The Forrest City times., 1891-06-05
A SWINDLER LANDED
Arrest of John Cummins, at
 Pueblo, Colo.
BY ONE OF HIS VICTIMS
A Man Who Has Worked the Pacific Coast from North to South at Last Stopped Short by a Nervy
 Mans Action

PUEBLO, Colo, June Tt took cool nerve for private citizen to walk up to a fellow traveller as he stepped of train at the Union Depot yesterday afternoon, and to personally arrest and take to the City Jail, without showing warrant, one of the cleverest swindlers that eyer operated in the West. Yet this was done The prisoner is no other than John Cummins, who for several years has swindled prom inent capitalists of the Pacific Coast from Mexico to British Columbia out of large sums of money. Prominent and leading citizens of Trinidad Colo have been beat out of at least S2o, coo and probably so, 900, during the past two years by this man, and they never suspected him. His methods of operation have been in making real estate sales to supposed Eastern capital Ists, first letting in Trinidad spectators on the ground floor, who would buy bogus claim relinquishments f. om men who were cappers for Cummips
 r, r. Sharp, of this city, highly re- speeted citizen, who arrested Cummins, has been for two years trying 10 work up sale for some very valuah he coal lands on which he held options, but every time something interfered to carry the sale to successful ending. About three weeks ago Sharp was introduced to Cummins, who professed to have $50, 600 on deposit in this city, and an agreement was entered into between Sharp his co-laborer. Jas. C. Weston, and Cummins, whereby the latter was to secure purchasers for the entire tract of coal lands and obtain re- linquishments upon other lands required 10 complete the conditions
 The three were to share equally in tho proce ds of the sale when consummated Cummins was given l,f0o, aud all went to work. Last Thursday Mir. Sharp grew uneasy by the delays of Cummins to fulfill his part of the contract, ard went to Trini- dad 10 show his hand He found that Cummns had been backcapplng him and Weston, and that the landowners were inclined to keep shy of Sharp, but were willing to give a Texas friend Of Cummins an option when Sharp's would expire. A meeting was arranged for yesterday after noon, but sharp, learning that Cummins had driven out of Trinidad in the morning to go to picnic, suspected that he was trying to leave the country, so he boarded the train for Pueblo to seize tho safety de- posit box. At Chicosa Station, twenty miles from Trinidad, he saw foaming team dash up and Cummins leap out and run for the cars
 Sharp quickly concealed himself aud borrowed revolver from the conductor. He sent message to Pueblo to have oifi- cers at the depot to arrest Cummins, but tho message failed to reach the proper parties, and when sharp saw no one around he presented the revolver and took Cummins over to the City Jail. Cummins made tender of money enough to make good Sharps loss but be refused to accept it. Cummins now lies in the County Jail, on charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. About midnight an at tachment was run on the safety box, it's contents being unknown On Cummins was found siio0 in currency, 5000 dia- mond, a fine watch and revolver Not many days ago Cummins ia Trinidad, dis played e., 900 in cash and Sa5, coo in ex- change, so that the Trinidad men thought that hs was acting in good faith. Attor- ncys will fight the case for Sharp, and think they can send Cummins to the Peni. ten,iary.