, 1890-11-27
VERY QUEER AFFAIR
Gibson and Flynn Were Very Fast
Men in More Ways Than
One.
While Their Backers Slept They
Stole Away and Ran
Foot Race.
Tho Marshal Heard a Pistol Sho,
and Thought to Capture
Murderer.

The story told by the friends ol
Charles w. Cluett and j. II. Nc.
Donald, who claim to have been
swindlcd out of "a, 500 by the foot
race fakirs OH Saturday, Is a very
interesting one. IL Is full of dramatic
situations and replete with startling
incidents. When II is told In court
1t will be placed in the articles OF
dramatic history on a page opposite
to the one whereon Is written the
opera ezra Diavolo," as a vivid por-
trayal Of all that goes TO make a
thrilling romance.
Dramatis personp:
Charles w. Ciuctt, trustful man
Of sporting proclivlties, with money
to win or lose upon his favorite man
or horse.
j. III. Mcdonald, sometimes
known as "Doc," n young physician
of good address; also with ten
dency toward the racetrack and a
fondness for good sport; also man
with money to win or lose.
G.. +. Weinbrenner, alias G. F.
Gibson, alias Graham, q foot-racer.
John Flynn, alias Anderson, ali rs
several other names, runner with
record of 81.
Joe Black, n confidence man of
Butte, Mont.
:. RUSSELL necromancer, with n
faculty of making himself Invisible
at will.
John $. Barnes, a stakeholder.
a granger, the city marshal of
Medical Lake, sheriffs, deputies,
angry citizens, attendants, etc.
Time, between Friday morning
and the present.
Place, the great Northwest.
Argument: a foot race was run
at Medical Lake.
The friends of Cluett and Nc
Donald assert that they have been
swindled out of $4,000, aud their
story is substantially as follows:
For some time past MIR. Cluett,
who Is fond of good sport and is not
averse to winning money when ii
porting the runner Flynn, and his
wife, with u view to seeing him
properly trained and making tour
through Europe among the probes.
sionals of the continent, and putting
his prowess to n test, at the same
time scooping in the shekels of the
hackers of the foot-racers of Held
berg, Berne, Vienna, Paris and
other cities. Flynn, who has the
reputation of being q very fast man,
has been I'm the West for some time
and has before figured in races In
the vicinity of Helena and Butte.
In these he has had for an opponent
or co-worker-a man known by
the several aliases Gibson, Graham,
etc. A few days ago, at the instiga-
tion of Joe Black, whose residence
is either Butte or Spokane Falls, as
he desires to have 1t, match was
arranged. Mr.. Cluett raised more
money to bet on his favorite, Flynn,
and in company with his friend Me-
Donald came to Spokane Falls to
see foot race and win enough to
make tour of the continent. In
both of their longings, 1t appears,
they were disappointed.
The friends of the victims go on
to say that upon their arrival at
Spokane Falls they were met by
the man who was to act as stake
holder, and led by tortuous route,
up one street and down another,
which finally terminated at a house
somewhere in the outskirts of the
city of the falls. 1t was dark, and
the men do not know exactly where
they were. They state, however,
that the surroundings were of n sus-
picious character and very highly
colored, much resembling house of
low repute.
Here they met the runners and u
mysterious man named Russell,
who was introduced as a hacker of
Gibson's. A thousand dollars was
put up and the match agreed upon
finally.
Then the runner, the mysterious
man: Russell, and the stakeholder
held n secreet session. They finally
returned and offered to bet more
money.
Five hundred dollars more was
wagered, and there was another
campfire consultation.
In this way the betting continued,
resulting in the final deposit by
Messrs. Cluett and Mcdonald of
81, 800 in the hands of Mr.. Barnes.
OF this 81, 900 had been covered by
the man Russell. The remaining
So, 500, the victims allege, was never
met by n corresponding sum from
the hacker of Gibson. For time
the two sports suspected nothing.
They were confident of winning
and were in high spirits.
A man who thinks he Is on the
eve of n 81, $50 winning Is rather
apt to feel frisky, and to look at life
through the brightly colored spec
tacles of an optimist.
The following day a cloud of sus-
picion was blown up in Mr.. Cluett's
mind. He sought out Mr.. Barnes
and talked as follows: "Mr. Barnes,
81 800 plus n, 800 IL $4,000. Now, i'll
you have $4,000 in your possession |
will be satisfied that all Is well. |
Otherwise, look out"
Mr.. Barnes IL said to have agreed |
to the accuracy of Mr.. Cluett's |
answer to the problem in arithmetic,
but to have postponed showing up
so much money on the plea that the |
man who had 1t In his safe couldn't |
be found.
Presently the party decided to
sleep over the matter. Cluett, Nc.
Donald and Flynn slept in the
same house. In the night the fast
footracer gathered his overcoat
about his shoulders and quietly
crept of into the darkness aud the |
woods. His beautiful silk hose and |
fancy, spangled tights and trunks