The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-19
ALL NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.
Three Prominent Merchants Swindled by
Bunco Man to the Tune Of $4,000.
Special to News and Courier.

woods near Aiken yesterday and feeced
to the extent Of $4,000 or more. Two
fine looking men, one at the Buck
House, and the other at the Highland
Park Hotel, had been here for nearly
two weeks, and they took in the prom
inent merchants and a planter at Will
liston, to the above stated amount,
with so-called gold brick lin the
shape of gold) filled with lead. One of
the party came here yesterday with
his draft on Charleston factor and
had it cashed through a bank here for
five thousand dollars.
"One on the Wing"
1T WAS A BAR oF-coPPER.
AUGUSTA, February 13.-Mr. J. R..
Easterling, of Williston, S. c., who,
with Messrs. Kennedy and Weathers-
bee, of the same town, was swindled
out of five thousand dollars by being
persuaded to buy bar Of gilded copper
for pure gold from fakir, is in town
tonight on his way to Atlanta, where
he goes in hopes of identifying man
named Mace, who was arrested in
Atlanta this morning, according to the
description furnished of the party who
was an accomplice in the gold bug
game.
The man in Atlanta was arrested in
a Richmond and Danville train by
Chief Connolly, and if be is the right
man the officers will get five hundred
dollars reward for the arrest.
DETAILS OF THE sWISDLE.
The Chronicle this morning gives the
following details of the manner in
which the swindle was worked:
a few days, possibly week ago, a
mysterious parsonage, giving his name
as Bill Parker, or more formally speak
ing, Mr.. William Parker, made himself
known to Mr.. w. H. Kennedy, Mr.. R.
A. Weathersbee, and Mr.. J. r. Easter
ling, of Williston, S. c.
He spoke in mysterious way of a
big thing which he had if he only had
the money to work it. He got these
gentlemen Interested, and disclosed TO
them that he had somewhere in the
mining regions of the West a most
valuable gold mine. It had been dis
covered by the Indians or some half
breed bunters, and there was millions
in it. Indeed, he had along with him
a mythical Indian, who never showed
up, but was supposed to be lowering
around somewhere in the bushes or on
the outskirts of town and available for
consultation with Mr.. Parker when
necessary.
The best evidence, however, that
there was geld in the mine was to pro-
duce the gold itself and this Mr.. Par
ker did in a secret interview. And
what a glittering prize it was! A solid
bar two feet long and as big as bar of
railroad iron. But if these clever gen.
tlemen had attended the recent Shakes
pearean Symposium in Augusta they
would have learned that GAIL is not
gold that glitters." But they knew
that anyhow, and even suggested as
much to Mr.. Bill Parker. He was not
surprised nor embarrassed by this i'm
piled distrust, but courted investiga-
ton. Taking gimlet he bored into
the heavy yellow bar, and smiled con-
fidently on the shining dust which
came from the hole. "Take this gold
dust now and send it to any jeweller or
chemist and ascertain TO your own sat-
isfaction whether or not it is the pure
stuff"
This was fair enough, and the pre-
cious dust was either sent to Charles
ton or submitted to a Williston expert,
the reporters informant was not GER
tain which. But the test was entirely
satisfactory, and the answer came back
that it was 22-carat gold: Mr.. Bill Par
ker was vindicated, and now nothing
remained but to weigh the bar and
make the calculation. The weight was
not known to the gentleman who gave
the reporter the story, but the bar was
worth 5000 or $1,000.
Just exactly why they were given
such a bargain is not made clear, but
for $1,000 cash Mr.. Parker and his
imaginary Indian partner were willing
to turn over the glittering bar of gold
to Mr.. Kennedy and Mr.. Weathersbee,
the two gentlemen with whom he was
trading. The prize was too glittering;
the profit too certain and easy to let
slip. All that was necessary would be
to send it to the Government mint to
be coined and clean profit Of one or
two thousand brand new gold dollars
would be realized. Who wouldn't have
bought it?
Mr.. w. H. Kennedy, who is a man
of means, drew draft on his factor in
Charleston for $1,000, and Mr.. Dan
Henderson, of Aiken, took it and gave
him a check on the Bank Of Aiken for
the money. Armed with the s., 900 in
cold cash, Mr.. Kennedy sought Mr..
Bill Parker and the trade was consum-
mated. They got the precious bullion
and Mr.. Parker got the cash. Having
gotten the money, Mr.. Parker had no
further business in Williston or
Aiken, or even in Carolina, and his
mythical Indian chief vanished from
the Palmetto State.
The owners of the gold bar either
yrara cncoicions or else wanfad to reas.