The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-03
REBEL GEORGE RAE.
Diversified Career Of the Gold
Brick Worker.
SUCCESS DUE TO sl,cknEss,


Who vas bound over to the superior court
day before yesterday by Justice caldwell
on the charge Of swindiinR banker {. I.
WoOdine. Of Aberdeen. out Of 5000 by
the gold brick" game, IL one Of the best
known criminals in the United Ssates. hts
operations having extended 20 oil parts Of
the country. The history Of his capture
NJ 81 Louis for shs svindls he il alleged 70
have accomplished in this caty il on . par
With his numerous other exploits. IL APP
pears that Knowiton VAS in Mexico, and
conceived Ihs plan Of shipping furs 70
New York ctr or ST. Louis a. bonded
freight He eisher had or claimed to have
. stock worth $1,000. and he wanted
70 ell these goods in bond. When he
reached Sc. Louis his goods were put in
the bonded warehouse, bat from the
weight OF the boxes the officials became
suspicious that there vas something be-
sides furs inside The boxes were opened
and before the eyes OF the astonished Off
Gals appeared . collection Of sticks, bricks
and other trash. How Knowiton or other
persons got the skins out Of the boxes vas
. mystery. Knovlton vas placed under
police snrveiiIance. In the meantime the
peculiar case had been reported to the
convention Of police chiefs then in session
at 81. Louis. Many Of the chiefs vent
down 20 the warehouse to zee the boxes
and get look Ut Knowiton. Among them
Vas one Of the Pinkertons. and when his
eyes rested ON .Rebsl George" alias
Knowlton, he recognised him q once ~
the man who was wanted ~ Seattle. The
arrest was made, and later the prisoner
was brought to this city.
knowlton also has . record in Cali
fornia. where in about the year lss5 he
travelled - Robert Rae and piled the 70
cation Of bunko man. In the end ne
vas captured. convicted and sentenced to
ten ysars in Folsom psnitsntiary. His
case went 20 the supreme court. whore the
verdict Of the lower court was sustained.
After Knowlton had been In prison two
and half years he was parionsd BY Gov.
Stoneman. During his imprisonment
knowlton got into quarrel with another
prisoner and was stabbed in the stomach,
the scar Of which be now carries.
The story Of the California case q a
follows: Rae, alias Knowlton. boarded
an emigrant train on the Central Pacific
railroad With confederate named Turner
and engaged = passenger In conversation.
Rae represented himself TO b . dealer in
furs and said he vas travelling on the emf
grant train because of the convenisnce il
Afforded him In stopping along the route
for the Transaction Of business. He asked
the passenger II he knew Mr.. Turner, of
the firm OF Turner 4 Co. of Boston, and
told him that he had telegraphsd Turner
to meet him at the point where the train
then Was, but had not seen him. just a.
the transporting passenger replied that
he did not know such man the pretended
Turner OPPORTUNITY appeared in the car.
Raa looked up and said
'Uh. here 10 the gentleman coming now"
Rae introduced his confederate to the vic
tim, after which Turner said: ~ got your
telegram and have got your goods all fixed
up" Rae replied: II am very glad; how
are you sending them, by express9" The
confederate replied: Eyes, by express.
Not by transfer; they will not touch any
unless prepaid" Rae then produced two
currency notes, saying that they were all
the change he had, and that he did not
know how he WAS going TO arrange the
p,atter unless Turner could change .rhis
bill" 1t the same time producing what
bore . slight resemblance to a United
States bond for 81 COO, with coupons at
tached. Turner said he could not change
IL. when the defendant asked the victim
how much money he had. The victim re-
Piled that he had about 500. Rae then
said he was in q bad tx. and did not know
what he was going to do.
He asked the prosecuting witness 20 let
him have what money he had until he
could so to the baggage car and get some
money. and that they could settle up as
they went along, at the same time offering
the prosecuting witness the pretended
bond ~ . temporary security. In response
to the request. the prosecuting witness
handed Rae $50. whereupon the latter.
saying that he would be back in half an
hour and requesting the prosecuting wit
ness TO hold his seat for him, left the car.
lie did not return aud the criminal prose-
cution subsequently followed at Sacra-
msnto- knowiton 10 well known in Ore
gon and served term in the Salem psni-
Tertiary for bunkoing unsuspecting
strangers