The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-10
A GOLD BRICK
And What 1t Cost A Maryland
Farmer.
A Story Told The Detectives by a
Man
Who Took The Brick TO Cincinnati to
have II Tested.

A recent issue of the Cincinnati
Enquirer contained long story in
regard to a gold brick swindle, the
victim giving the name of George
Small and his home as Wood county,
this state. 1t turns out that the
man was from near Oakland, May
land, instead Of Parkersburg, as he
alleged Here is the story he de-
detailed to the detectives:
at was long last August" He
said, "when we was just getting
ready to lay corn by that a stranger
come along towards shutdown and
asked for Mr.. Small. He looked at
me and said: No don't think you
are the man. I've been away from
these parts for many years, and used
to know man named Small, and
want to see him, but, you amt the
man. He was taller than you and
had red hair l told him that there
was Smalls living over in Richie
County-sort'e distant relations of
mine. Perhaps they was the ones
he knew. Well he staid all night
and went away in the morning hand
ing me new silver dollar Cor his
nights lodging and grub. Twant
more than a week before he came
back and says he I'm feeling very
bad, can't find my old friend and
hardly know what to do ! asked
him what was the trouble and he
says, he and | was together in Cali
forniA and he did me good turn
once and | swore never to forget it,
and if ever / had a chance to help
him I'd go thousand miles to do it,
Now I've got a chance TO make him
rich and all his kinfolks. I've got
plenty of money, and when the fellow
said this he pulled out roll of bills
as big as your leg, and says he, ]
han't got no family, and don't
want to borrow nor beg nothing.
All l want is to give Small chance
to make good thing out of what ]
can put him onto.
Il was kinder curious like and
asked the miner-for that's what the
fellow claimed to be-what the good
thing might be. He allowed at first
as though he wouldn't tell me. At
last he said that he had been living
out in Arizona, and one day he and
an Indian or a Ka-po- chez, he called
him had started up a deer ran it
through a strip of thick woods and
into a ravine like sort ofplace. The
deer fell and he went after it. There
was steep descent down which the
deer had fallen, and as the Indian
went ahead, | heard him utter
shrill shout knew something had
happened, and hurried up to see.
The Indian handed me piece of
yellow stuff, and saw that it was
gold. My heart fairly leaped for
joy, because in looking around /
soon satisfied myself that l had
struck a rich claim. The Indian,
who was sort ofhalf- bred, watched
me closely, and as we went back to
camp gave me to understand that he
had made the discovery, and the
gold was his, and he would have no
halfway business, but would do the
square thing with me. Now | amt
no man of education, he says, but |
thought it best to keep it with the
Indian, now want to find Price to
get him to 60 to Philadelphy with
me and have this gold tested at the
Mint ! am perfectly willing to pay
his expenses. He's got better edy-
cation than wot l have, and he'll see
that l amt cheated, l wish | could
find him.
Truth is, said the old farmer, Il
didn't sleep any that night. Next
morning / told the stranger I'd like
to see some of that gold, and he
handed me nugget. l said: Pm
going into Parkersburg tc day; sup
pose take this along. He was per-
fectly willing, and at Jackson's Bank
they told me that it was pure gold,
worth seventeen cents a pennyweight
or $14 an ounce. The nugget, they
thought, had about two and half
ounces. l was crazy. | took the
nugget back home, and determined
to try and get in with the stranger
as partner. spoke to him that
night, and he didn't jump to it right
of. Then he said: swell, I'll tell
you the truth I've brought the In
dian along with me and he's got a
bar of the stuff. He's getting I'M
easy out in the woods yonder, and
wants to go back to Arizona, and l
can't do anything with him. He is
acting ugly and that's what made me
so down hearted. swell, went out"
continued the farmer, "and saw the
Indian and he was ugly. All he
could say was Howl howl! and Me
heap madp He sat in a sort ofcave
with an old blanket around him and
looked mighty vicious at me. At
last this miner made signs at him
and he showed us the bar.
The miner said it was nigh unto
forty thousand dollars. But that the
Indian could sell his share for &c.
900, then he and | would be partners
and own the brick or bar together.
1 suspected something right then,
but the miner said: "Of course,
wouldn't ask you to buy the brick
without examining it," 1t looked
just like real gold, and he bored
into II and gave me the dust aad l
took It to the drug store in town and
they aaid IL was unId anre I didn't