Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1880-05-09
A STUPENDOUS SCHEME.
A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR PLANS BOLD STOCK
JOBBING OPERATION--CLEVEK WORK OF
CHICAGO DETECTIVE - THE PACIFIC
COAST TO HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT
By TIDAL WAVR.

Company, passed through Reno with Thomas
a. HOLSTER in charge Holster was arrested
On Sunday last in San Francisco for tamper,
ing with the wires of the Western Union Tel,
egraph Company. Through his capture one
of the bcldest stock jobbing plots ever known
has been nipped in the bud.
A MONTE CRIsro GAME
| Through Holster the trick Of cutting the
telegraph wires and sending bogus dispatch
| to cause a crash in the stock market, as re-
lated in Monte Cristo, came near being re-en-
acted in America. The plan of Holster was
patch to New York to the effect that tidal
wave had wiped out San Francisco, acco,apan
led by an earthquake which had destroyed
Virginia City. The idea to smash Pa
| cifc Mail stock in Wall street and cause a
crash in Comstock securities as we'll. How
many spectators were implicated in t, = job
there is no means IF telling
HOW THE PLOT WAS DISCOVERED.
For some months past the Western Union
Company has been aware that their wires
have been experimental with and have had
men on the alert to Nab the offender. Ali
efforts to trace the matter np were unavailing
and finally detective wilkins, of Chicago, Was
detailed to take the matter in hand. He is
experience in just such cases as the present
one. He travelled along the line for several
weeks, camping out and living the life of
prospector. About two years ago he found
place few miles east of Battle Mountain
where the wires had been tempered with
They had been cut aud another length put in
which could be detached in few seconds
There were marks on the pole where som"
one had climbed quite frequently, and run
ming along the ground he found an insulated
wire which ran north and was partly concealed
by the grass and sage brush. At the end
nearest the telegraph line the wire was coiled
up and by uncoiling it would reach the mail.
line. He followed this wire nearly mile and
came upon
HOT SCENT.
Here he found rude cellar dug in the
ground and covered over with branches of
trees, turf, etc. 1t Was out in tn. sage crush
and had he not followed the w,re he never
would have discovered it. There was nothing
in sight to indicate what the place was used FOR
but it bore every evidence of having been at
one time inhabited. Digging in one corner
OF the place, however, he found some Leyden
jars, strips Of copper and some bottles of acit'
such as are usually employed in making ga
vanic battery. There was nothing else to De
found and he watched the place several days
to see if any one would come to the spot,
making his headquarters at Battle Mountain.
ANOTHER CLEw.
One day at the Battle Mountain depot he
picked up San Francisco Chronicle and saw
that a man named Thomas L. Holster had
been arrested for engaging in saloon fracas.
He recognized the name as belonging to a
telegraph operator who was formerly in Chi
,ago and had been discharged for divulging
private dispatches. He was a man always up
20 some scaley trick Or another, and the de-
:ective concluded to 60 down to the Bay and
shadow him. H. had no difficulty in tracing
linn up and arrested him in his lodgings on
Z carney street.
WHAT WAS FOUND.
In Holsters room sufficient was found to
confirm the detectives suspicious and the man
inally made full confession that his idea
vas to send bogus dispatch to New York to
he effect that tidal wave had wiped out the
oast and an earthquake had destroyed the
He proposed to make the tidal
Vash the foot of the Sierra Nevada, and Ger
ain operators in New York who were in the
hot would make handsome turn
a the depreciation Of Pacific Mail
took and Comstock securities. He refused
0 tell who were in tho plot. His plan would
ave been carried out long ago but for the
act that stocks were 50 low that break at
he ruling prices would not enable operators
D realize much. He came to the Coast when
Terra Nevada was 1900 share and expected p,
D send the bogus dispatch when it was at
500. The decline in Comstock securities d.
erred him from carrying out his design, al
aough he had experimental and tempered
with the wlres for months past.
le made his headquarters in San Francisco
nd was only waiting for booming market to
srry ont his plans He admitted tapping
10 wire near Battle Mountain.
-. THE BOGUS DISPATCH. 9
The following was found by the detectives a