Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-17
NEW YORK LETTER.
a DANGEROUS AND PERFECT TnrrA,
TON or GOLD,
When viii IT gudi-Ths Liedsrkranz
Break Up Pcol'selling- Sporting
Revs-Stsge-Pright, Etc
tcsrrOspondenoe 0; the Riohmond Disp.,ch.I

Rerous skill of an unknown expert in
metals has recently effected something
here IN New York that has started \
thrill Of alarm and horror that will
tpread quickly over the land rs the
nipples started Ivy a stone dropped in n
quiet millpond spread until they reach
the shores.
HisscLievcment is the production OF a
comparatively cheap alloy that has the
color, weight, and ductiiity Of gold, and
that rcslsts the test Of acid rs perfectly
rs gold does. In short. il is to all IN
tents and purposes, short OF scientific
chemical analysis, gold.
few days since prominent manu-
sscturer of gold rings, Mr.. Junius Wo.
diska, went TO tho Office of refner on
John street 90 see about the refining Of
HOme "sWeops for his factory. The
iefner handed % h,m a small inPot that
looked IKE gold aud asked him, What
Is that ~ Alr. Nodlska took up the
Gcid- bottle from the table beside HIM
and touched the yellow surface Tho
fluid took no effect Then he rubbed
Che Ingot on the stone kept for testing
purposes until good mark was obtain
"a aud put the acid on that.
"Twelye-carat gold, he replied de
cidodly As the result Of his test.
"lkere is not a grain Of gold in the
yholo moot, responded the refncr.
Mr. Wodisks sat down promptly on
The nearest stool and breathed so hard
that he got red in the face. lie could
not believe II. Again he made his tests !;
this time filing into the inRot for tho
purpose. The acid made the report as
before 10 his experienced eye, Twelve
carat gold %
THE DANGEROUS METAL.
Then the refner explained. The in
got bad been sent 30 him Tor test by one
of his customers who had been deluded
INTO buying It and had grown uneasy
when thinking how cheaply he had got
y from an unknown man, whose anxiety
10 effect q private sale OF it gave At least
o questionable color to his right Of pos
session. The rofner had tired it sulli-
cientiv 20 make sure that II was not
Cod and approximately 70 get at a
knowledge oil what were its com
poneut metals, hut had not yet
made o sufficiently close quantta-
tive anslysls to determine their proper
tions. lie affirmed that it Was Il mixture
az platinum, aluminium, copper, and sll-
yer Ii would seem that very great diff
cultes must have been encountered in
making such combination. because Of
She widely different melting points Of
those metals. but he was sure that those
were the constituents OF the mass. A
picce Of the alloy that he had put
ii choral fIot
worked quite IA well as gold and was
es susceptible OF high polish.
the VICTIMS OF FRAUD.
Since then the keeper of small Jewell
~ store on Avenue has become the I'M
happy possessor o. another ingOt Of tho
new alloy. lie also bought from a man
who had evident preferences for strictly
private and quick sales, even if hs did not
get tull gold value, and who volunteered
no condolences as TO how he obtained tho
iDoot IL looked TO the storekeepcr like
quite a pretty and profitable Transaction
until he took his prize to all assayer.
How many more victims have been
caught already by the modest metallur-
glst who has invented this seductive ma
terial there is no knowing, but they are
no doubt numerous In each Of the
cases discovered the ingOts taye been
small. such rs would be within the means
of the keepers Of LITTLE shops aud so find
ready sale. especially when the seller
conveyed tho impression that he WAS a
thief and WIS therefore willing TO DIS
pose OF the chunk at less than its value.
Df course IN a vast majority OF instances
the victims would suffer their losses in
silence. when they learned how they
had been swind,ed. rather than avow
that they had bought what they must
hive supposed to be stolen goods.
rAwNBRoKERs AND OTHERS.
The uavnbrokers have yet to be heard
from. Doubtless they will bleed as freely
on the solid l2-carat gold ingots as they
did at one time on the yellow diamonds
dipped IN anillno ink before that trick
was discovered.
Inspector Byrnes has lying upon the
liable in his Office "A big yellow bar OF
metal that once did duty rs \ "gold
brick and vas the basis of the biggest
and NEST famous swlndlo of It's KIND
ever perpetrated in this country. 1t had
real gold corner. that was cut on -
the intending purchaser and that assayed
SO we'll that lac paid several thousand
dollars for the mass, only to learn that
he had assayed all there was OF 1t that
possessed any value. That was con-
sidcred "A pretty clever trick at the time
when II was PLAYED. but the new device
Of having a whole bar OF solid l2-carat
bogus gold discounts It.
And the pawnbrokers and people who
buy gold cheap on speculation are not
the only ones whom 1t behoOves to take
lively interest in the new metal. Those
fields will soon be worked out. but the
ability 10 make the alloy will remain,
and tue next denomination of 1t will be
IN solid gold loWelry," turned OUT by
uupruclpled manufacturers aud sold at
cheap prices t. the public. There viii be
no lacs OF eKcusesto explain most favora
bly, its surprising chespness. and who OF
ordinary jewelry-huyers can tel that
the stuff ia not gold when 1t IL so perfect
an imitation as 70 "decelve even the
very elect, as one might say.
POoL-EooNs BROKEN Up.
For the first time in many years New
York is absolutely clear Of pool-rooms
and bias been SO Tor more than ten days.
and, what is more, the probabilities are
that so far as turf speculation is concern
al 10 VIII remain in this delightful state
OF inuocuous dcsuctude until at least the
1st OF May. That, at least, IS what
gentleman in a position TO know tells me.
And what has brought about tins
rigorous determination OH tine part Of tue
police. the District-Attorney s Office, the
Judges. IN fact of all the powers that be
IN Gotham not to tolerate any lniraction
of the law? Various reasons have been
assigned, but a hitle bird whispers to me
that the cause Is very peculiar one,
aud that as usual il takes but slight
impetus to produce great movements.
The prime mover OF the present.
crusade against city speculation on