Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-06-30
gus Anoeles Assa'a.
wEDNESDAY,......JUNE3 80, 1875
A Los Angeles Beat Caught.

We find the following In the Call of
the 25th:
Alexander Craig, a confidence oper-
ator, who, for a number of years, has
been engaged in vietimizing citizens
of this State, was brought up from
San Mateo yesterday and lodged in
the City Prison, EN- route for Fairfield,
Solano county. where he is to serve
six months term of imprisonment for
having swindled man named Cham
berlain out of sum of money, by
falsely representing himself as a Ma
son in distress.
Last evening the Cdlps criminal
news detective had conversation
with the prisoner on the subject OF the
crime he had committed, after which
Craig said:
"Iook here; some of these papers
have been showing me up in a very
bad light, and have tried to make 1t
appear that l was in the habit OF
swindling the poorer classes of people
and those lacking intelligence, and
that | was obtaining money under
false pretences from newsboys. Now,
/ wish You would state that all this is
false, for my operations have been with
citizens of this State who are known
as among the most intelligent and
wealthy"
"Iow long have you been in this
business?"
".Well, since 1917 replied Craig. "In
that year / was teaching school at
what is now called Downeyville, Los
Angeles county; but people soon found
what my game was, and up went my
situation. By the way, talking about
Downeyville, puts me in mind that /
beat ex-Gov. Downey out of $3.50
Just borrowed the money, you know.
I also beat man named Workman,
big wine dealer down in Los Angeles,
out of $3.50. Those are the kind of
men went after. Why, among my
victims I can name Michael Reese,
VIM. G. Ralston, ex-Gov. Stanford, ex-
Gov. Haight, Charles McLane, James
Lick and Ben Holiday, and could
number many more if took time to
think.n
"Did you obtain much money from
these persons?
"Let me see,n replied the prisoner;
"there was Reese; / got $50 from him:
borrowed it for three months; told
him that / was an intimate friend of
Of one of his friends, and that want
ed little money to go to Oregon, as
was without funds. / tell you what,
Ive done good deal of talking to get
money, but to get that money from
Reese was the toughest job ever un-
dertook. 1t took three hours of solid
talk to get him to yield. He let me
have it, though, without interest.
Then there's Ralston. / Itold him that
1 was Col. A. Livingstone of Ken
lucky, and got $40 from him. STAN
ford loaned me $50 upon some repre-
sentation made to him. Ex-Gov.
Haight let me have SIS on the repre-
sentation that l was an ex-member of
the Legislature of Kentucky. c. Nc
Lane also advanced me S15 and James
Lick let me have $35. Ben. Holladay
gave me $40 and pass on one of his
steamers upon some. representation |
made to him.
"Didn't you raise considerable money
by the Masonic dodge?" asked the de-
tective.
"Well, no." replied Craig; "not so
much as people represent; but I'll tell
you what, I had a good time with the
money did get, and was well treated
wherever went. On one occasion |
went to one of your county officials
here, and he treated me as if was a
second King Kalakaua. He took me
to the theatre and got a private box
for me, treated me to oysters and
champagne; but when he found out
that [ was beat, how his chops did
dropp m c- Sc
"Who was that?n
"Well," said Craig, slowly,T would
rather not tell just now; but I'll tell
you what you can say, that afterI fin
ish my term in Fairfield 1 intend to
turn over new leaf aud lead an hon
est life."
An officer having business with the
prisoner came up at this time and
the conversation with Craig termin-
ated.
. 90