Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-25

Denver road necessitated Mr.. Holland.
staying in our city for three days. a cues
of the Pickwick. He was pointed
out to reporter of TIE GAzErT1
by an acquaintance who related
the interesting episode in MIR. Holland:
career The reporter approached Mr.. Hol
land, told him his vocation and requested
recital of the page in his life's history tha
had made him famous as man of excep
tional nerve, with a further request thai
THE GAZETTE be allowed to give it to II:
readers. Out of his steady brown eye came
surprised look and the reporter was me-
with polite declination, Mr.. Holland aver
ring that he courted no newspaper notori
ETY., in fact had had quite enough notoriety
given on account of what he termed the
unfortunate scrimmage'' His objections
were finally overcome and he gave the fol
lowing account of the affair:
1T was something near five years age
that the matter you speak of happened.
was then rather adventurous and specula
tive, and had heard much of the green
goods racket so much practiced at that
time on the unsuSpecting ones who were
foolish enought to bite at it. / knew OF
more than half dozen who had been swim.
died by means of it, and being thoroughly
acquainted with fine methods employed by
the bunco men, thought | could devise a
scheme employed by the green goods man
was to write to person, whose address he
had in some way found out, and offer for
the sum, usually of 500, to send him SO, 00O
in such cleverly executed counterfeit bills
that the best experts were unable to detect
the fraud. The accomplice in the crime,
for such he really was, would usually send
the money and receive in return a box filled
with sawduSt. When the one with whom
the dealing was done came to the city TO
transact the business he was usu-
ally taken 10 the fourth or
fifth story of building where
bunco men would show him $4,000 in genu-
inc United States bills. These would be
placed in Il valise which WAS placed near u
wall in which was panel, the cOuntryman
engaged in conversation, and the panel
working noiselessly would be slipped back,
the valise taken and another with counter
felt bills placed in its stead. l was onto all
this. as the saying goes, and determined if
possible to get that $4,000 for $500 Ac-
cordingly | started for New York with u
friend OF mine, Mrs. Hill, who was at that
time marshal of Abilene | first Went to
Davis place, where he had caught so many
and plucked them, and first satisfied myself
that the bills were genuine by exchanging
"a $40 bill had for one of them and having
the latter examined by bank official
who declared it to be good l then
went back with my 800 and entered
into negotiations with them for an ex-
changing of it for the. $4,000. The bunco
Men counted out the money in crisp 500
bank notes that had never even been folded
I recounted it in order to satisfy myself
that | had not been imposed upon. While
| was counting the bills, the two men
We're endeavoring to make me believe that
the notes were counterfeit ones. at the
same time telling me that the notes We're
so cleverly counterfeited that no one could
detect it. I let them talk to ME as much as
they felt inclined to, and when [ had fin
ished the counting of the notes, placed
the amount in a small grip, and, bidding
them good evening, started for the door
told me not to bother myself
with carrying the money to the
bank. but to leave it in their charge and
they would guarantee its safe conveyance
to the hotel | thanked them, assuring
them it was no trouble. and again started
toward the door. Davis. who was large
man, weighing probably one hundred and
uinety-tive pounds. angrily ordered me to
stop and deliver the grip to him. This re
fused TO do, and kept my eye fixed steadily
upon him, knowing that he was armed and
also his desperate character | told him
that our trade was a fair one, perfectly
honorable, and that proposed to keep the
money; further, that if he touched me he
would get hurt. He appeared to he weaken
ing, and had visions of the profit | could
make with the $4,000 as starter and con-
graduated myself that such an advantageous
trade had been accomplished so easily. AT
this point the man on the other side of the
partition called to his accomplice
TO kill me and quit dallying
about the matter. For an instant | took
my eyes from the man in front of me and
directed them to the point from whence
came the voice. j was only for second.
but long enough for Davis to take advan-
tage of it. He threw himself upon me, and
with his immense strength turned me COM
pletely around. so that we exchanged
positions exactly. During this short time
he was endeavOriDg to draw his pistol,
which was in his hip pocket, and had sue
ceeded i'll getting it partly out. ] had my
revolver strapped in front of me, but con-
cealed, and it being in 4 much more con-
venient place | drew first and fired one
shot, hut this was sufficient, as it went
clear through his heart, and killed him in
stant.y. l then turned and fired two shots
through the thin partition, missing
the other swindler only about an
inch. In the excitement attending the af-
fair dropped the valise with the SO, 600 in
it and never thought Of it till | had cooled
down, when it was too late. | had paid my
Topo. 81 tilC green SoouS uitt SOL
my hard-earned money. but at rather dear
price. The other man in the room ran at
the first indication of danger and | walked
out OF the room and out into the street,
where / was arrested some time later. |
was taken to the police court and every
effort was made to induce me to make Il
statement that would compromise me- |
kept my own counsel, however, and later
developments proved that it was decidedly
to my interest. Rather than make known
my defence, for such l would have been
compelled to do to give bond, l preferred
TO be confined for over seven months.
The best citizens of New York offered
themselves as my bondsmen, but declined
their offers At last the trial came off after
numerous delays and l was acquitted, as
You know. At the time there were between
four or five Southern travelling men in New
York, and they resisted all efforts of mine
to leave the city, compelling me with their
hospitality and other inducements to re
main five days after the conclusion of the
trial. At the end of this time / tore myself
away and started for the rolling plains of
my native state, where / have remained
since, much wiser man for the checkered
career had experienced since leaving the
Lone Star state. -
It was nearly IL o'clock when Mr.. Hol-
land finished his narr3tive, and bidding the
reporter good night he retired to his room,
and left the next morning on the o'clock
train for his home in Amarillo.