Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-18
SHOWSNOT HIS HAND
Parker Alias Smith, the Gold-Bhck
Sxindltr, WalYes Examination.
HORRIS AND CAppS GO SCOTT FREE.
The DetectIvs's Case Involves Lengthy
Examination - Alleged Stories Told
The Supposed Attempt 10 Bribe.

Thomas II. Parker alias G.. ". Garden
alias Frank Lockwood Smith remains In
jail to await the action Of the grand jury
OF the Hastings Court. Simon Capps ana
Detective John T. Norris are breathing
the air of the free.
The cases Of these persons In connec-
ton with the recent gold-brick swindie
came up In the Police Court yesterday
morning, and the largest crowd OF spec
iators ever assembled in the white cham-
Der was on hand to listen 10 the pro-
ceedlngs.
No drama or tragedy presented III
Richmond in late years has been VIII
messed with half the eager interest 'na'
characterized the audience wnich Jos'eu
against the railings and jabbed their e'
bows into each other in a somewhat vain
a,deavor TO hear each word that was
said
So dense and lrrepressible was the
throng that the hoary head OF the Justice
could hardly be seen from Its somewhat
exalted position, and the stands OF the
reporters were submerged In humanity
THE PRINCIPALS IN COURT.
II was fully 1870 o'clock when the
regular docket had been completed anu
the Court announced its readiness 10
take up the gold-brick cases. 1heh theie
was suppressed excitement throughout 'ie
chamber. Norris. the deteclive' ..
Snring0eld. O.. who was arrested as
r,,snic,ous character. having made state
ments TO Commonwealth s-Attorney IL:
NJ. Smith, Jr., which the latter construct
10 be an attempt to bribe him. occupied
| a seat beside his counsel Mr.. ID. I. Rich-
ardson. Parker, the Eold-brlck swlnd'er'
was seated beside Mr.. l.. .. Nehuehpurs'
his attorney, next TO whom also sat o'iiio"
caDps vino was taken into custody on the
accusation OF having attempted 10 OBTAIN
the sum of 81 200 from Mr.. A. w. Withers.
the Gloucester man who was victimiZeu
by the confidence sharks, by raise repre-
sentation. over among the ponce oiiice's
stood Mr. Wthers, with some"ha'
careworn expression on his couh'ehai'Oe
while scattered about through the crowd
n,oro tho several witnesses In the cases
From the moment the first case was
Chilled until the last witness In the iaSi
hearing had stood aside and the Justice
had announced his decision the proceeu-
ings were full Of interest.
HE WAVES EXAMINATION.
Thomas II. Parker, the noted conn.,
depce-man and gold-brick operator, whose
real name is said to be Frank LOCKWOOD
Smith. and who played the part OF the
assayer in the recent Withers TRANSACTION,
wos first to go to the bar. and he dld
not remain there long. He was the
cynosure of all eyes and the suDJect OF
much WHISPERED conversation throughout
the courtroom. He was attired In lhe
same heavy suit Of brown. and carried
in his hand the dark cap. to which re-
ference has already been mace III these
columns. Altogether. he wore a rather
sad expression. and his face was rather
Rrileless than otherwise In appearance.
Ills counsel, Mr. Wendenburg. arose
when the case was called, and. address,
ing the Court said that he desired to
waive the preliminary examination ana
let the matter go direct to the grand
Jury. He said great deal OF sensatlohai
matter had been printed In the news
papers concerning his client ana the SoIu-
brick transaction, but he did not care
to reply to any Of 1t at that juncture.
The witnesses In the case Of Parker
were called. They are John T. Norris,
John Poe. Jr., Ounce Bennett, A. w.
Withers. A. NJ. Tomlinson, X. f. Rag
land, c. NJ. Johnson, w. ID. Schlien, An
drew Welsh. Richard Huxter Thomas
Fcldner, G.. w. Butler, Willie Shope, and
- Coleman. Those who failed to re-
spond to their names were Richard Hux-
ter, r. F. Ragland. and Willie Shope,
and attachments were issued for them.
Mr.. Ragland is the Petersburg officer
who arrested Parker on a train in the
Cockade City the night after the Withers
hs.1 haa nnra INN a cd
ANOTHER WARRANT SERVED.
While standing at the bar Parker was
approached by Deputy United- -States-Ma
shal Duesberry, who served upon the
prisoner a warrant which Sergeant Alex
ander Tominson had sworn out before
United States Commissioner Henry Fle-
genheimer. charging Parker with imper-
sonating a United States mint-assayer \
little later on I'm the proceedings Com
monwealth' s-Attorney Smith stated that
he had just received a message from the
Governor 10 the effect that that official
had received a requisition for Parker
from the Governor OF Missouri.
All the witnesses In the case of Parker
were recognized for their appearance ex-
cept Norris and Mr.. Withers. The court
demanded security of these two in the
sum Of 500 each. Mr.. J. l.. Hatcher.
an insurance man, who knew the detective
while he lived In Springfield. went security
for Norris, while the Virginia Trust Com
pany went on the bond of the Gloucester
man.
CASE OF SIMON CAPPS.
After the Parker case had been disposed
Of that Of Simon Capps, the Norfolk gam
bier who has been spoken of in cOnnec-
ton with the gold-brick transaction, was
gone into. Ghe accused was also repre-
sented by Mr. Wendenburg. Major Poe.
the Chief of Police. was placed upon the
stand. and said that he caused the arrest
Of Capps because he thought he was
justified in 20 doing by what he had been
told by Withers.
MIR. Withers stated that he had no
accusation whatever TO make against the
accused He added that he had made no
accusation against him 10 Major Poe.
but had said that he owed Caps money.
and that he was going 10 Mr. Bryan
10 borrow the money with which to pay
Capps when the gild-brick transaction
had been exposed. He had known Caps
for four or five years. The witness
stated further that he came to Richmond
on the Cd of January between 10 and II
o'clock in the morning. and that he met
up with Capps that night about 10 O'Clock
at the Davis House, and the two went
out but he had no recollection as TO
where they went He could not tell where
he lost the $500 which has been referred
10 so many times since this case begah.
and which the Norfolk man was charged
with attempting TO defraud him of.
Some one was with him at that time,
but he could not tell whom. All during
that day he was with Williams and
Parker. the gold-brick operators, and at
night he got with Capps and Joe Mclean.
another Norfolk gambler. for whom there
is warrant. The witness declared that
ne had known Mclean four or five years
also. He remembered playing some
cards, but had a very hazy recollection
of what transpired. He borrowed money
from Caps, but had no idea of the
amount. The next day ne went to Mr.
Bryan to get the funds with which to
repay the sum he borrowed from the
Norfolk man. He made no dispute, he said
as to the amount Of the claim Of Capps
but he understood that II was for money
actually loaned to him, and not for chips
Mr. Wlthers said that the case would
naturally be a very hazy one so far as he
was concerned as he did not remember
much about H. He could not tell In whose
place he went with Capps and Mclean.
or who the dealer was. He only knew
that he had no suspicious that Capps was
al Ia hirf, ha I..at