Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-29
THE END OF SLEEPY JAKE'S GANG,
Good Work by Deputy Marshal
A. w. Marsh.
The Career in Crime of GuadellO
and Gonzales.
An interesting Story Brought Out by
the Conviction Of Two Dextrous
Rasca1s Yesterday in the
Federal Court.

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confidence operators, one of the shrewd-
est and most successful that has ever
operated on the Pacific coast, is wiped
out.
Louis Meyers. the Jew, was convicted
last March in the United States district
court in this city and sentenced to ten
years at San Quentin, where he is now
serving it out.
The last two, Ricardo Gonzales and
B. Guadello, were convicted yestesday
morning in the same court, and will be
sentenced Monday.
This leaves Sleepy Jake, the leader of
the gang, the only one at large, he hav-
ing never been seen after he jumped his
bail in San Francisco in 1888.
The trial of Gonzales and Guadello
was not a>long one. the evidence being
presented before Judge Ross and the
jury Thursday, and the arguments yes
terday morning. The defendants had
quite an array OF counsel, consisting OF
6. @. Stephens, J. A. Donnell, R. A.
Ling and G. Edgerton, while United
State Attorney M. T. Allen conducted
the case for the government. The jury
was out only a short time, when they
returned verdict of guilty as charged
in the Indictment.
HISTORY OF THE GANG.
In the year 1888 Sleepy Jake. well
known in the east as dangerous con-
fidencee man. came west, as the country
east of the Rockies was too hot to hold
him. He soon gathered little band OF
choice spirits about him, consisting Of
the three men convicted. They were
bold and shrewd as the leader himself
almost. Their favorite swindle was the
counterfeit gold coin game.
In the first days of the operations OF
the gang they were not equipped as well
as latterly, their machine being made of
plaster of paris dies. They were quite,
successful, but were finally arrested.
The leader succeeded in giving bail,
but Gonzales and Meyers were con-
victed, under the state law, of conspiracy
to defraud, and were sent for one year
each to San Quentin, where they served
their time out.
The United States statutes at that
time did not cover their crime, which
was not genuine attempt at making
counterfeit coin. But N. R. Harris,
chief of the federal secret service of the
coast, in February, 1890, effected the
passage of such an amendment to the
statutes.
WORKING LOS ANGELES.
The attention OF the marshal's Office
in Los Angeles was first called to the
operations of the gang in 1890 in this
city, where they managed to swindle
people by the old plan. From one of
them they secured $1,000, from another
$500, and from third $3.50. The last
man was a grocery keeper on Upper
Main street, Spanisrd, and he COM
planned to the marshal Deputy Mar
shall A. w. Marsh was put on the case,
and from that time until yesterday fol-
lowed it up with a persistence which
has had a large share in the marshaling
of the evidence which effected the cap
ture and conviction OF the dangerous
criminals.
They got $3.50 out of the groceryman
for an interest in the machine, and then
he worked with the marshal's Office. A
job was put up to capture them one
night in his store, where the machine
was, but when the time came they had
become ''leary" and did not appear.
Nothing more was heard OF the gang
until they turned up in San Francisco,
where they fleeced an old man out of
$2500 and were again obliged to disap-
pesr.
THE FINAL lob.
But in November, 1891, they did the
job which finally resulted in, the capture
and Indictment of the precious trio. It
nk na1orn khn.
succeeded in swindliDg a waiter named
Martens, in the Delano hotel, out Of $40
by the same old stale machine trick.
The machine, one for turning out So
gold pieces, was, however, left with
him, and some dirt in valise.
From Delano they went to MADEIRA, in
Fresno county, where in December they
got $3.50 out of Ned Medjica, proprietor
of restauraunt. Meyers took Medjica
to his room in the hotel and made $40
gold piece in the machine. He 30
fooled the restaurant man that the
latter forked over $3.50 for an interest in
the magnificent invention. The sharp.
ers then separated. Guadello had gone
to Merced, and was arrested there by
Marsh at the time the others we're
working in MADEIRA. He was brought at
once to Los Angeles, Gonzales and
Meyers not hearing of the arrest.
After getting the money from Medjica
Meyers hired horse and buggy and
drove to little station, where he took
the train for Los Angeles. Constable T.
B. Orr of Delano saw him on the train
and shadowed him to Los Angeles,
where he was arrested in the United
States hotel on Main street, by Deputy
Marshals Marsh and Frank P. Flint.
Gonzales came in the next day, and
was arrested while walking along Main
street. The men had arranged to meet
in the city and get into Mexico as soon
as possible.
GONZALES ESCAPE.
The escape of Gonzales in May last ie
still fresh in the remembrance OF readers
of the HERALD. With his usual coolness
and shrewdness he and prisoner named
Acevedo slipped up the stairs of the
county jail and let themselves down
over the arch in front of the entrance.
Gonzales fed to Mexico, where he was
captured at Chihuahua by Marshal
Gard six weeks afterwards.
THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.
A woman appeared in the BACKGROUND