The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1893-06-10
THE GOLD BRICK TRICK.


tanker 0l01.
Monday mornings Review created
quite sensation by publishing an ac-
count of the rumOred swindling Of Geo.
+. Minis, cashier of the Miners and
StOckgrowers' bank, of this city, by two
confidence men. Previous to the publ
cation in the Review the matter had
been quietly talked among few, but
had not become generally known. Mr..
Minis denies that they succeeded in
swindling him, although it is generally
thought that he paid dearly for the ex-
perience. Mr.. Minis repeated the story
of the whole transaction to a represen-
tative Of THE PRESS.
The hotel register at the Bancroft
House bears the following name and
address: "Henry Wagner, Globe City.
Arizona" Henry Wagner had the ap-
pearance of an old miner whose early
education had been neglected. He
stopped at the above named hotel and
requested Landlord Bancroft to register
his name, as he could not write. He
went to the bank and asked Mr.. Minis
if he was brother of Andrew Minis. at
the same time handing him letter Of
introduction from a man in the Ceur
dAlenes by the name of johnson. Upon
being informed by Mr.. Minis that he
had no brother by that name and knew
of no other Minis outside of his own
family, the man related the story of his
having once been in partnership with
Andrew Minis and Mexican; that he
understood Andrew Minis had died
after separating from them, and hear
ing of Banker Minis he and the Mexican
concluded that the latter must be a
relative Of Andrew, and having formed
strong attachment for their dead
friend, concluded to journey from Ari-
iona to see his relative. After seParat-
ing from their old partner the Mexican
| and Wagner discovered a fabulously
rich gold mine. Wagner was satisfied
that he had made mistake in coming
here to find a relative of his dead friend.
but he liked the looks of Banker Minis
and proposed that he would give him a
fourth interest i'll the Arizona gold
mine, provided he would 60 there and
manage the business, as both himself
and the Mexican were very ignorant
and unable to conduct the business He
thought the Mexican would also be will
ing TO divide up. At FIRST Mr.. Minis
could not consider the proposition, as
he was not in position to leave his
business here; but Wagner was willing
to give him time to arrange his affairs,
so Minis agreed to accompany him to
Spokane. Arriving at the depot about
train time, Wagner had shown his liber-
atty by purchasing tickets for both.
Upon their arrival in Spokane arrange
ments were made to visit the camp of
the Mexican the next day, and at the
appointed time Wagner was on hand
with team and buggy. Together they
iourneyed TO a secluded spot back of
Cocks addition. where they found the
Mexican in all his glory. All of Wag-
ner's arrangements were satisfactory to
the Mexican, and Minis could see the
millions that would soon be taken from
the mine.
AT the proper moment Wagner pro-
duced four gold bricks, the product of
the mine, and requested Minis to weigh
them in a pair of scales that happened
to be in the camp. They were weighed
and figured at value of over $1,000.
Wagner then produced brace and
drill, requesting Minis TO bore into one
of the bricks, which he did, taking the
borings TO Spokane, where an assayer
pronounced them pure gold, worth S2l
an ounce. Arrangements were made
between the parties TO come to Ceur
d Alene with Minis the next morning.
and they separated. The Mexican and
Wagner have not been seen since Minis
says they never asked him for cent,
and he did not pay them any money.