Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-03
ABOUT THE CITY.
George Hopper Robbed of a
Thousand Dollars.
ANOTHER GOLD BRICK SWINDLK.
How the Game Was Worked ON an
Old Miner-Other Interesting
Events.

There lives between Compton and tho
the sea an old man named George Hop
per, who is sadder and wiser man than
he was a week ago, for he has paid
81 600 for a brass brick, which he was
led to believe was gold. Hopper has
been. in the course of his life, a miner,
and has travelled considerably. About
four months ago he married young and
handsome girl, who clerked in a dry
goods store on Spring street, on which
occasion he gave his age as 48, and hers
as 20. Since then he has settled down
at his present home, with the intention
of spending the remainder of his life at
ease. About week ago he was ap-
preached by man who appeared to be
tramp of the worst character. The fellow
was lop-sided, and spoke in a drawling
manner. He opened the conversation BY
saying: "Are you Mr.. Hopper, because
if you are and if you used to work in the
mines, my father used to know you."
He then went on to tell how be had
worked in the mines himself and how he
had travelled from one place to another,
never meeting with any luck. Finally,
he went down into Mexico and didn't
meet with any luck there until he met
an Indian named Manuel. He and the
Indian had gone off together and had
found some gold. They took out enough
to make q brick and then they made
their way into Arizona, where he had
hard work to induce the Indian, Manuel,
to 60 any further, Finally. they came to
Los Angeles, and now all they wanted to
do was to sell the brick for enough money
to get back to Mexico, where there was
plenty more gold. Hopper drank
the story in, and, finally, called
his wife, to whom the story
was also told. They concluded
to sleep over the matter and to give an
answer the next day. The tramp said
that if they wanted to buy the brick he
would take them to the Indian, who was
hiding in the Cahuenga Pass. The next
day Hopper and his wife concluded to
buy the brick, and the tramp said he
would meet them at the big sheds
(meaning the depot) in Los Angeles at
certain time, and would take them to
where the Indian was to be found with
the brick.
According to appointment Mr.. and
Mrs. Hopper came to Los Angeles and
met the tramp. He took them to the
Temple-street cars and they rode out to
the end and then walked to the Cahuenga
Pass, where. wrapped in a red blanket,
they found the Indian lying in clump
of bushes. He produced the brick, which
was round about eight inches in diame-
ter, and two and half inches thick, and
had the appearance of having been
melted in an iron soup kettle.
1t was golden in appearance,
but Hopper, who had acids,
with him thought he would test it. His
wife, however, was in hurry to get
home with the prize, and SO he turned
over the 81 900 in gold coin. and wrap
ping the supposed gold brick in oiled
paper, left the Indian and tramp at the
pass. When he reached his home he
bored into the brick in several places and
tested the borings with acid. He found
that there was no gold in the brick
nothing but brass. He returned to the
city, but no trace was to be found OF the
tramp or the Indian, and he turned the
bogus brick over to Chief CooDey, who
has it for safe keeping. Detective Jen-
nings was given the case to handle,
but it was too late. The tramp and
his companion had left for parts un-
known. A day or two ago Hopper re-
ceived letter bearing the postmark
Tia Juana" The writer called him
chunk" and derided him for trying to
get the best of a bargain and being taken
in to the tune of 81 900. The matter has
been kept quiet in the hope of catching
the swindler, but it appears that there is
now little danger of such a thing
happening.