The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-10
a FARMER's TWO GOLD BRICKS
he Journeys from New York to Find
He Has Been Victimized Out of
$500.
Eronl the Philadelphia Ti,nes.


From the Philadelphia Times
An old farmer-looking man, with a sallow
face and long gray hair and beard and a
very decided stoop in his frame, toiled
slowly up the steps of the Mint yesterday
afternoon about half-past 70 o'clock, carry
ing medium-sized, rather battered-looking
black valise i'll each hand. Evidently there
was something heavy in the black
receptacles, for his arms were stretched
to their utmost tension, and he seemed
to experience a feeling of relief when he
got to the top of the last step and with his
knees pushed open the swinging doors ard
stumbled more than walked into the rotunda
with his burdens, where three or four alert
ushers sprang up from their cushioned
benches and came forward with surprise
plainly written on their faces.
The old man set the valiSes down, and
with an uneasy, excited eye blinked at the
little army of usherS while he was getting
his breath as If he were another Rip Van
Wrinkle waking from a twenty years sleep
amidst changed surroundings. When he
had recovered his breath and his presence
of mind sufficient to articulate he told the
ushers that he had two gold bricks which
he wanted tested and weighed. He said he
had Travelled all the way from jefferson
county, n. Y, his home being some twenty
miles distant from Utica. He had left home
with two travelling companions, the owners
of the gold bricks. His story was a queer
one.
Some days ago he was visited at his farm
house by two men poorly dressed and ap-
parently from the Western mining regions.
They carried with them the identical valiseS
which have been described and represented
to him that they had travelled all the way
from California and were in need of some
"A. l. "a
feeding them they revealed to him as a
great secret that they had two gold bricks,
| which were worth not less than 500, 900.
| They opened their valiSes and showed him
| their treasure. The old man felt the weight
of the bricks and satisfied himself that there
was fortune in them, after which he
readily agreed to advance them sundry
| loans in cash while they recruited their
shattered health under his roof. Finally,
when his spare cash gave out he was in
| duced by the owners of the bricks to mort
| gage his farm, the result of forty years
| ha I'd work, in order to raise $500, which
| he advanced them with the understanding
that he was to get his money back with big
interest when the bricks were sold.
After getting the money, the two mon
proposed that they all three take the pre-
cious metal to the Philadelphia Mint and
dispose of it. The old farmer bought
locked they set out for Philadelphia early
yesterday morning. When the train reached
Utica the two men, leaving the old farmer
in charge of the valises, got up from their
seats and went to the rear car ostensibly to
smoke. The train started off and they
failed to reappear. The old farmer became
uneasy and searched the train without find
ing them.
He came on to Philadelphia with the
valises and their contents. He was escorted
into the weighing room of the Mint, where
the valises were opened with a chisel, the
owners of the bricks having carried off the
keys Mr.. Cochrane, the official in the
mint, whose business it is to receive gold
and other metals brought to the institution
for sale, examined the bricks and found
them simply metal which had been washed
in gold. The bricks were worth a couple
of dollars as old metal.
The scene when the truth was made clear
to the old farmer was pitiful.
He seemed dazed, and for some
| minutes did not utter word.
In addition to getting $500 out of him,
| the two swindlers had bled him of all his
loose change SO that he had not money
enough to pay his fare home. The necessary
money was loaned him by Mr.. Cochrane,
and he left without taking his high-priced
property back with him, sad-hearted
broken old man, with the realization that
the savings of "A lifetime were gone
and with no definite clue that would give
the authorities a chance to trace the
thieves.