New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-04
4 sHINDLE THAT DID NOT SUCCEED.

TRYING A WESTERN TRICK N NETWORK.
HOW COLONEL ELLIS WAS NOr IMPOSED oS-o$E
on rrGHrrEN ALLEGED BRICKS on GOLD rAKIN
PROM BETWEEN TIE MAITHEssf3 of A BED
THE nETRCuN rs A LITTLE TOO MCCT -
HURRY.
William johnson, a Western man, is "a prisoner
AT Police Hcadguartcr- charged with aitcfrptIng to
introduce boo this city "a pee liar Western -wlndir
Tie complainant D. Colo.e &. Elis, of NO. 80
SoutI-4t About Sis ..rks ago % lngu who intro
duccd himself a. William Johnson pr scented ~ hifn
letters of introduction from The pre- dent of thc
National Bank of STOCKTON Cal. and other we'll
known business mon in tine West The letter., which
are supposed 90 br forgcucs were addressed 20 bans
presidents and other, iu this cty. end spoke 0i Doe
bearer ~ man of integrity and honor Mr. tlI.
had no reason To suspect a. "ir grnuiuonc-s and
treated his visitor with much consolidation. llc
saw him two or three times ~ April Monday
Iohusou On led mon him at hl- office and stated that
he wished his advice upon delicate subject lie said
that hc had once been in Lcadvllir, and there boo
harroom had intcrfcrcd between two hgl h.r men
and saved the life of one as Tie other was abort to
shoot him. The two men wrrc burglars Who alter
ward robbed "a bank In California. and were af-
rested; one died IN prison, ana the other, having
escaped. had trnckcd him tIolnon, MO had saved
his life 10 the East, and now proposed 10 give him
his dead partners share in the bullion stolen from
the hank wnich had lain buried tin be- dug 10 up ou
the condition that he would help him t0 dispose ct
H. lie desired Nir Ellis to advise HIM and go with
him 20 look az the gold.
Tho story made Mr.. Ellis suspicious. and after
making an appointment To meet johnson tie follow
ing day he sought Inspector Byrncs and laid the
matter before him The Inspect tor at once cDmure-
heudcd the scheme and detailed Detectives Adams,
Iauther and Cosgrovc 90 attend 10 the matter. A
plan WAS arranged. according 10 which MTEllis was
10 make terms with the thieves yesterday 90 once
close the bargain make out check for the price of
the gold and go with the swindlcrs 10 the bank tO
identify them AZ the bank they were 20 he ar
Mr.. Ellis accordingly went TO the Compton House,
Al Twenty -iourth-st. and ThrlaVc. with
Johnson There be- was introduced to "a man wh hose
head was covered by % huge mask and who pulled
from between the mattresses Oi bed gold brick
corner Of which he cut Oh with "A saw and gave 20
Mr. Ellis 30 have as-aYcd. He also ran the
through the middle Of the brick aud gathered up the
shayings. These he put with tho chip taken from
the corner of the brick aud announced that II the
quality of the gold proved satisfactory to Mr.. Ellis
and his friend" ho had eighteen such bricks,
worth 80 900 apiece which hc would sell for 81 500
each Mr. Ellis, IN accordance with the plan laid
by the police pretended % be anxious 10 close the
bargain at once aud offered q check in payment for
the whole amount, for q single brick; but tho
burglar" said that he did not have all the gold
there. Another meeting was appointed and Nj
Ellis left the hotel with johnson The detectives
who were the watch, arrested Tire latter In the
street beios ing that the plan had been carried ont
end that the check would he found IN the possession
of johnson and the gold in Mr.. Elliss pocket
When they learned their mistake and fastened 10
the Compton House, the burglar had fed with
the gold. The practice has been 10 make tho BRICK
Of base metal with corner OF genuine gold aud q
streak Of bullion across the middle, through Hiuch
the saw is run. The police had hopes of arrcsung
Johnson's confederate last night