Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-11-01
$4,000 GIVEN FOR sls
a TARMFR,s oREDUITTY EAEEs
HIN AN EAsF YxoTIM.
Fnrmcr Guess Robbrd OF $4,000 In
Gordom's Woods - The vtctiur,s
Amazing Creduiity-An Old Trick
Dlsguised ms n y anl Estate Trnns-
Acsion-sj,000 for si3.

Guest, was neatly tricked out OF $4,000 by
atrio OF confidence men yesterday after
noon week, duest Is fhrmer, the owner q
about 1850 acres OF land, nsar Bellevue sta.
tion, on the r.. W. q y. railroad and is con.
sidered "well oif." His farm IL lareer tbei
ho leela he can work advantagoously and
ne has az different times expressed a desire
20 sell q portion OF tho property which oe.
cupies Q commanding position for building
sitss. The value of lnnd for farming puf.
poses 10 estimated at between e200 aud $500
but the more desirable portion was held ai
800 per acre for a A0-nere tract,
On Monday week well-dreseed stranger
visited MIR. Guest after making some in
qn.rles nbout Bellevue station, and entered
upon negotiations for the property. Gueat
had land 10 Sell, aod the stranger wanted 70
purchase property near the railroad upon
which 70 buili four or five houses for a
speculation. The owner OF the property
showed his prospective purchaser ths
greatest Difference, and took him over tie
ground, calling attention TO the beautiful
elevation, its admirable view OF the river
ana surrounding country, pointing ont ali
the desirable features of the property. The
stranger was pleased with the and, but wa
snrewd enough to only exprets himself as
liking the place fairly we'll. and left with
the promtse 10 call again with sUms friends
who were financially Interested In tho
transaction.
Yesterday week the stranger aud two com
panione or cpnfadeIates visited Mr. Guest
They came by ralf probably from phlladel.
phik to Chester, where they hired two
teams OF George McMahon and drove to
the farmers residence, near Bellevue sta
tion. Heg0liations for the 20 ucres wore
resumed and. after showing the trio over
the property again, the dlekeripg eoncarn
ing the price began. After a Tins the thrse
men agreed Co Rcoept the terms 0f Mr.
Guest to pay St00 per acre for the 90 acres
trHst. Arrangements were made for paying
the $4,000 at an early date. The purchasers
oppressed much gratilication at having se-
cured the land and Mr. Guest was well
pleased at having disposed OF II at such ad-
vHntsReous figures. In order to cltpan the
bargain and make II bindihR the confidence
men offered TO deposit &S 060 II Mr.. Guest
would put up Ike amount IN the hands OF
some Trustworthy neighbor.
BaSard Guest, q farmer and brother oil
Henry, living on the adjoining property,
was agreed upon as the person with whom
70 deposit the forfeit money. Henry Guest
did not have the money about him TO de-
posit but could raise tho amount 10 short
tims by going to Wilmington. Ons of the
men kindly offered to drive MIR. Guest 10
town IN bis team snd the two men came In
toHether. MIR. Guest went directly TO the
and arranged for the money, ind accom-
panied by Treasurer Ellison, he presented
himself az Union Ratiopnl Bank, the Sav-
tngs Funds dsp sitory, whore his paper
was promptly honorod, Tas money WaA
counted our IN &2O btlls end the money
snngly rolled together was given Mr. Guest;
with his companion the farmer started for
home. They rode along chatting In q
friendly way until they reached
Gordons woods jus east Of shellpot bridge
whore the two other confsderEtes were
waiting. AT this point the four men met,
though exactly what transpired Is not
known, as Mr.. Guest was soon worked up
Z to such pitch oi exeltemt Ut that the de.
tails of the immediate oacurrAuce have
passed from his mind. Thursday, how,
ever, he stated to representative Of tho
GAZETTE that It was simply question Of
money or life, and eestnY that ne was at
the mercy of q desperate gang OF highway
men he surrendered the S3UG0 TO save his
life. MIR. Guest, however, got possession
OF dummy role OF bills presumed TO con-
tain 93 900 and had a struggle with thB
men, and 1t Ia probable that his nd and
deliver" version of the affair is colored by
tho Intense excitement under which he
labored.
J. W.. Banks. a nsighbor Of Mr.. Guests,
who happened along the road In vehicle
soon alter the eharpers had disappeared
opinion that the two rolls OF money were
exchanged through some ehrewt tttci;,
After meeting the two eonffdefates, II te
believed, they stated they were unable u
wait longer AID Insisted on his showing the
money procured to put up ss forfeit
Upon exhibiting the roll OF bank notes one
OF the men grabbed It from his hands ard
Guest clutched him and they struggled to-
gether for few moments. One OF tho trio
stood by with his dummy roll ned loosely. IN
his hand and MIR. Guest real!zlug tnat he
had lost his own cash olutehed thesupposed
money OF the sharper and Kept hold OF 1t.
One OF the men then stated that II there
was going to be such u row over the iransac'
tlon they would consider tho sale OF Guest
still had possession OF the dummy" and
was not yet aware that he had baan dupsd'
Tho three men then departed.
MIR. Banks arrived upon the scene Just at
this time. as disco nea Mr.. Guest over III
the woods and saw he Yves considerably eS-
cited but only passed few words with his
netghbor. He had driven on but few fur
longs when he hoard Gueet shouting ana
looking back IN the road saw him running
toward him and shouting botfternusly.
Banks drew up his team and Guast soon
overlook him. He had tho dummy money
in hts hands and was so excited that ha
could only state that he had jpst lost
great deal Of money. When Blnl;5
dark, dreHry and lonely section, a short ds-
tance frcm the road. It Is quito probable
that the men had induced him to
leave the team and go into tho wood 10 LOOK
at some land, md had they been unsueee's-
fulotherwise TO overpower and rob him out
right. What transpired, however, ut this
stage OF the occurrence is not clear.
Banks took Guest into hia vehicle and
the two men drove to this city. They went
direct TO the police headquarters aud the
matter was laid before Chief Swlggett VINO
te.sgraphed the nelghboring cities TO Try
end spprehend the men. Guest returned
home and came back TO the city Thutsdsy
morning. After Leaving description
OF the crooks with the cn!at,s ne onered
y reward OF $500 for the capture at the men
brt later modified ths offer ny conditionlnR
"tha capture Of tne men and recovery ot the
money" Guest afterward went 10 tho
Savings Fund and made good his account
with that Institution.
The dummy roll of bills taken from the
Hharpers ts In possession Of the Union M
tlonal Bank. It contains iust Sl3 IN piiis
and the remainder is mads up OF newspaper
cur to conform TO the size OF the treasury
notes. Ga the top OF the pile is siO note
and 81 bill directly under 1t and at tho
bottom are twn 81 note.. This newspaper
OUT from the New York Word Is In slips Z
tribe smaller than the treasury notes anu
the edges are soiled. The piis a. casual
glance ia very deceiving, Guest hao ls
detected the spurious nature OF tho reii az
Banks had passed him, and then hrst rem
81 d that h had neen duped.
Mr., Guests description OF the men leit
with the chief OF police gives one Is
sandy com plexioped, brown haired, Emoo,h
faced individual about six feet In high. hs
was dressed 10 da overeoat, DARK perpy