The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-09

cnth hour the game managed 10 escape.
Ever since that experience Detective
Norris has been more determined than
ever TO capture the men, ana ms eA-
periences m this line would fill a book.
From Detective Norris. who has been
quite accommodating to the representa-
lives OF the press. I learned who the
men really are. Smith, said he. rs at
the head of a colossal syndicate, whose
headquarters are in New YORK city; Inc
company IL regularly organized: ana does
an immense banking business. They nave
sumptuously furnished apartments, ana
work everything with remarkable de-
gree OF system and skill. There Is CEN
trail committee. with a. chief executive
officer. who receives salary OF Some
$1,000 per annum. Through this commit
tee agencies are established In various
parts of the country. and brahch oIhces
operated. On all these agencies a tax OF
per cent. Is levied upon all goid-brlSk
schemes. This tax is used to secure tne
best legal talent. TO avoid the clutches Oh
the police. to bride the authorities Wheii
possible, and to look after the genera
interests of the men who are so unfor-
tunate as to be arrested. In short the
tax goes to pay the general expenses OF
the business, which is carried on III an
extensive way. IL,
The leaders Of the gang carry on big
banking business where all the prohts
are deposited. Seldom DO those VINO are
caught have to serve long term. lheS
usually get off with light sentence.
Occa sionalIy one has to serve quite
long term, I'm which event all EFFORTS aIe
rade to secure his ESCAPE. or bis re-
lease In some way. The business j. mon
ing less than a great, biS buhco u 10.
with amounts backing II TO the anlount
OF some $4,000. The company spshus
money freely, makes hundreds OF tho a.
sands of dollars, and the Leaders Oh vle
gang live in luxury though they dfeSs
plainly enough, ana MAKE Nei' VI"
pretentious appearance
THE KING OF THEM ALL.
Detective Norris said yesterday that
Smith Is the king of all the buncos. lie
has been the game for which many de-
tectives have worked day and nigh..
"fve at last run upon MIN. however
said he, land as soon as | can get my
hands on him, I'm going TO make II warm
for him. You can just put That down IN
your notebook" and then he took a
seat by a table and busted himself Tor
an hour, filling out a dozen or more am
davits charging Smith with BENG
fugitive from justice from half dozen
states and charging nm win the va
rious crimes as enumerated above. ne
wired each of Smiths victims OF Which
he knew, 10 the number Of about twenty
five, to come TO Richmond 10 ldenuiy
the prisoner. II Is thought that several
of these victims Will reach Richmond
tomorrow. when some further develop
ments along the same line are expected
W hen seen last night commonwealth
Attorney Smith stated That ne had had
a conference with Detective Norris Tor
an hour or so, and had taken copous
notes i'm connection with the case lie
had made no decision in regard 10 the
matter. however, and consequently htn
nothing of interest 10 give out Tor pun
lication.
Smith. the prisoner. Is still quite reii-
cent. ana while courteous enough TO the
olaKe any statements about himself
further than what has already been pub
lished His counsel, Mr.. l.. %. Wenden-
burg. has instructed him to say nothing
fnement philosophically. and spends his
time in a cheerful sort of way. he.
does not seem to be greatly DISTURBED
over his confinement. His case VIII come
up Cor trial OH the 18th instant.
When seen yesterday, Mr.. Andrew
Welsh. Richmond manager of the South
ern Express Company. said that the man
claiming TO be Thomas II. Parker came
Wednesday morning and asked for two
boxes sent from New York, and adj,
dressed TO "A. Athal" Mr.. Welsh found
the boxes. which ne noticed were quite
to any address the man wished. The
stranger. however, took them with him
in conveyance which he had in front
of the office, paid the S;1, due. and drove
off. Mr. Welsh did not notice anything
suspicious about the man, who. said he
was well dressed. and gave every APP
pearance Of being a gentleman. The
packages were shipped from one of the
express ~companys New York branch
Offices. at No II west Twenty-third
street. and were marked TO indicate that
they would be called for
IT. was pscertained that Smith about ;
| o'clock Friday afternoon. having ESCAPED
| from capps, who had been asked by
Nithers 10 watcn him. had his wn,skers
ana that he left his derby hat. before
| mentioned in The Times of Saturday, at
shaved off at the barber-shop Of JohI
II. Feldner No. SIG west Broad street.
the store of Mr.. Alexander Rose on
Broad street.
7 ne identity OF the drivers of the various
vehicles used by the swndlers has been
ascertained, and many other details of
interest are now links in Il chain of evil
dence
Mr. Quarles. who is connected with
the Virginia Safe Deposit and Trust Com
pany, where Smith rented a private box
to deposit the gold brick" said that
when the packages were deposited, he
asked the stranger what they contained.
whereupon Smith replied that they
We're railway patents, and Mr..
Withers chimed in with: Yes; they are
railway patents"
or FOR NEW YORK.
There is no doubt now in the minds of
the officers at work on the case that
Bostetter and the third man, whose
name has never been ascertained. went
last Friday. The identity of the third
man Is an open question. Detective Norris
says there is certainly third man, for
he is thoroughly familiar with the his
tory of the scheme. He added that the
third man always remains in the back
ground, and he is the individual who
usually handles the money. lie seldom
fails TO get away with the money before
the details of the affair come TO light.
Sergeant Alexander Tomlinson accom-
panied by Mr.. Withers. the victim of the
swindle. left Richmond on Monday night
over the Richmond, Fredericksburg and
Potomac for New York. They got away
verv quietly. and but few officers In the
police department knew of their de-
parture. The object of their visit to New
York was 10 work up the source whence
came the boxes of gold bricks" and
to follow out clue which they secured
from an outside source. Sergeant Tom
inson and Mr.. Withers returned to the
city last night.
Is Caps N IT!
A great variety of opinions have been
expressed as to whether or not Simon
Caps, who was arrested In Norfolk and
brought TO this city upon warrant
charging him with obtaining under false
pretences $500 from \. w. Wltners, had
any connection whatever with The gold
brick swindle. Ga this point the officers
at work on the case are retcent.
Major Poe, perhaps, knows something
more about the affair than he is willing
to tell at present Ii was in accordance
wish his orders that Caps was ar
rested
II has been an open secret ever since
the brick swindle that Mr.. Withers lost
a considerable sum OF money last Thurs
day night in a Richmond faro bank. The
gambling fraternity has been very much
stirred up about the matter. and have
feared both raids and exposure. IL will
be seen that Caps admits having staked
or loaned Withers $40, and that they
were at play together.