A news article from the Freeburg Courier was reprinted in the Sunbury American, June 18, 1875. It told the story of three fraudsters who registered at the hotel and then proceeded to swindle a farmer’s wife somewhere in the Lykens Valley. Afterward, they escaped by canoe across the Susquehanna River and boarded a west-bound train at Newport.
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Recently three men registering their names a H. Bucksbaum, Baltimore, Maryland; F. Burnstein and H. B. Mansfield, of New York, stopped at the Freeland House, Millersburg. On the day following their arrival they hired a horse and buggy and started out through Lykens Valley, visiting numerous farm houses, telling the simple minded but honest German farmers that they had just arrived from the old country (Germany) – for what purpose the sequel will explain. During the day they called at the residence of a respectable German family named Kattka, about five miles above Millersburg. Mrs. Kattka was the only member of the family at home when they called. To her they stated that they had just arrived from Germany; had a large amount of goods in the custom house at Baltimore, and they being short of money could not lift them. They asked a loan inan amount sufficient to satisfy the government officials — at the same time tendering to the old lady what appeared to be two valuable gold watches (which they carried in a tin box), but which proved to be, upon examination, two worthless brass concerns. Mrs. Kattka gave them about $136 in cash, after which they left the kind-hearted old lady, and when out of sight, hired a boy to take the team back to the liveryman at Millersburg. They immediately crossed the river in a canoe and boarded a westward bound train at Newport. One of the men it is alleged, was recognized as a resident of Bellefonte.
Search was made on the day following, but finding that the swindlers had boarded a train at Newport, the chase was abandoned.
A few additions to this story were supplied in the version printed in the Harrisburg Telegraph, June 3, 1875:
[The names of the men who registered at the Freeland House were] no doubt fictitious.
On Saturday they hired a horse and buggy from Mr. Shoop, liveryman, and started for the valley, visiting quite a number of farm houses, representing themselves as being from der faderland expecting by doing so to create sympathy for themselves among the German persuasion, who, to a very great extent, inhabit the beautiful valley of Lykens, thus affording a better opportunity for them to accomplish the object of their visit….
They called at the residence of a highly respected German family named Kattka, who are farmers and reside about 5 miles east of Millersburg…. requested the loan of an amount sufficient to satisfy the government’s claim, at the same producing two valuable gold watches neatly done up in a small box, which they tendered as security, promising to return on Monday and redeem them….
The sharpers telling such a plausible story, it moved her kind heart to action, and she gave them $136. On examination of the watches, they proved to be worthless….
All sharpers are not peddlers but all peddlers are sharpers. If you do not want to be fleeced, have nothing to do with them….
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News article from Newspapers.com
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