New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-09-23
THE GOLD BRICK SCHEME.
A Confidence man arrested in St. Paul
for Playing the Game.
Evidently the Same Fellow who tried tt
Rope in a New Ulm Man some
months ago.

Not long ago, it will be remembered
the Review contained a long &C.
count of swindle that was attempted
upon one of our young business men BY
a confidence stranger who passed for :
Mexican miner. The particulars of tht
story were so highly interesting tina
few people believed it at that time, bu
last week a man was arrested in St
Paul for working a similar dodge, anc
so we'll do the two narratives tally tha
it is hard to believe but what he is the
same individual who visited New Ulm
in June. The Pioneer Press gives the
following regal ding the arrest anc
"game:'
Paul Busch, the confidence man.
proves himself to be possessed of an un
limited amount of confidence in his
ability to deceive. His favorite game
is the ''gold brick'' swindle. Notwith'
standing the fact that he has several
times attempted to work this swindle
in St. Paul and has been foiled by the
police every time, and the further fact
that he is held under $500 bonds tc
the grand jury upon the charge of swim.
ding party at the old pea game, he
has loitered about St. Paul and made
another attempt, under the very eyes
of the police, to work the 'sgold brick
scheme.
He was arrested yesterday by Detec-
tives DAILY and Kenaley and charged
with 7agrancy. Judge Corey continued
the hearing for a day, and Busch de-
posted 1925 as bail. This is all that
appears of record in the matter, but
there is an interesting story connected
with the affair. Chief Clark and John
OConnor, chief of detectives, have kept
an eye on Busch through all his per-
formances, and the circumstances are
related by them as follows:
Busch has been masquerading for
some time past in the attire of an ignor-
ant horny-handed miner. His disguise
was so perfect that he fattered himself
he was deceiving the police; but instead
he was the deceived party, and his
every movement was shadowed. Early
in the week Busch picked out mark in
G. Bridgman,a "a lum herman of St. Cloud.
He told Bridgman that his name was
Alfred Allen, and that he was just from
the mines in the west. His everv ap-
pearance bore out his representations,
and he had not talked long with the
lumberman until his interest was thor
oughly aroused.
Busch conveyed an air of mystery
about HIMSELF; but revealed a tale of
how in the early days of Montana he
worked claim in company with man
named Bridgman, and how the latter
died just as the claim began to yield
rich returns. Two or three years after
his partners death, he said, he secured
vast fortune from the mine, one half
of which belonged to the heirs of the
deceased. His partner had told him
about having a brother, and 50 he start.
ed out to find this heir and give him his
belongings. He heard of Bridgman
in St. Louis and went there to interview
him. 1t was not the brother, but the
gentleman knew Bridgman in Omaha
and gave the honest miner the follow
ing letter of introduction to him:
ST.. LOUIS, Mo-, Sept. 5, 18s1.-To
Mr.. Coleman Bridgmau, Omaha, Neb.-
Dear Sir: The last time l heard of YOU
you were still in Omaha, so l take the
liberty of directing this man Allen to
you. He is in search Of a man by your
name Coleman Bridgman) and is,
think, in possession of some very valu-
able secret, if you can only get it out
of him-something which I was unable
to do. Trusting that you are the party he
is looking for, and hoping you may be
more successful with hlm than I was,
remain yours, ETC., ss
Coleman e, Bridgman.
Allen said he went to Omaha, but
found that the Bridgman there was not
his brother. He went to st. Paul and
learned that there was a Bridgman ir
st. Cloud. That was why, he said, be
was in st. Cloud.
The lumberman informed the miner
that he had no such brothers as des-
cribed; but just the same he was inter
ested in the story and glad to have me-
such an honest man. The miner pro
ceeded to show the lum herman how
they could make :heir accidental ac-
quaintance mutually profitable. He sale
he had a tepee in the woods between st
Paul and Minneapolis. and there his In
dian guide and companion stood guart
over number Of gold bricks which