The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-18
A GREEN GOODS GANG.
GEORGIA CoUNTRYMEN START A
SOCIETY OF BOODLERs.


SOCIETY OF BOODLERs.
They Get Their Experience In New
York and Establish a Gresn Goods
Plant Near Triton A Game That
Would Make the Crooks of the Me-
tropolis Green With Envy.
An interesting case will bs called for trial
in the United States circuit court this
morning.
1t is nothing more nor less than that OF a
lot Of countrymen who have been carrying
on the green goods bunco game in the piney
woods Of West Georgia. 1t is the New
York green goods game, with which the
reading public Is pretty familiar by this
time, transferred 10 Southwest Georgia
with slight alterations to suit the locality.
The countrymen learned the game in
New York, where they paid for their eKpe-
rience. II. j. Salter, George H. Fletcher
and W. 8. johnson are countrymen living
along the line of the Georgia Southern and
Florida railroad. They are not farmers,
preferring TO make their living around the
small towns of that section by their wits to
tilling the soil
CAUGHT BY THE CIRCULARS.
little over a year ago some OF the circu-
lars with which the country has been flooded
from New York offering great inducements
In the green goods line, fell into the hands
of some of the party. The idea OF getting
several thousand dollars Of counterfeit
money that could be passed as good money
by the expenditure of only a few
hundred dollars captured them at once.
They dubbed their cash and Salter and
Fletcher went on to New York with the
united wealth Of the syndicate to invest IN
green goods" They met the agent as
agreed upon, went through the usual pro-
cess Of reaching the "office" by dark and
devious ways, inspected the goods" paid
over their cash and started home with their
treasure, as they thought. only to discover
when they arrived home that they had
brought home box of sawdust.
PAID FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE.
They were poorer but wiser. They had
seen the elephant and were totally burst.
They were not an ordinary lot Of suckers,
however, and after considering the situa-
ton an idea struck them.
What was to prevent them working the
same game here in Georgiai The more
they thought OF it the better they liked the
ides. They took several of their com
panions into the scheme and organized what
they called THE Boodlers' Society,"
The new members Of the gang furnished
sufficient capital to put the plan on a work
ing basis and the society" began opera
tions. The members we're as shrewd in the
conduct Of their plans as the older green
goods men of New York. They selected
the parties upon whom they proposed to
operate and wrote them cautious letters,
revealing in general way a scheme for
making large amount of money on very
small Investment. Having excited the
victims oupidity to a sufficient hight, a
personal communication was at last had
With one of the society.
ADVISED To BE CAREFUL.
Great care was taken to impress upon the
would-be handler or green goods the danger
of being caught In the business by the au-
thorities, though he was assured that the
goods would never be suspected, When
everythin was ready meeting was ar
ranged in some secluded spot, usually at
night, and with an air Of great secrecy the
would-be purchaser was shown the goods"
and allowed to handle them. The bills of
course were not spurious, but genuine
Having satisfied himself that everything
was as represented the purchaser paid
over the amount agreed upon and asked for
his goods" Here was the point that the
game turned upon. Instead of having his
| attention distracted and a box of sawdust
substituted in its place, as is the custom of
| the New York sharpers, the Georgia hood
lers had an officer of the law appear upon
the scene at the critical moment before the
| bills were counted out
Everybo took to their heels, the bood-
| lers carrying the cash with them, and the
victim was pretty sure to get separated
from his supposed friends in their flight.
THE OFFICER ON THE GAME.
The officer was, Of course, represented by
| by one Of the gang. Sometimes the "of-
| hcer" We 81 the programme by arrestinR
the victim ON the charge of dealing in coun-
terfeit money and compelling him 20 fork
over anything he might have left in
order to secure his release. The
game worked splendidly. Suckers
bit freely, and tbs Society declared fire.
quent large dividends The victims were
usually only too glad TO escape with their
lives, and IL they ever complained after
ward they were threatened with arrest.
| The majority of the victims were country
farmers aud stOrekeepers, but the Society
did not hesitate to carry its operations into
the small towns, and well-known merchants
| and church members of high Standing were
counted among the victims. AT least one
county official is known to have been inn
plicated in their work.
THE LEADERS ARRESTED.
The thing finally got so notorious chat n
came to the ears of the United States off,
Gals. and Salter, Fletcher and johnson were
arrested and carried to Macon. They were
bound over before the United States com.
missioner there TO appear at this term OF
the court. Salter gave bond for s., 0eO and
Fletcher and johnson for $500 each. They
were indicted last week by the grand Jury
OF the United States court at Savannah on
the charge OF using the mails to carry on
the green goods counterfeit" fraud.
Johnson appeared at court Monday,
but could not be found yesterday,
though ii is possible that he may turn Ut
to-day. He is a man of about 40 years OF
age and has family connections with some
| of the best people in Macon,
1t was found that Fletcher, who Ia a
young man, had transferred his property
and it was thought was preparing to skir
his bond. He was arrested and brought
down to Savannah and spent last night in
the county jail.
| THE HEAD OF THE GANG.
Salter. who is supposed 90 be the leader
OF the gang, is young man about 26 years
OF age and has a family near Triton He
has not appeared at court and bis
whereabouts are not known, He il
thought to have skippad his bond. When
Salter was arrested about twenty I've letters
were captured with him. These letters were
from parties all over that section of country
Ia reference 20 transactions ia the articles
in which he was dealing. Many Of them
are well-known people. As result most Of
them have been summoned as witnesses.