”A Petty Swindler Among Jewelers in Upper New York

Elmira, N. Y., Dec. 31.—The La France Jewelry Co., of Elmira, jewelers Gethins & Bong, Corning, N. Y., I. A. Samuels. Sayre, Pa., Walter Ware, and Mandeville & Towner. Waverly. N. Y., are among the victims of a clever fakir who has been operating in this city and surrounding places the past few months. The man secured advertisements from the merchants to put into the hymn books of churches in their respective home places. It was his plan to secure one hymn book into which he would paste a proof sheet of the ads., and giving this book to a young woman, would send her around to collect on the ads. The merchants would suppose that the ads. appeared in all books and would pay the girl. He went from here to Rochester where he was arrested on the charge of defrauding an Elmira hotel keeper out of a board bill and was returned to this city where he was given a trial and found not guilty, as it could not be proved he intended to defraud the landlord.