Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-30
THE GOLD BRICK.
A Shrewd swindle which Caught
Prominent Nashville Man.
-rom "a NnshriNe Unlol.

From the Nashville Union.
or all the means adopted by modern
swlndlers to fleece their victims OF money,
and that, too, IN large sums, not one Is
more plausible or more easily worked
than the gold brick" racket. The inter-
esting feature of this little scheme is that
the party selected TO be worked is always
man OF means, and man OF INTEL gence
ana business capacity; IN fact, one who
VIII not bite at any ordinary bait. Bank
presidents, cashiers and we'll known cap
ltal'sts have excessively fallen into the
Trap, and the previous shrewdness of the
Nlctlmlzed parties serve as one Of the sur
est means OF having the scheme hushed up
and detection avoided.
ii VIII be remembered that on or about
Dec. l. 1888, prominent merchant Ia
this city was the loser Of So, 600 by this lit
Tie game, and since then the detectives
nave been quietly but Professionally nj
work, and last night the perpetrator was
placed behind the bars OF the Davidson
county jail.
THE GOLD BRICK swINDLE.
Before going further, an explanation Of
the mOdus operandi OF this system of
swlndling may prove interesting, and it Is
herein related, in the language of the de-
tectye who brought the perpetrator to
justice, the name Of the victim, however,
being withheld. On or about Dec 4, n
man, In appearance Western frontiers
man, called upon well-known citizen,
who for the present shall be called Mr..
Jones. The call was made at the resi-
dence; the stranger said that he was in
quiring Tor man OF the same name, but
that the middle initial was different; he
apologized for his intrusion, but stated
that he was in quest of this certain party,
and would 20 TO another city and endeavOr
to hunt up some Of his relatives. Several
days aiterward he returned, claimed that
he was unable TO find the relatives, but as
the gentleman WAS an honest, straight
forward man, the stranger unfOlded to him
his business. He had just returned from
one of the Northwestern territories he
mad met an Indian chief, who WAS the sole
discoverer OF a gold mine at that place,
and was willing TO share the bonanza with
any gentleman who would keep his secret.
The Indian was possessed OF several solid
gold bricks which were the products of
this mine, and il the gentleman would GO
TO H0pkinsville, KY, he would he intro
duced to the Indian and shown the golden
treasure.
The trip was taken, but in the mean
time the bricks, which had been buried in
the woods near Hopkinsville, had been
discovered and the secret let out, and the
bricks cOnhscated, 40 that in order to
cover this unlocked for accident, the back
woodsman stated that The Indian chief
had been taken suddenly i'll, and that in
the course OF few weeks the Indian and
his golden bricks would come to Nash
VILE, Accord ngly IN about three weeks
the stranger again called upon MIR. Jones,
told him that the Indian chief was secreted
in the country, and drive of ak miles to
the place was proposed, the stranger pay
ing the expenses Mr.. Jones acQuiesced.
The would-bo Indian was found in a shady
woodland, aud from near the roots Of n
tree the leaves were scratched away and
the two gold bricks found. The stranger
was provided with "a brace and bit and
several holes were bored in these bricks,
the bOrings being taken as evidence of the
value OF the bricks. Here is where
THE TRICK COMES IN.
Instead OF getting the borings from the
brick, a similar lot OF borings taken from
a $50 gold piece is substituted, and these
are given TO MIR. Jones, who takes then
to prominent jeweler, who quickly and
correctly assays them to be pure 22-cai ri
gold. The bricks are weighed, and, upon
careful computation, are said to be worth
about $4,000. The matter Is TO be kept a
profound secret, the stranger and the
Indian only wants TO raise enough money
to buy the necessary material for work
ing the mine, of which Mr.. Jones IL TO be
Ons-third owner, and these two bricks are
given 10 Mr.. Jones for the paltry sum Of
$4,000 As their supposed value is 900
he is well secured, pays the required
SO QUO and the stranger starts for the
Western mine. Several DAYS atterward
Mr.. Jones receives "A letter, dated at
Nashville. stating that the bricke are com
mon brass, perfectly worthless. but IL he
will agree TO keep quiet for thirty days
some Of the money will be returned 10
him. Mr.. Jones at once leaves the mat
ter in the hands OF Chief Kerrigau aud
Chief Detective Porter, a reward of $500
offered, but the game has flown, and cir
culars are printed describing the parties
and the swlndle and sent throughout the
country.
Among those who received these circu-
lars IS Mr.. G. W. Pave, chiet OF the Cen
trail Detective Agency at Springfield, ILL.,,
and who has been for twenty years con
nected with the police force Of St. Louis.
lie at once sizes up the swindler, and
places him from the description as one r.
J. Hennessy alias Dan Brown, Dan Da-
Wis, W. Ii. Howard and j. II. Van Doran,
and one OF the INST famous swindlers OF
this character in the United States. His
house in st. Louis Is Swallowed. but no
trace Of him found. A friend OF his is
zen watched, and when he leaves for the
South is followed by Mr. Page. At Mari
eta, Ga, the Ions looked for Hennessy is
spotted ana arrested, ostensibly for sim
liar game played some time ago in Indi-
ana. The detectives then decOyed him
into Tennessee under the plea that the
Indiana matter could be cOmprom ised
and finally reported that this scOundrel
had victim zed people IN different states
to the extent of over $4,000 With this
same gold brick swindle.
Some highly interesting DEVELOPMENTS
are looked for at The trial, which will take
place IN few days.