The record-union., 1893-03-14
BEAUTIFULLY BJNCOED.
Another Granger Victim to the Gold
Brick SwndIe.
The Old Lottery Trick Successfully
Practiced on a Conffding Per-
kins' Farmer.

An old gentleman who lives about five
miles east of town reported narrowing
tale to the police yesterday, acknowledge
ing that he had been made the victim of
the ancient and time-honored gold
bricll' swindle. The victim is a we'll
known farmer, living near Perkins'
Station, and he was induced to contribute
TO a brace of sharpers $1,000 in hard gold
coin.
The money was obtained by the opera
tors last Tuesday and their victim de-
layed reporting his loss to the officers
until too late to hope for their capture, as
they have doubtless left a locality where
they cleaned up $1,000 so easily and
cleverly.
1t is said there were two of the chief
operators in the swindle, while a third
man seemed to be a confederate to some
extent in arranging for the meeting be-
tween the sharpers and their victim.
THE STORY THIS TIME
Is that the two strangers appeared at the
granger's home and represented that they
were looking for farm, for which they
would willingly pay almost any price if
its location and advantages were satisfac-
tory. They claimed to own a fabulously
rich mine in New Mexico, or somewhere
in the South, and were about to dispose
of it and retire with all the money they
ever expected to find use'tor.
just how they reconciled this story
with the game they worked is not clear,
but after very brief acquaintance with
the object of their wiles they induced the
old gentleman to buy
A CHANCE IN A LOTTERY,
Which they explained to him thoroughly,
and in which there were prizes to be won
running from - up to thousands in cash
or gold.
Among the prizes there We're two gold
bricks, the precious metal yielded by
their own mine one valued at 50. 900 and
the other at S5,000-the actual weight of
the gold in them.
The gold briclls-or what appeared to
be pure gold bricks-were shown and
weighed, and as the granger had been
miner in early times, he was confident
the bricks were all straight.
He was induced to invest in the lot
terry, and was permitted to draw several
prizes, and finally
WON THE $1,000 BRICK.
The operators at this were of course
greatly dismayed, and after a season OF
lamenting proposed to give up their en-
tire plant in the lottery business. buy
ranch and settle down to ease and con-
tent.
They then induced the granger to agree
to purchase the $, 900 brick and he could
then send the $1,000 in gold to the mint
and realize large amount of pIemium
on the total weight.
With the $1,000 thus received from the
granger for the gold, and a large amount
in cash, the men proposed to purchase
most of that part of the State which sur
rounds and adjoins Perkinsville. They
were
ROLLING IN WEALTH
And utterly regardless OF ordinary land
values if they could secure enough of the
soil to suit their wishes.
The outcome OF their embassy to the
rural district was that they induced their
new acquaintance to come to town, draw
5000 in gold coin out of d. o. Mills
bank, aud pay it over to them.
The package containing the coin was
turned over to the rich mining men.
while the happy rancher drove home
ward with the valuable gold brick snugly
slowed away in his buggy.
Here the romantic part of the story
ended. Upon arriving home the old gem
tleman opened the precious package to
find that it contained an assortment of
SCRAP LEAD AND IRON.
Realizing, when too late, that he had
been ignobly swindled, the ambitious
farmer and a nephew tried for several
days TO obtain some clew to the course
the conndence operators had taken, but
without avail, and finally reported. very
reluctantly, to the officers.
Chief Rodgers could offer but cold con-
ISOLATION to the credulous farmer, who had
given the operators of the great American
gold brick scheme ample time to get far.
lar away.
DOING A GOOD BUSINESS
The swindle was the same that was
worked few years ago on A. Menke,
another Perkins granger, from whom the
sharpers secured, it is said, -, 900. Very
likely they are the same rascals who got
away with the hop-grower's money.
Only recently an Oregon farmer was
tricked out OF several thousand dollars
by gold-brick bunco men, and there is
little doubt but that ii is the same gang
that are doing up the ranchers all over
the country.
Possibly their success may to some ex-
tent account for the fact, so frequently
deplored in public speeches, that so many
farms are mortgaged.
GREENvILLE (Texas), March l3.-While
resisting arrest Warren Hickman,
negro, shot and mortally wounded City
Marshal Nalyin, who managed to return
the fire, killing Hickman.