The morning times., 1895-07-26

Reading the newspapers saved Johnson
Brothers, coal dealers ut 206 street
northwest, about $40 yesterday. In the
same connection Detective George Boyd
cleverly picked up John w. Reed, 1r., a
carpenter, who has been playing a con-
fidcnce game of his own invention. Reed
was locked up on a charge of obtaining
money under false pretenses.
Yesterday morning johnson Brothers re-
ceived letter, written in neat feminine
hand, asking that two tons of white
ash stove coal be sent to No II Grant
place, between Ninth and Teuth streets
northwest. The price was to be about
$11.50. The coal was to come at II
O'Clock exactly, and the driver was to
bring change for a fifty dollar bill, as that
was the only money the writer had, and
she did not want to go out in the morning
to get change. The letter was signed
Mrs. C Davis"
Mr.. Richard johnson, when he had read
the order. thought he had heard something
of that kind before, and presently remem-
bered that about month ago he had
read in The Times that a lumber dealer
had been swindled by some such order.
The amount of change, at any rate, seemed
entlTtIy 100 great 10 De SeuuUlE out on d
venture.
lie went TO police headquarters and told
of the letter. 1t was at once remembered
that Z. E. Jackson, the lunberman, at
Thirteenth street and Ohio avenue reported
alOss on a similar order about month ago.
Detective Boyd was detailed TO work up
the case. He told Mr.. johnson to send
the coal.
GAME TOOK FRIGHT.
He went 10 place on Tenth street
where he could see everything that went
Oh in the street in Grant Place. Mr..
johnson drove in Ninth street almost at the
hour his driver came along with the coal
Men We're stationed at other exits from the
square, so that the thief would have small
chance TO get away. The cart driver
pulled up before No. II, and waited for
Mrs. Davis to come for her coal.
No one appeared but a few moments later
Mr. johnson came around to the Ninth
street end of Grant Place and told Mr..
Boyd a man answering the description OF
Mr. Jackson had come up opposite the
place where the cart was standing, then
looked up at him and hurried away. The
hour had so far pas sed they concluded no.
body else would come, and they concluded
to get the man Mr.. johnson had noticed
! He had gone in Ninth TO 6 and turned
down toward the postoffioe.
They followed and near Fifth on 6 over
took him. When they halted him and came
ZIP Mr.. Johnson at once said he knew the
man very well and gave Reeds name
The detective took Reed in charge and Mr.
Johnson hurried back to give his driver
directions as to the disposal or the coal.
Reed took some papers from his pocket
soon after he was arrested aud tearing
them up threw them into puddle OF wa
I
ing. He went with Reed to the station and
after Il short conference left him and re-
turned for the papers be had seen thrown
| away. They proved TO be two letters
similar in character to that add ressed
| TO Johnson Bros.
RIGHT MAN IN CUSTODY.
One of them, in fact, was apparently first
| effort to construct the letter which was sent
for the coal and $40 in change. The writing
was so nearly identical with that received
by the coal dealers as to leave 20 doubt
that the right man was iun custody. Later
| the driver who delivered the lumber to
Reed and paid him the change was brought
| in and identified him. Reed then broke
| do owu aud confessed.
The transaction with Mr.. Jackson was on
| June 10 last a postal card was sent to
Mr.. jackson asking for 200 feet of white
! pine lumber to be delivered to Mrs. Parsons
| at No I'll g street northwest, as she had
| just moved in and wanted to repair some
fencing. 1t was important that the lumber
Should be sen tat 10 a. M. promptly and that
| change should be sent for $50. The lumber
was TO cost $3.50 or Whereabouts. To
| observe the time aud send change would
| greatly obige aud Mrs. Parsons was not
| very particular as TO small details, but
relied upon Mr.. Jacksop's Judgment TO
send what she wanted. Her carpenter
would meet the driver aud show him
where to unload.
The lumOer was sent as ordered. The
carpenter met the driver, took the change
to go TO Mrs. Parsous to get the $50 bill,
disappeared, and the colored man after
waiting and looking around for Mrs.
Parsons, had nothing TO do but return
to his employer without the SIT change
he had handed the carpenter.
A day or two later Mr.. Jackson got a
| letter from Mrs. Parsons explaining THAI
the writer was a bricklayer, who had come
| here from Chicago, had been unable to get
| work, and had taken this means to get rail-
| road fare back to Chicago AS soon as he
could earn it he would send it back. This
was written evidently in the hope to deceive
| any one who might be looking for the
| swindler.
CONFIRMED OPIUM FIEND..
On the same day the lumber was ordered
| Frank P Libbey & Co, of Sixth and New
York avenue, also ordering 200 feet of
| Virginia pine lumber, rough dressed aud
asking that change for $40 be sent. This
| lumber was for Mrs. Davis, No. SIS Twelfth
street northwest, and was TO be delivered
| at l 1 a N. an hour later than the load from
| Jackson's. Reed appears to have been
| satisfied with his first haul and did not come
| for the change on Twelfth street.
| Reed is confirmed opium eater and a
physical wreck His condition creates such
| sympathy for him that there is some dis
position to let him 60. He is about twenty
nine years old and unmarried. His mother
| lives at No 1886 Sixth street and it is said
| ne helps 20 support her.
| Mr. johnson said yesterday he had known
Reed for some time and he was much sur
| prised to be selected as his victim. He had
! given tue man at least 500 in charity in
the past year
He talked with Major Moore and others
! of withdrawing the prosecution on account
| of Reeds illness, which fits him more for
! the hospital than for jail but finally agreed
that it would be better to let the law take
| its course ard afterwards dispose of the
man as hdnaIlity may require.