Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-09-09
A Saw.Dust Swildler Killed,

of August, at No. 113, West Broad
way, New York city, by a Texan nam
ed Holland. Holland had come to
the city after having had some cor
respondence with the swindler, Da-
Wis. The Texan was to pay five hun.
dred dollars good money for ten
thousand dollars counterfeit money.
1t appears that the game that the Da-
yies brothers were working was to
show good money to all their victims,
place it convenient to partition that
had a sliding pannel. A Davies on
the other side of the partition would
slide the pannel, reach through, take
the package of money and replace it
with a package of sawdust, which the
victim would carry away with him
when he was ready to leave the con
fidence place Holland was to be
worked as other victims had been
worked.
Tom Davies counted out what Hol-
land thought was right fair looking
counterfeit money, but which, in fact
was $4,000 in good money, which
he carefully wrapped up in three
packages and placed in new black
satchel that he had provided for the
purpose The satchel with the mon
ey in it was then placed in a recess
in the desk and Holland took out
his wallet to pay for his supposed
counterfeits- In the next room was
Theodore Davies, the brother and
pal" of Tom" ready to play his
part in the game When Holland
was apparently busily engaged in
counting out his money Tom" Da-
vies gave a signal, which was agreed
upon, and Theo. softly opened pan
el in the partition between the two
rooms, Just behind the desk on which
was deposited the satchel containing
the $4,000. After opening the panel
he drew the satchel quickly toward
him and as quickly substituted for
it satchel precisely similar contain
ing three neat packages of blank pa
per cut the size of bank bills As
quick as the substitution was made,
however. it was not quick enough to
escape the eye of the suspicious Tex
an. As he saw the change OF the
satchels he showed the roll OF bills
into his pocket and drawing his re-
volver from another pocket he shout
ed fiercely: You scoundrell you are
trying to rob met" At glance Da-
vies saw that his game WAS discover
ed, and that the Texan "meant
shoot" He was unarmed himself,
and was therefore only intent On es-
cape. He leaped from the chair and
made desperate jump for the door.
He was not quick enough, however,
for as he got opposite Holland the
latter pulled the trigger and sent q
bullet crashing through Davies body.
The stricken man gave a cry and
staggered step toward the door
and then fell to the floor dying. The
bullet had struck the fifth rib, an
inch to the left of the left nipple,
went clear through him, striking the
ninth rib on the right side, and then
burying itself in the partition sepa-
rating the Office from the caramel
factory. The pistol was SO close to
him that his coat was scorched.
Without waiting to see the result of
the frsts shot Holland wheeled around
quickly and sent a bullet through the
partition and into the room where
Theodore Davies was, but he was not
struck. Holland walked quietly out
of the place, but had not gone far
when he was arrested. He said
'They tried to rob me, and / laid him
out" Then catching sight of black
satchel lying on the floor he exclaim-
ed: Keep that satchel. That's my
defence" 1t was the satchel with
the sawdust The other satchel had
been carried off by the surviving Da
vies. Holland WAS taken back to
where the swindler lay. He was ly-
ing on his back with the blood slow
ly oozing from a wound in his chest.
In his right hand was clutched SIS
bill. A search of Davies showed that
he had in his possession 1854 in Uni
ted States currency, SAP in Canada
a gold watch, q pearl-hand
led knife and a bunch of keys. No
pistol or weapon of any kind was
found on him. The bullet that kill
ed him was found in the plank parti-
ton, and was extracted. In the desk
was a number Of papers, including
forty-one bonds Of the face value of
$500 each of the town of Mattoon,
Ill They were signed by w. O. Ell.
lis, clerk and Thomas P. @. Lane,
They had twenty years
to run from July l, 1871, and none
of the coupons had been cut of.
There was also a number of certif-
Gates of stock of the Pioneer and In
skip Mill and Mining Company and
the Santa Rita Silver Mining Com
pany.
Tom Davies was one ofthe sport
ing" men. He was a prominent fig
ure in all the prize fights, walking
race tracks and rowing
matches. He was ready for anything
in which there was dollar, from q
"brace' faro game or sawdust crack
ct to backing an oarsman or pedes-
trian. He was about forty-fve years
old He was a Southern man by
birth, and had been in the sawdust
business q number of years, and
amassed considerable of a fortune
from people who were perfectly will
ing to buy counterfeit money. and
use it. He did not sell counterfeit
money He sold sawdust behind
the bait of counterfeit money. Da-
vies was q swindler. He dealt with
men who proposed to shove counter
teit money. Reader, what was the
moral difference between Davies and