ld. And yet, almost aa
one man, Uipy would place good size wads
of bills In tho hands of any smooth tongued
atranger who claimed to own a mine, or an
oil well, or a gold brick. In other words.
I-orrainn was the stamping ground of swin
dler Blngularly enough, none of these
swdlers were ever caught.
tiovi there was In thla town of Lorraine
a few hard headed old fellows who had
b?n swindled once or twice Wo often.
They atarted In to watch. And they soon
Uncovered that tha police department not
only winked at the little games played by
. these genteel swindlers, but, further, that
the police department was Itself hand In
Rlove with them. Tha local papers were put
at work on the case, much to their delight,
and one bright morning when the chief of
police rose from hla couch he read with
much surprise In tha Lorraine "Liberty
Ik-U" this ominous headline:
"SIIARI'E SHARES WITH SWINDLERS."
As the name of the chief of police hap
pened to be Sharpe, he considered the sug
Ktlon to be somewhat too personal. How
ver, he took the pains to read column after
column upon the subject.
"Hang those fellows." he muttered to
Siimsclf. "there ain't a word o' truth In
what they say. But the devil of It Is," he
finally concluded, "that they can prove the
whole darn business."
One hour later he handed In his resigna
tion, drew his back pay, and left town by
st circuitous routo, Thla relieved the hard
headed c!d fellows who had begun the In-
estimation, and wVle It robbed the papers
of the dolighta ot a sensation, still It was
the easiest way QOt of It.
Now in the town of Lorraine there waa
a man whose name was Peter V. Clancy.
He was said, to be an honest man. He was
also a stuiietit of human nature, and none
of the swindlers who had ever come to
town had, been able to come It over him.
The hard-headed old fellow made It plain to
the mayor that Peter F. Clancy was the
man for the vacated place of chief of po
lice. The mayor, whose skirts perhups were
not altogether unsullied by the Blutrpe af
loir, hastily acquiesced.
He started In In the conventional way by
talking for publication. Both the Liberty
Bell and tho Morcing Glory had the pleas
tire of printing a long Interview. In this In
terview the new chief stated that the crying
Fiiame ot the town Was swindling, and that
lie proposed to stop it, and stop'lt quick
All went veil for tha space of two
months. No swindler dared to show his
face In the town of Lorraine.
It waa on the 25th day of May that
stylishly and well-afMsed man stepped into
the private office ot P. Toler Andrews. Mr.
Andrews waa a young man who had Just
corns Into a fortune. The stranger pre
sented a letter of Introduction from a prom
Inent New York man, with whom young
Andrews had some slight acquaintance. He
explained that he was stopping at the Bet
mont. Lorraine's very swellest stopping
1)1 ace. Mr. Andrews became bis guest at
the hotel, and played several friendly games
ot carts, at the close of which the stranger
slightly out ot pocket Andrews waa
tout to leave when a messenger arrived
Vlth a special delivery letter addressed to
the stranger. The stranger excused him
elf, opened the letter, and from It fluttered
a handsomely engraved and profusely certi
fied check on one of the first banks, of New
York, to the order of the stranger, and to
the amount of several thousand dollars.
"Well, by George!" exclaimed this genial
man, 'we've got to have another bottle on
this thing." Over this bottle Mr. Andrews
host explained to him all about the check.
It represented his profits on a lucky deal
In sugar. He had placed a few hundreds
with Roberts ot Roberts, McCoutts & Co.
ot Wall street. Roberts had Inside In
formation and this Inside Information was
making for tha friends of Roberts rapid
little fortunes on the quiet.
The next day Mr. Andrews, as a sort ot
flier, put up a Hundred by wire, of course
svith Roberts, McCoutts & Co. The day
after he received his check. It was for
921). This waa a good thing too good to j
keep. With the permission of his new-,
found friend he told some ot the boys J
about it, and Andrews and the boys put up
several thounand on sugar. It so happened
t this Juncture that the stranger's busi
ness waa concluded In Lorraine. He was
on his way back to tha metropolis, and, aa
a matter of accommodation, he agreed to
deliver the few thousands to Roberts, Mo
Coutts & Co. He gave his receipt for it,
and, emerging from the light blue smoke
30-cent clgsrs, left the good old town
sjf Lorraine.
In a few days Mr, Andrews, who had
received no word from Roberts, McCoutts
et Co., wrote them a letter.
The letter came back. There was no
such firm. He had deposited his check of
$2M in his bank at Lorraine. The check
came back. It waa a forgery. Mr. Andrews
and his friends had been done done brown.
They squealed and the newspapers took It
up. The chief ot police waa horrified
paralysed. And he was more so when It
waa discovered that the awell stranger had
not only done up Andrews and his crowd,
bilt two or three other crowds as well, s
ot whom he entertslned lavishly at the
Belmont at different hours of the day and
night.
"That's devilish strange," muttered the
, new chief of police. "How the devil could
I have missed that fellow, anyway?''
It was devilish strange. But the strang
est part f It waa that on the very night
when the stranger left two men sat In the
back room of a saloon. In an obscure part
of town, and conversed In whispers. On
of these men resembled the chief of police
the other the slick stranger. At the con
clusion of the conversation the stranger
a wad of bills to tiie chief and the
chief buttoned them In his Inside pooket.
And then each went his seversl ways
.ejlclng.
Two days went by. When Mr. James F.
Wallace, Ltrrulne's successful business man
and real estate agent, came near kicking
out of his cttlce a shabby frayed little man
he came near making a mistake. This man
proved to be a near relative of Wallace's
wife. Bhe was swsy at the time. Wallace
was secretly glad of It. All that the man
wanted of Mr. Wallace was to get a 15
check cashed. Wallace sniffed suspiciously
but the amount was small, and he cashed
It, Tho little man discovered thai Wallace's
wife was to be away for somo three weeks,
Te expressed regret at this, but confided
to Wallace that while he was In poor
circumstances just at present he was In
terested in a Chicago1 estate which was now
in process of settlement, and he fully ex
pected to get several thousand dollars In a
week or two. He was In Lorraine because
he had succeeded In getting a small position
there. He did not bother Wallace again
for a few days, until he came back with
a check for 10, signed with the name of
a small grocery house. Tl" other check
had been all right, and Wallace cashed
this check. This, too, went through all
right. The next time tha man came In he
was radiant. He had a letter from hla
Chicago lawyers. In which they said they
noted hla suggestion that be would have
difficulty In getting lam checks cashed
In a town where he was uiCmown, and they.
therefore, had sent him by express 15,000
bills, on account of his share In the estate
of his deceased relative. He had the ex
press packnge, and the five $1,000 bills. He
now wanted to take this money to his home
town and deposit It In his local bank, but
preferred not to enrry'tho cash. He there
fore request Mr. Wallace to give him
check to his order. Wallace, who liked
moneyed men, acquiesced with alacrity. He
put the Ave bills In the safe, wrote the check
handed It over, and then Invited the relative
of Mrs. Wallace out to lunch. The little
man stipulated that he must be released In
time for his train, which went at I o'clock
The lunch was finished, and the little man
left. Instead of taking a train, he went to
a bank, where, by the courtesy of another
business man of the place, he was Identi
fied as the payee named In the check. He
thereupon received from the bank five $1,009
bills. Then he, too, disappeared.
The same evening Mrs. James F. Wallace
returned to town, and James F. told her
about her relative. 8he had a relative of
that name, but he had been dead for five
years. The next morning James F. Wallncs
sent tho $5,000 bills to the bank for deposit
to his account. The bank returned them
with Its thanks. Each bill was a cleverly
executed counterfeit. James F. Wallace
had been taken In and not he alone, but
a dozen other men besides.
And on the evening that the relative of
Mrs. Wallace disappeared, ha and another
man who resembled a mnn whose name
was Peter F. Clancy, talked earnestly to
gether in a dark alley. Some money passed
between them.
Again the police force went up In arms.
Again the newspapers howled. Again there
waa a lingering wall of anguish from the
victims.
"This thing," exclaimed the Morning
Glory in a rage, "this thing must stop.
Either the police department Is woefully de
ficient or else the citizens of Lorraine are
a pitiful lot of sap heads one of the two,
or both."
A bluff, hearty man, with a travel-stained
appearance, stepped Into the First National
bank, with the proprietor of the Lorraine
hotel. The bluff, hearty man wanted to
deposit to his credit aome $3,000. The hotel
propletor was rather proud of thla man
for he was John Billings, the famous cattle
king of Arizona. Lorraine was a great
grain center, and, attracted by the low
prlcea at which feed and fodder was being
offered, he had come on to give an order
way ahead against the coming winter. He
made extensive purchases at several places
on credit. Aa the goods were not to be
delivered for some months to come, the
IB
I
THE. PKINCtTON
j v
1 i' w
i
THE CRAMERCY
THE WILTON
Suits and Overcoats
FOR. MEN.
UNPRECEDENTEDLY STKOXG ARE THESE FOrULAR PRICE GRADES.
$9.00, $12.00, $15.00
A Sviperb Display of
Women's Man-tailored
Have you visited
beautiful third floor
partment by all odds thefui
am
handsomest, best appoint
ed and most elegant show
room in Omaha? Take
advantage of Saturday's
very special inducements
to ive yourself the pleas
ure of a visit. In keep
ing with the elegance of
the surroundings you'll
find the collection of wo
men's made-up wearables
unsurpassed in styles and
extent of the display.
From the new lines we've
The values that are included in each of the above prices, over-reach any previous season's
offerings. They arc not just the money's worth They ure more There's fit, finish and effect
that are not measurable by price, but skill and taste and cleverness, that give the garment char-1 selected the following for
acter and the w earer dressiness. i special emphasis Saturday
lM Tins is U ITS tnere are fully o styles in tnese tnree graaes new, iancy enecis ana piain eVery price should prove
ft
weaves cut and made w ith every care to the minutest detail
IN THE OVERCOATS there are nearly fifty styles of the varying lengths, the fashion
able shades and all the tailoring points that express artistic and intrinsic merit.
KEDATE STYLES FOR THE MIDDLE AGED AND ELDERLY MAN. STYLES WITII
TLENTY OF DASH AND GINGER FOR THE DRESSY YOUNG FELLOWS.
BOYS' SUIT DEPARTMENT
This department is popular with both boys and the parents, and we venture to say that a
greater number of boys have been fitted out here this season than at any other store. Saturday
we have prepared a number ot exceeding good values in boys' suits, that will mean a big saving.
$1.50, $2.00, $2.50, $3.00
Neat, dressy patterns, in qualities that will stand the wear and tear that boys usually give 'em
Double breasted or Norfolk, you can have either style fifty patterns to select from compare
them with anything in town from $1.00 to ?2.00 more in price.
an irresistable temptation
to come.
the :T?UPS H
Special Offerings in
WOMEN'S TAILOR-MADE SUITS
I fjassjssyiPi,ywT7ytJwiTyiwwrtwy'
.tt"I".uii. ., i.im.ih ,. ii mil, M.i
Women's Tailor Made Suits
Made of a very tins quality of the new
Etamine Cheviot in all shades and the
very newest shapes with cape collar
and the new sleeves. Suits you pay
125 for In any other store In Omaha.
Our Price $18.75
Women's Tailor Made Suits
Made of tha very finest puallty of
Zlbeltnes and Panne Cheviots the new
Louis XIV shape (exactly like above
picture, elegantly finished and tailored
food as any $50 suit In America.
Our Special Price $35
Women's Tailor Made Suits
In Broadcloths, Cheviots, Zlbeltnes and
fancy mixtures In all the very latest
effects dress or walking lengths; they
would be considered cheap for 35
elsewhere.
Our Price $24.75
Women's Hih Class
Tailor Made Suits
Just arrived by express, about SO sam
ple suits, from the finest mskcrs In
this country. They are true copies
from the other side only one of a
kind. Come and see them.
At Prices $47.50, $55, $65, $75
3ai
after he made a little round of calls upon
the grain dealers, he said good-bye and
went back to his cattle ranch. That Is
where he said he was going. Where he
actually went no one exactly knew except,
perhaps, one man. That man was Clancy,
chief of the police department.
Ultimately the grain dealers and the mil
lionaires communicated with John Billings
at his far west address. He answered
swindled to attend him In person at 2
o'clock on the following day. There were
several of. these men, and they each ot
them were Invited inside, the railing. Then
Clancy opened up the door to the clamor
ing crowd. As soon as quiet wns restored,
Clancy signaled to an officer wto stood at
an inner door. Immediately there saunt
ered Into the office a well dressed man with
a smooth face. At his entrance young Mr.
Restores Vigor
Eforsford's
Acid Fhosphalo
A teaspoon In a plane of water,
taken when eihaut-lordprt ed
from overwork, iusotnnia, poor
digestion, or summer beat, jrivea
to am and vigor to tbe satire ayvttun.
w m ill t'yimttmm Ww--4
mtm m
:d km Mmmumt
cL&P7 Jf'&s mm
EDS
HE MOTIONED TO TWO OFFICERS WHO SEIZED THE WELL-DRESSED MAN AAD JERKED FROM HI3 HEAD A WIG.
dealers leisurely and lazily looked him up
in Bradstreet's. John Billings was all right,
the agencies reported. Thtjr reported that
they could get no personal statement from
Billings himself, as Billings was In the mid
dle west or eastern states, buying up grain
fur the winter.
This seemed satisfactory. Billings had
some further arrangements to make iu
Lorraine. Gradually he was Introduced to
a millionaire or two the introduction was
made by the grain dealers. He wanted to
borrow money. He would give bis note and
a chattel mortgage on bis cattle. H only
wanted VO.OiM or ttt.000. Ech millionaire
luvestlgated. found that be was all right,
that the cattle were free and clear and
hastened to make tbe loan at the hlijheiit
rale uC inlereat. After Lo had obtained
three lota from as many millionaires and
had given up three chattel mortgagee, and
each letter with alacrity. He stated that
he had never been in the town of Lorraine.
He had Just returned from a grain-buying
trip. It was true, but all his time had been
spent In the city of Chicago. Eventually
some one secured a photograph of the real
John Billings. Alas! he was not the cattle
king who had made a flying visit to Lor
raine, In the mldt of it all the only mui
who maintained his composure was the
new chief ot police. He called one day at
the office of the Liberty Bell. This was
their subsequent announcement:
SYNDICATE OV 8W1NDLER8 SWIPED.
Clancy Caught Counterfeiter, Confidence
Man and Cattle King.
At this announcement the towu was wllj.
It swarroad to police headquarters. But
thure if found out nothing. C.aiicy Ins l ad,
simply netlnea avary man who bad been
leading between them a bluff, hearty,
powerful looking man. !
This man had no sooner entered than
there was a wild hub-bub. ,
"Let me get at him!" yelled one of the
millionaires wildly. The cattle king, for it
was he, folded his arms. "Come on," he
said with a twitching mouth, "I can take
care of you I guess."
It is to be noticed that this was the first
ot the three swindlers who had spoken.
And when this man spoke, three men
slightly started. One was young Andrews,
ono was James F, Wallace and the third
was the millionaire. The cattle king went
bock. ,
"Now gents," Bald the chief, "all this
here is Just a bit of by-play. Bring In that
Tracy fellow," he announced. The Tracy
fellow came in. "Tracy." said the chief,
"you're made up. Undress."
Tracy looked around. "Here?" he 'asked
uncertainly.
The chief answered him gruffly. "I'll
save you the trouble," he said. He mo
tioned to two officers, who seized the well
dressed man and Jerked from his head a
wig. They stripped him of his fashionable
coat, and there stood before the crowd a
man who looked mora like a Jailbird than
anything else.
"Now you see." said the chief to An
drews, "Just what you run up against.
Take hlrn away for a minute, till we see
the others again."
The next swindler was brought in. He,
too, waa stripped. And this one looked
ita iik . Tha crowd stretched forward
and rubbered as before. John Billings was
led in as soon aa the other had retired.
His wig and superfluous flesh were hastily
removed and wonder ot all the wonders
he, too, was the self-same man.
He smiled a smile large enough for three
. . I - M I 1 J A J
men. Ana wen tne cmei mai.cu, auu
after the chief smiled he reached back of
him and opened a large safe. From this
safe he took out several large rolls of bills.
Gentlemen," he began. "I started in ts
cure this town of swindlers. Beln swindled
Is a disease, and I've been around to vac
cinate a few, to prevent tne spreaa oi tne
epidemic Several of you gentlemen have
lost some money, but It was for the good
of the community. Now I've caught this
three-fold Jailbird, gentlemen, and I made
him cough up what he had left. I've Just
about divided it up in the right proportions.
And now," he added, holding out tbe bills
to the several victims
' Each grasped bis own and began to count
it. The first to complete the Job was
p. Toler Andrews. "Why. why." he
pluttered. "I've got It all back,"
"Mine, to." a dozen voices shouted. The
chief smiled again.
"Gents," he said, "you're right, I guess
I started in to cure this town of swindling,
and by the help of the police, and by the
help of the newspapers, I dona It. But
gents," he went on, "that help wouldn't
have amounted to a row of pins all by It
self. The man who done the trick is old
Boneset Smith, the slickest detective In the
j city of New York, and the greatest sleuth
of Council Bluffs, and asks that the Council
Bluffs Insurance company and V. W.
Loomls, receiver, each may be made party
thereto. The defendants file a cross peti
tion, holding that the United 8tates circuit
court has no Jurisdiction in the premises.
GOSSIP ON COMMISSION ROW
Old School Lobsters Are im Thi with
that Ban Tight Haad
Sbak.
Some fine old-school lobsters are in town
again shaking hands In their hearty way
and making dates with the familiar llve
bolled Joints. There Is no halt-hearted
limpness about the hand grasp of the
Maine lobster, he Ukes you there; although
he may be your enemy in the Lobster-Newberg-dream-hop
combination. The lob
sters of last week were as a rule the young
and perhaps slightly flavorless bnes who.
through dare deviltry and lack of specific
gravity, had betn caught in the storms and
had to seek refuge in the lobster pots. The
bigger lobsters stayed Bafe below until the
storm was over. This week the Maine
coast is calm, and so the good old lobsters
are again on the market, and the price,
which was last week up. Is again at the
normal for this season.
Now In the time to make a shell-fish
sandwich of yourself. A full line of
oysters are in and for this season doing
the biggest business ever known. This
will Increase until after New Tear, Of
the less aristocratic oysters who oome
here in bulk to be canned the smallest sad
easiest to buy are the Standards. But If
they are little they are the true marinas
and are at home In the soup, giving It the
real flavor of the sea. Next with the
Scales and the price list are the Selects
and last in order the New Tork Counti.
The Count on the market this week Is big.
You can sit down with the children and
that oyster to dinner and aat the oystvr
till 2 o'clock. But these easily approach
able bivalves are not the real high-flyer.
It's the Blue Points and the Rockaways
that are the perfect gentlemen, every on 3
living in his private shell and excluding
all but his few friends. The Blue Poln'.a
are petite, and, while socially perfect, have
not the wealthy patronage accorded to the
larger Rockaways. Clams, too, are here In
shell. Little hecks and Quohogs. When
tha Quohogs are open for buulness they
are usually not the only hogs about the
table.
I P. Toler Andrews gave vent to an involun- hound In the world. And that man Boneset
I tarv Hrlamiliun at surnrlfc I a.iv. ..nolniltj th. lirlfP with
tary exclamation of surprise.
"What's the matter, Andrews?" said the
chief mildly.
Andrews spluttered in hla excitement,
"T-t-that's tbe fellow that did me up that
Tracy fellow from New York.
The chief raised his eyebrows. '"Are you
Sure?" he aeked. Andrews was sure, and
so Were a dozen other men. The chief
waved hi hand. The strsnger Uuntlly
walked back by the way that he had come.
There waa a buss of conversation. It
ceased when a shabby sort of man, who
seemed little, entered In the custody of an
officer. He bowed nervously to Mr. James
F. Wallace, who glared at him like a caged
tiger. He waa identified at onre by a will
ing ronco'jree of complainants. He, too,
waa retired. Two (ohecmea then appeared.
Smith, gents,
a broad grin.
Jailbird look la'
concluded the sheriff, with
"Is none other then that
fellow that stands there.1
Cbamherlaln's Colle. Cholera aad
Diarrhoea Reae4y.
The uniform success of this preparation
In the relief end cure of bowol complaints
hss brought It into almost universal usa
It never fails and when reduced with wster
and sweetened Is pleaaant to take. It Is
equally valuable tor children and adulta
Sees Defaaet rosapaay.
f'harlen Woclz of Hall county has brounht
unit In the I'nlled Blatm circuit rourt on
trant"Tht of Judgment from Hnll rouritv,
asalnst tlw Council Bluffs Insurance com
pany, whl'-h PR rratd to do hulneii. to
recover on a IS.S'O r-ote of said romiiirv
which he bought of the Citizens' e late bank
Will Hold City Liable.
tary a. Heath. 1517 Burt street.
tha
mother of Leo Heath, the messenger boy
who was dangerously Injured by falling
from a bicycle on Thirteenth street between
Cnts and California on September 1, has
filed notice with the city advlRlng that
she will hold the city liable on the grounds
of a rough nnd "obstruction-filled" stone
pavement. The boy. It Is enld. had his
skull fractured and wus otherwise In
jured permanently.
Notice to tho Knights of Ak-Sir-Bes.
Our brothers to the south of us are hold
ing this week a street carnival, and the
board has set alde as Omaha night Fri
day, September 45, and hla roynl hlghnens.
King Ak-Kar-Ben IX requests that all his
loyal citizens Joun ey to South Omaha on
that date and participate in the festivities
of our brother knlchia.
. 1
lNION PACIFIC).
11 ROUND TRIP. II
J Let sIm San
Angelei JlfsMj Francisco
f Tickets on sale Oct. 8th to 17th, inclusive,
If KETURtf LIMIT, S0V.3ot, 1
II Slxtun hours qulckir than tny other lino to
thi Paolflo Coist. fj
For full information call or writa
CITT TICKET orriCB 1824
VV FzKlAM STREET, jf
'PHOJB 810. ttr
THE KEELEY CURE
Cor. 19th tad Leavenworth Streets.
OMAHA, NEBRASKA.
Tha Oldest, 5afest and mt
Reliable Curo for Alcoholism,
norphlo or other Drug Ad
dictlors. Tobacco and Clga
rette habit. All communica
tions confidential,
Woa. lV Burns, Manage'
l