Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-05
FELL AN EASY VICTIM
Two Men SWirdle Mr.. A. ". WitherS
Out Of $4,000 in Cash.
AE"IHD!As" AND BRICKS OF "GOLD."
a Romantic Story About nm Arizona Hunt
The Bars Were Brnss-iiow tho
Game Was Nicely Worked.


Tho victim was Mr. Alfrci W. "i'Aers'
a wealthy young gentleman OF "'on''S-
ter county. ana prominently oonnec'''
throughout the state Tho perpetrators
were two mon. Gaining 10 be John VII
Inns. miner from Arizona. AMI
Thomas II. Parker an assayist Of the
limited States mint az Philadelphia.
Another prominent figure In the case
vas an Indian. who turned out to be n
white man. very probably Parker him
sclf Who wore a red mask and back
~Ig.
The scheme was g, cloverly executed
mat one o. the parties dll not leave the
hotel untl the afternoon. and eludcl Mr..
\vl,hcrs even after he learned that he
had been defTluIel. Tac men were
Guests al Torls Hotel. Williams and
Nr Wl,hcrs having arrived there on
thursday morning and Parker on We'd
ncsiay evening.
According - the story as told 10y Mr.
Withers. he was called upon az his home
in Gloucester county on Wednesday by
Williams. who claimed that he had come
uncle named Alfrel Withers. who took
him oui West when ne was a lI Of I
ana cared for him until he grew
O. manhood. This relative lef; Arizonl
several years ago. the n1rratlve continues.
ami came back 20 Virginia. but Withcrs
6il not hear from him from that time.
INDIANS AND THE GOLD.
The romantic part Of the story dates
only a Few months back. whom Williams
went out on "a hunt and found lying in
The woods two Iuiians-one dead and the
other evercly injured. The living Indian
was taken up and nurscd back u health
b. Williams. ana 20 show his gratitude
for the Kindness hc had received at the
lanis Of the paleface the rcdskin took
Williams to very rare and rich gold
vein. From this vein twelve bars of
The precious metal were gotten. Williams
received eight az these bricks Of gold
as his proportion. and the Indian kept
FOUR. The bars were Of such dimensions
aui quality. Williams claimed, as 10 make
his proportion very valuable the aggre-
gate amounting 10 nearly one hundred
thousand dollars. Wh,n ne round out
that he was the possessor of such an
amour, Of wealth. hc determined 10 find
his old uncle II ne could and divide his
gold with him. And t. this end, he tod
Mr Nlthers he had come 10 Virginia.
Williams declared that he had visited
Lyuchburg FredcrickShurg, and Staun-
ton. looking for his relative. ana that 1T
one ~ these places he was Informed that
q man named Alfred Withcrs resided near
$orf1lk. Qn1 o. that city he proceeded.
Arriving there. Do learned that no such
ltraon lived ther.ah0ut. but he was told
That such "a man resided ia Gloucester
county. That was why ne had gone 20
Gloucester. and had called upon Nj.
Withers who became his victim.
As THE INDIANS AGENT.
After telling Nj. Withers about the
prospects for IN. development Of the
vein. Williams induced him so come To
this city win a view Of raising money
~ that purpose. II IS evident. however
tnat Tho swniler had no idea ~ working
The mining fake upon Mr.. Nithers, as he
lal told him that b. had brought the
surviving Indian ont East with him. ana
thlt the r,iskin had with him the four
bars - gold taken from the vein. ana
Vt'ch Doc wished 10 SELL
As before stated. Williams and Withcrs
rsi,1,i Richmond IN Wednesday eve-
rug and went direct % Fori's Hotel.
Nr Nunors hsl been clptiyateI by the
pretty stories about the glorious wealth
90 the hills Of Arzona, ani possibly al
I1t nOiice tap presence Of another per
son. who was very much interested in
tHr transactions between himself ana
Williams.
DROVE TO THE CAMP.
Early on Thursday m1rninr. after hav-
ilg been told that the indian was very
Inu-h dissatisfied btcluFc he had not
f'.ui sale for his g'll ts Williams hal
tt.l him he would the gentleman from
Gloucester consented t. drive with the
wesicrncr - the spot whore the milan
was camping ana guarding his precious
bricks. They te.ephuuet O. Suiherlani's S
1s O. cab. ana We're driven a short d.
tauce from the city. upon the Brook
r.tl. 4 strip 90 woods was reached. AMI
Williams called q the driver 20 stop.
The man from Arizona then said, Here
S. where the lniau is camping anl ne
ai'rateI AM remarked % his companion
tat be Mllmm0 would 90 - converse
W.,h The rriskiu. ana .rtVc him with
er-l "a the cab Mr. Wlth.rs says that he
could se- the Indian a short distance
from The rpil. auI hc heard the men en-
g.c.I in Nery animated conversation,
tAs lnlidu appearing o. be- very much dis
satisfied. Finally Williams returned -
the c.uvtyautc. ana SiiI that tIc Indian
was away from the reservation on 4
tWtnty-oue-iiNs furl0ugh aL> that the
;fne had aimoa; expired, AMI he was cX-
CV,lngly anxious u return. He also
e6tel ,hat II the rcIfacc could acquire
the means with which 90 get back home
sal have "a little money left. he would he
willing 90 Put up a couple OF the bars
- gol. which wou,l he worth about So
O" and they coull belong Co the person
lending him the money unless he prompt
ly returned g.
BORED INTO THE METAL.
They got one Of the bars Of sold and
bored Into 1t with an auger. you see -
remarked the westcrncr. with evident
pleasure. I'll is the same all the way
through" The brick was returned 70 the
Indian. and the shavines made by the
boring were brought into the city The
latter were taken from the hotel by VII
llms who claimed that he was simply
acting as the agent Of the Indian in the
transaction. and would only receive
email commission in order that he might
pretend that he had subjected them TO
TT lie soon returned To Mr.. Nithcrs
ana stated that he had had the shavings
Examined hy three jewellers. who had pro-
bounced the gold 20 be OF very fine quail
ff -tcarat. uud worth S3o1o an ounce at
t'c United States mints This was. Of
course. very gratifying news 10 the man
it'u Gloucester. tut Williams even went
further he said that while he was visit
inr the lew,lry stores 20 have the test
made De- was informed that there was
stopping az ForIs Hotel "a MT Parker. an
asso> co 9' The Philadelphia mint. and suS-
tes'el that this gentleman be found and
called into ,he matter Tor his opinion as
"a the quality " the bars.
FOUND THE AssAYIST.
They were hot very long in finding Mr
Parker the assayNt A tan. neatly
dressed man. with lrou-sary Nandyke
whiskers. sharp. dark eyes. OF exceedingly
sia"e manner. ana 10 au appearances Just
such person as he claimed 10 be. was
Sir. Parker When approached by the
NHF.nlan and The Arizouian Mr. Parker
looked az them through his poli-rlmIned
eyeglasses with "A dignity that would
have been becoming 10 an admiral In the
French navy, and with due fetccnce ana
moeeHty agreed - make the test To-
CIestcd u him. The three repaired 10 MIR.
I4ikeis room where Mr. Parker got out
"i Na!ise some Of his assayist utensils
"ai began the application Of the acids
upon tie Elagines from the Indians b4r