Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-06

y
jewelry-store OF the Nowlan Company.
where the bar Of gold was tested at the
suggestion OF Mr.. Bryan, was q spot
OF much interest to pedestrians. Many
ludicrous questions concerning the ex-
animation were asked OF those at the
store. Mr.. Macomber. an officer OF the
company. In speaking OF the test to a
Dispatch reporter. said that the bar of
alleged gold proved TO be OF a composition
| OF brass ana copper. with coating Of the
poorest sort OF bronze. which appeared 10
| have been put on with brush. He could
not even detect that there was such a
| thing as a gold plug In the brick.
Last night Mr.. withers told Dispatch
man that he positively Identified Parfe,
as the assayist, and that when he first
| saw the alleged Tennessee horseman he
| Uarkcr) colored mp. He narrated again
the story OF how he was duped, and gave
| few additional facts to the narrative
| published yesterday. lie said that when
| the counterfeit mint official was called
upon at Fords Hotel by himself and VIII
liams and asked TO make the test ara
| tell them the fineness Of the gold, Parker
| stated that he did not make those exan!-
nations except upon the payment OF a
| small fee. He showed to the Gloucester
! man his commission as a United states
| mint assayist. bearing the date of his ap-
pointment. and produced a number OF Gre
| dentlals. which. according to Mr.. Wither'.
would have convinced anybody that he
was what he represented himself 10 De-
| A fee Of S for testing the quality OF the
| metal was agreed upon. and was paid BY
/ Williams to the bunco-assayist. Parker
| pronounced the gold 10 be "a carat, ana
after some conversation he was let Into
| the secret of the transaction between WIZ
| liams and Withers He then took hand
In the mine business himself. and the
| three agreed that they would. after the
| deal with the Indian had been consurn>
mated. take the bullion 10 Philadelphia
and dispose OF II and then go TO Arizona
and purchase from the government the
| land containing the gold vein. Parker
| drove out TO the spot where the Indian
was suppose to be camping In the same
vehicle with Williams and Withers, and
| another test OF the gold WAS made upon
! the ground. and this examination proved
| the same results. The money was then
given 10 Williams. who went into the
woods pretending that he would pay II
TO the Indian. Mr. Withers now reflects.
however, that he had not upon that occa-
sion even 80 much as seen the mask ana
wig Of the aforesaid redskin.
WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS.
1t was evidently the object of the fakirs
| to have Parker detain Mr.. Withers at
! dinner while the other man or men
there seems to be some doubt on this
| po.ni-could get out of the city with the
swag In this they would have succeed
ed had not Mr. Withers been called upon
for more money. and found 1t necessary
to visit Mr.. Bryan to negotiate loan.
Az will be remembered from what was
| published IN Yesterdays Dispatch, Parker
was waiting nj the hotel, even after the
scheme had been exposed by the examina-
ton OF the metal made at the Nowlan
Companys AS soon as the swindler saw
that a change had come over the spirit
OF his victims dreams he at once eluded
Withers and got away. II is supposed
that Parker assumed the role or
horseman after leaving Rich nond. He IL
said 70 have been seen t.: Petersburg.
Friday night In conversation with two
men, supposedly those who were arrested
in Lynchburg and then discharged. 1t Is
now the opinion Of some of the Richmond
officers that the men arrested in Lynch
burg were not known 10 the prisoner,
but that he seeing that they were In the
line of business which he was to essay,
approached them and engaged In con-
versation with them. This is thought TO
have been n L4lnd attempted to b. work
ed by Parker.
Bat the Petersburg officer was little
too shrewd for the counterfeit gold-bar-
assayist-horseman. and knowing too well
that Sergeant Toinlinson's description
called for just such n man, lie took the
traveller into his own care.
NOT Up on HORSE MATTERS.
Detective Johnson. who has rendered
Sergeant Tomlinson much valuable as
sistance In the case, proceeded to quos-
ton Garden. the householder, or Parker.
ho fal OH ~ horses
and horsemen. and he ascertained that
the Tennesseean did not have a very large
stock of equine information on hand.
There is an impression that the others
connected with the swindling deal LETT
Richmond on the o'clock train Friday
for Norfolk, rs Sergeant Detective John
Hail. who first went to Ford's Hotel TO
endeavor to get the baggage of the
sharks, found lying near one of the gripN
roughly-wrtten telegram or message
OF some kind bearing simply these words
IN leadpencil writing:
Were TO leave via Norfolk at p. NJ"
The letter "R' was the only signature
to the mystifying note.
Yesterday the detectives were constant
" on the 80. They left no stone un-
t,wned. 50 far as reasonable vigilance
and prompt action was concerned, AM
although the Lynchburg arrests proved
10 nave DeC0 OK persons not lnOuSNt u
be wanted, they were not very much dis
heartened. and at once turned their at
tention TO another phase OF the case and
continued their labors with unrelenting
energy.
DROVE OVER TO PETERSBURG.
1t Is no longer a secret as to how
Parker got over 10 Petersburg. He went
10 the stable Of Msss-s. Bennett Brothers
about o'clock Friday evening and hired
a horse and buggy under the pretence
that he wanted To go out into Chester
field county and got negro boy from
the stables. named Claiborne Scott. 10
so along with him. Parker did not stop
In Chesterfield. however but drove on 10
Petersburg. Upon arriving there he told
the colored boy that he was feeling badly,
and wanted 10 go TO drugstore to get
some medicine. He also requested the
lad to hold the team until re parker
returned. The unsIspecting driver waited
for hours but the white man did not
come back. and the negro finally deter
mined 10 drive back for Richmond which
ne did. reaching here shortly before day
light yesterday.
The prisoner was not In a very bright
h,mor yesterday. His several identl
feat!ons probably did not add a. Bit to
his comfort. and although he was shown
every consideration that he could have
expected by the officers at the police sta
ton. IL was evident that he was brood
ing over his situation.
SAW THE VEHICLE THERE.
Squire Darrcott. of Henrlco county
who observed the vehicle Friday morning
standing near the road by which the In
dian was supposed to be camping. went
up to the station-house 10 see II he could
recognize Parker as one of the mer whom
he saw at that point on Friday. lie fail
ed. however. to Identify the prisoner.
on Saturday December 18th, a man,
who is thought to be one Of the gold
brick fakirs. called at S. Sterns pawn
shop and attempted TO secure a loan on
nugget OF some mineral which was
heavily plated with gold. The pawn
broker tested 1t with acid, which. how
ever had no effect on the coating. Upon
breaking off a piece Of the lump the fraud
was disclosed.
The 'gold-brick" swlndle Of Friday Is
the first case OF exactly that character
that has been operated successfully In
this city within the memories OF some OF
the oldest Inhabitants.
A wELL-KNOWN FAMILY.
It'll. l. l.