The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-02-18
TRAIL BILL.
ALIAS WM. HARPER, CONS 10
GRIEF IN SOUTH CAROLINA
fOc SwindIing n Citizea 0It of 81. 900
Ills |jsii 10 Dawson.

Ills visit TO Dawson.
About a month ago the NEWS noted
the fact hRs a strange character calling
himself Wan. Harper, of Trail Bill, as he
said he was known out west, was in til,
city, Harper had on his person Will,
here a roll of greenbacks as big as his
leg, the bills ranging from 500 to 5000
each.
He spent two days in Dawson, and
while here talked % only one person, a
prominent capitalist, whom he took into
his confidence and showed his bio roll of
bills. He told the gentleman that he and
an Indian companion had discovered an
Immensely valuable gold mine in Arizo-
ma, and That he was now in this country
for the purpose OF buying machinery
with which to work the mine He claim
cd to have heard of the Dawson gentle
man good judgment in driving bar
gains in Macon, and came on here to get
him to 60 with him to Montgomery and
buy the machinery, telling him that he
would be paid handsomely for his trouble
and given large interest in the Arizona
gold mine.
The proposition was declined and
Trail BIZ disappeared as quietly as he
came. Nothing more was thought of him
until last Saturday, when a telegram to
the daily papers announced that he had
worked the gold brick scheme on two
citizens Of Williston, S. G., to the. tune of
$1,000.
Here is how the scheme was worked.
Sometime ago Harper went to Williston
and became acquainted with Mcssrs.
Weatherby and Kennedy. He found out
chat they had some money and that they
could be worked.
lie told them fabulous tales about
rich gold mine in Arizona which had
been discovered by an old Indian.
The Indian, he explained, was almost
as savage as the primitive red man. He
dislikcd civilization, and 50 had camped
several miles from the city in the woods.
He said the Indian had with him
specimens of the gold from the fabulous
mine, and if the gentlemen would accom-
pany him to the camp he would show
them these rich nuggets.
The gentlemen became so much inter
ested in the stories that they went with
him to where the red American was
camped.
Then Harper produced his samples the
rich gold bricks.
lie represented that all he wanted was
enough money to begin operations on.
Then the mine would be opened, and in
few days he would be as rich as Croe-
sus' He proped to sell brick for S. 900
in order to get a start, brick that was
worth twice or three times as much.
He insisted on the brick being tested
to satisfy the gentlemen that it was good
stuff.
A drill was produced and large hole
cut in the brick. The shavings, or dust
was to be placed in a paper and taken
back to the city to be tested.
One Of the gentlemen gathered up the
dust himself dput it in paper. Har-
per said he would wrap it up, and it was
handed to him.
Just at this moment the Indian, fake,
began fairly tearing up the earth, ami
mated by just what spirit it would be
hard to tell.
This attracted the attention of the
gentlemen, and gave Harper an opportu-
nifty to substitute paper of real gold
dust for the dust bored out Of the brick
which was composition Of brass.
The paper of dust was taken TO the
city and found TO be pure gold Upon shis
Messrs. Weathcrby AMI Kennedy bought
She brick for $1,000, They had previous
ly weighed it, and of the same quality O.
dust believed It to be worth several
times s. 900.
They also arranged to take so mucl
stock in the gold mine where the bricl
was found. When Harper got his hand
on the IS, 900 he and his Indian skipped