Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-10
A DETECTIVE IN JAIL.
Charged With Attempting to
 Bribe District Attorney.
WANTED RED AUsTINs RELEASE.

It Is Alleged That He Offered s2O.OOO to
 Have the King of Confidence Men Let Out
 on Bail That He Might Take Him Where
 He Would Get Rich Rewards.
 RICHMOND. Jan. I0.-A. W. Withers, a wealthy Englishman now living in Glou- cester county, Va, was swindled out of S6. 900 by gold brick schemers. The only person directly charged with the crime is Thomas H. Parker alias Red Austin. who passed himself off on Withers as an assay CT of the United States mint in Philadel- phia, and who is believed to be the ring leader.
 Simon Copps, ono of the biggest gam blers in Virginia. is charged with trying to defraud Withers out of g, 200. Copps is said by the police to be the person who selected the victim for Parker. They have no proof of that. but a gambling house transaction gave them 0 chance to take him into custody.
 Detective John T. Norris of Springfield. O., arrived here Soon after arriving in Richmond and registering at Ford hotel he visited Commonwealth Attorney Smith In less than two hours from that time the detective it is said, attempted to bribe MT. Smith to consent to admit Parker to bail. The amount offered. according to H ks was SEQ, GOO in cash and one-half interest in large number of contracts that Norris holds with persons in Ohio aggregating g possibly as much more
 Big Rewards Out For Parker. Parker has been indicted in that state for swindling to the amount of slS0, 900, and in these cases the detective holds con tracts with the victims for large sums of money on the condition that he shall hunt down the swindlers. The common wealth's attorney was very much agitated | at the proposition, but managed to retain his presence of mind.
 Mir. Smith swore out a warrant for the | arrest of Norris, and the detective was placed in jail.
 Samuel Emery of New York was stop. | ping at tho same hotel with Norris and is the man the detective said would go or Parker's bail bond Emery claims to be O turfrnan of New York and denies all ac l quaintanceship with Norris. Emery wa: arrested, but was released on bail. The Ohio detective, before his arrest 1 claimed to have identified Parker as Frank l L. Smith, one of the most noted crooks 1T 1 the country. If he really is Smith, he i: wanted in half dozen states for working the gold brick scheme. Two indictmentl against him were filed yesterday. On' | was drawn in Beaver county, Pa, anC sets forth that Cameron Bosteller, alias E Campbell, alias Harris K. Harper an( Frank l.. Smith. alias Fred Smith. alia' B. r. Grant, alias B. F. Choo, alias B. F Riggs. swlndled Joseph shannon out O ] $9, 900.
 The other, which was drawn agains the man of many aliases in Lucas county O., alleges that Nov. l3, 1898, Frank l. I eron Bosteller. alias Charles Adams, alia Patrick Henry Davis, alias Red Austin defrauded John Groll by means of tn gold brick swindle of S6. 939
 Norris Is Widely Known.
 Norris to the reporters who besiege' him, said:
 I've paid my lawyer, and paid hin well, and he will do all the talking that going to be done<n my easel Norris is one of the most widely knowl detectives in the United States He ha been in prison many a time before, bu has always managed to get out of trouble He Is rich.
 Red Austin, the gold brick swindler said to be in jail in Richmond, belongs il New York city>and in tho king of conf dence men. He is the leader of 0 ban' that has realized over $500, 900 by the gol brick scheme within the last three years Red Austin was married in Cincinnati several years ago to the notorious Matti Hopkins. The name he was married un der was Patrick Henry Davis
 Samuel Emery has made hooks on th big tracks in the vicinity of New York fo several years He has the reputation c paying dollar for dollar and has been con sidered a square man even by the gam bling fraternity.