Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-11-27
AN EXPENSIVE BRICK.
A FARMER PAYS A BIG PRICE FOR LUMP
OF BRASS
The Gold Brick Fake Worked Successfully in This
Ciiy-A Wealthy Farmer Was an
Easy Victim.

"All is not gold that glitters" is
trite saying, and peculiarly applicable
to the case of farmer living short
distance from this city, who paid $4,000
in cold cash to discover the truth OF
that familiar epigram. On the floor OF
the big vault at the Bank Of Wheeling
lies a mass of metal, OF bright yellow
ish color, the intrinsic value OF which
would be but few dollars, but which
cost the farmer small fortune.
One would think that in these days OF
enlig tenment and newspaper ex-
posures of crime, the criminal who lives
by his W it's could not find victim in an
intelligent community upon such an old
scheme as the "gold brick" fake. Yet
this thre adbare swindling scheme was
worked successfully within few miles
of this city.
The victim was a well-to-do farmer,
whose name will not be divulged. Some
months ago two strangers called at his
house, and impaired information OF
great value TO the farmer, APP
parently. Their story was plausible
one, and while the farmer
at first turned deaf ear, he atterward
listened, then became interested, and
finally fell into the trap, He was told
that he would receive st least $50, 900
for an investment of one-tfth OF that
sum. The strangers had come into
possession of brick Of gold through
some shady transaction in the West,
and for that reason it was necessary for
them to make their propositions TO
man whom they could implicitly trust
to say nothing about IL. The men called
several times, the farmer at each visit
Welding a trfle more in his determine
ton TO have nothing TO do with the
transaction, and finally accepting the
nattering terms offered to him. The
details of the proposition will perhaps
never be known, as the victim Is very
reticent about the matter.
At any rate date was fixed and all
the parties met in this city. The farm
err had money on deposit In the Bank OF
Wheeling, and after the brick was
placed in his possession and tucked
away snugly 10 the seat OF his wagon
for safe keeping, be walked down 10
the bank with one Of the men, drew his
check for 81, 900, and the money was
paid into the hands OF the sharper. The
bank officials suspected nothing i'm
proper id the transaction.
The farmer drove home with his
prize and placed 1t in safe spot The
strangers disappeared and have not
been seen since. A few days later the
farmer received letter from one Of the
men, IN which he was told that he had
been worked for a sucker" and that
the brick was worth just as much as 1t
would bring in brass foundry. In his
rage he told the story to several per-
sons. He drilled down into the brick,
and made the acid test, which con-
frmed the story of the sharpers.
The officials at the bank expressed a
curiosity TO see the brick, and II was
hauled TO the city. and has since been
lying on the floor OF the vault. 1t is
about two inches thick, four inches in
width, and eighteen inches long, weigh
ing thirty pounds. The color is said to
be that of gold in that shape. The
brick is presumably made Of an amalgam
of several metals.