Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-04-18
susko srEEarRs Gagged.
The Funny Business captured Thou
sands of Dollars in Sight-The
Very Greens seek for Greenbacks
and get Left-A Well Managed
capture.

For a few weeks past it has been re-
ported that gang of bunko steerers
were in the city, and that number Of
persons had been robbed of their money
by means of this internal and ingenious
swindle. Sheriff Currier was apprised
of the fact and confded the capture of
tie gang to Deputy Sheriff Gard. who
has been for several days working up the
case till he found the headquarters of
the gang and observed their plan Of op-
srations.
He shadowed them for several days
and yesterday observed the managers
entice a middle-aged man into their den
on the corner of Commercial and Los
Angeles street. After waiting till he
thought the greenhorn would be putting
up his money, Deputy Gard requested
Deputy Constable W. B. Diffenderffer
to take into custody man
named b. Calder, who was
sitting as sentry on the opposite corner
at Smiths Hotel to warn the bunko men
OF the presence Of officers. After Diff.
had secured his man SO that no alarm
could be given, Deputy Sheriff Gard and
Geo. P. McLain rushed up stairs and
caught man, calling himself Charles
Gray, and another named Frank How
ard. who were displaying large amount
Of the paraphernalia OF bunko banking
and a large show Of greenbacks and
packages in express envelopes marked
with figures indicating q large amount
of money. which they pretended to be
sending away to their customers who
had made lucky draws in their valuable
lottery.
As the officers sprang into the room,
one of the swindlers grabbed for the
money, but McLain, with q shooter,
stood him up against the wall and Dep
uty Gard raked in the greenbacks,
checks, drafts, express packages, tables,
funny figures and rules and regulations.
The package of bills appeared to contain
$2l00, but it was all mixed with QUEER
money of various kinds.
The outer bill was $50 greentack,
and next appeared shorter bills of every
imaginable kind of worthless stuff.
About one bill in five was o genuine
greenback, and all the remainder sand.
wiohed in were trash bills Of no value.
On the wall of the room were large
placards with various numbers on, which
the very green's were to bet or purchase
ticket. s27s appeared to be the boss
figure, but the greenhorns would become
confused by printed book of Articles,
which could be interpreted so that the
victim would have to put down his cash,
from time to time, to secure some num-
ber that would always win, but when
his money gave out before he reached
the winning number, his deposits were
confiscated under the Articles; or if he
got the magic '27- he would be zen
titled to conditional prize Of $1,000, to
be taken down at the end Of the draw
ing.
The conditional usually turned up %,
which was always blank. The ear.
ticles" were printed with E. E. Bram-
lette's name attached, purporting to be
issued by the former Governor of Ken.
lucky, but they are the worst kind of a
fraud. As specimen, Article X reads:
"Any person or persons failing to repre-
sent his or their money will thereby
forfeit all money so far invested. Said
money to go to the Sinking Fund of
the Association" The operation and
Interpretation of that Article is dead
shot. The greenhorns, when they. could
pay no longer, lost everything for the
benefit of the Sinking Fund" The
fund is rightly named. Such cold
blooded robbery has been going on far
four weeks in our midst, and it has come
to the kno wledge of the authorities that
more than $40, 900 have been taken from
the greenhorns in this city by this pre-
cious trio of scoundrels, d part of which
they lost at faro in bank" in this city.
A man who had gone into the bunko den
had failed to put up his money before
Gard and McLain interfered with the
business. The bunko sharps, Gray,
Howard and Calder, were taken before
Justice Ling and put up 500 apiece for
appearance this morning at o'clock.
Thus endeth the first lesson.