Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-20
A BOLD FRAUD.
An Impostor Works the
Southern Pacific.
HIS IDENTITY REVEALED &.
His Home is in San DiegO-A Bad
Record-Some Larceny
Transactions.

During the early days OF the present
month, neatly-dressed, busiuess-look-
ing man presented himself in the office
of Assistant Division Superintendent j..
A. Muir, of the Southern Pacific, and
made application for position as tele-
graph operator. He carried excellent
credentials from the Chicago and Alton
and other Eastern roads, and as the
Southern Pacific always looks out for
good men, Mr.. Muir told him that
he would give him the first available
vacancy. The applicant gave his name
as d. A. Bruce, and said that he was liv-
ing with his wife and child at Cotton, 30
il was agreed that when he was wanted a
letter should be sent to him there.
A few days later, on the 18th inst,
Mr.. Muir received dispatch from Sup
erintendent Noble, of the Tucson div
ision, stating that he wanted an operator
and agent for the office in Lordsburg,
N. NJ, and stating hat if there was a
likely man in Los Angeles to send him
along. Mr.. Muir wired back that he
could fix the Lordsburg affair all right,
and then sent dispatch to Mr.. Bruner
to hunt up Bruce, and give him trans,
portation to the New Mexican town.
The next day came wire from Cotton,
s'Found Bruce and sent him on" so Mr..
Muir dismissed the matter from his
mind.
STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS.
He received an astonisher, however, on
Tuesday evening, in the shape of dis
patch from Superintendent Noble read
ing: "Your man Bruce has robbed the
Lordsburgh depot, and is on a drunk !;
have had him run down and arrested" I"
Mr.. Muir sent word to agent Bruner to
acquaint Bruce's family of what had
happened, and ih response came another
staggerer, as follows: "The man sent to
Lordsburg on June 18th was not Bruce
The real D. A. Bruce is here, and
the other man is an impostor. He has
been working the town here and has
signed board bills in the name OF D. A.
Bruce"
THE MPosToR's IDENTITY.
The wires were at once set working in
an endeavor to discover who the fraud
really was, but just as the investigations
were commenced the whole matter was
explained by statement by Mr.. g. d.
Thompson, the chief operator of the
Western Union Telegraph Company in
this city, who had heard of what was
going on. He said: "The mans name
is H. A. Booth and not D. A.
Bruce. His home is in San Diego, and
his sister is now working for the Western
Union in that town. He has brother,
Tom Booth, in Ogden, WHO was formerly
manager for our company in San Diego.
H. A. Booth worked short time under
his brother at San Diego, but was 80
incorrigible and worthless that he was
discharged, and his family have since
refused to assist him. His offense was
stealing money over the counter. He
was also an embezzler at Ensenada,
Lower California, where he
was employed by the international
Company, and he was in Jail six weeks
at Ensenada. From all accounts, he is
q worthless and dissipated fellow"
All of the papers in the matter have
been forwarded to the Southern Pacific
headquarters, where the officials will in
struct the attorneys regarding Booths
prosecution. The real Mr.. Bruce is not
particularly pleased that his name should
have been mixed up in such an unpleas-
ant transaction, but the Southern Pacific
Company in no wise holds him connected
with the affair.
MR.. BRUNER's EXPLANATION.
Agent BruDer, in statement requested
from bim as to how he came to give Mr..
Muir's message to the impostor,
says that he sent boy from
the depot up to Bruce's house
with note requesting him to come to
the station. The boy states that on his
way up town he met man, who asked
him where he was going.
The youngster said: ITO Mr.. Bruce's
house with note"
The man said "That is my name,
give me the letter."
He read it and then walked into the
station and introduced himself as Bruce,
whereupon Agent Bruner gave him
transportation to Lordsburg, and he
started on his journey the next day.