Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-16
A Mixed Up Lot Of Would-Be
Criminals.
BLACKJACKS STUFFED With COTTON
Murderous Center-Fire Cartridges
in Rim-Fiire Guns.
HELD ON THEIR LOOKS

| OF alleged green goods men to operate IN
this city yesterday, and had 1t. not been
that the alleged swindlers went to the
| Second National Bank to have bills
changed and a friend of the intended vic
tim became Intoxicated there would proba-
bly, have been a wholesale tragedy instead
| Of green goods deal.
The first known of the affair was when
Inspector Hollinberger received a telephone
message. notifying him that two men had
been there and asked for large bills for a
number Of bills of smaller denominations.
These two men had aroused the suspicious
of the bank officials and SO much were they
interested in them that they tracked them
to the Howard House. Detectives Carter
and Gallaher learned there that the men
had registered as Ira G. Greenhouse and
John o. Wheeler, Hyer, Braxton county,
| w. Va. But the two had departed for the
! Slater House. A man named John H. Hick-
| man. who had also been at the Howard
House. had also made the change. He had
been seen with the two West Virgfnians
and 1t was supposed he came here with
| them. but at the Slater House he registered
| as Sponsler.
This aroused the suspicious of the officers.
Between and pm. a man whose name
| appears as Alexander P. Hill called at the
| hotel to see the men from West Virginia,
| and it afterward turned out that he was
| the alleged swindler, and had an accom-
| plice, who escaped.
A Drunken Marplot.
A few minutes after o'clock the man
Wheeler returned to the neighborhood of
the Slater House He was under the in
| 1uence of liquor. and, 1t is stated, he was
| aourishing revolver.-,,tc,a~cr.
| colored man Swbed had seen him ran
all the way to Lieut. Kelly.s police station
and informed the lieutenant of Wheeler s
conduct. "ApatyU 81.
Policemen Kimmell and MendenhaH hur-
ried 20 I'd and 81 Streets ana1 There found
Wheeler. whom they arrested and dis
armed. When he reached the police sta
ton he was very profane.
Wheeler had enough liquor in him to
make him laxative, and when Sergeant
Byrnes had finished talking with him he
was satisfied that there was greater game
to be had. and he sent the two officers out
to arrest the other parties.
The officers cautiously approached the
men from behind and took them easily
They gave up their pistols and slungshots
before being locked up. A short while
afterward the man Hill, who is the al
legged swindler, walked into the station to
inquire about his friends and was ar
rested. Like the other prisoners, he had a
new revolver in his pocket.
The Plot Thickens.
Ira Greathouse, who is about thirty-five
years old. 1t appears. is a merchant at
Hyer, w. Va, and he received a green
goods" circular several days ago. The
man Hickman. who is the alleged steerer.
had been In Hyer short While and mad
made the merchants Acquaintance He,
too. had received one of the circulars. and
of course. he consulted the merchant about
what he had best do. Merchant Great
house was an apparently easy victim of
the sw1ndiers. and he soon made known his
willingness to come to this city and get
satchel filled with green goods. This
naturally delighted Hickman, and the al
legged swindlers hoped to- get several hun
dred dollars from him.
But Greatholise had read of the swindlin 6,
| operations OF such persons. and he conclud-
| ed to come here well armed John G..
wheeler, tall man, about forty years
o . was selected to come along as the
"knocker-out." and had he not got intoxi-
Gated he would probably have had some
knocking OUT to do.
Wheeler boosted that he had shot a DO
nceman IN Hamilton, Ohio. and served
| time In prison. and he was ready to return.
Then, too, Greenhouse, who understood the
manner Of dealing with '.green-goods" peo-
pie, was willing to get in supply If he
could, and when the time for. the consum-
| nation OF the deal arrived he intended to
| use force, if necessary.
Hills confederate. who was not captured,
| is said to be little man, with red hair.
He was seen with Hill yesterday, and the
| officers have good description of him.
Hill says he belongs in Pennsylvania but
| the police suspect that he may be one of
the New York workers who has robbed
many unsuspectfng ictims, and they hope
to find something concerning his identity.
l. For the present the men are charged
with carrying concealed weapons and be-
| fore the cases are taken in court Monday
the prosecuting attorney will hear the evil
dence and additional charges may be filed.
A Mixed Up Story.
This morning Inspector Hollinberser
1oav
elected county commissioner of Braxton
| county and highly respected by the peo-
pie in the vicinity of Hayer and Gillespie.
The four prisoners were taken before the
inspector about noon and then the whole
story Of the affair was made known.
Mr.. Greathouse was FIRST Questioned. and
1t was apparent from his statement thai
Hickman and Hill were interested on one
tended to be frendiy Wi9E MSeaer p pnd
himself. The revolver iafiH Blackjack of
Hickman's were Of no earthly use for the
blackjack was filed with cotton and. mis-
center-hre revolver was loaded with rim
firing cartridges, so that to send a bullet
from 1t would have been impossible.
According to the story of Mr.. Great
hcuse, Hickman had figured as an I'M
licensed whisky seller Or moonshiner and
had been in the habit of making periodical
visits to other places. On these occasions
the police think he figured in green goods
deals.
About ten days ago, said Greathouse. he
first met Hickman to get on speaking
terms with him. and then he talked about
the green goods scheme. He underst God
all about the game, knowing that there
was no counterfeit money in the deal
According to the arrangements. made.
they were to furnish $500 and get 81 900 in
the green goods" OF the amount raised
Greathouse said he furnished $500. Henry
Gillespie furnished SIG and James SauIs-
bury advanced 800. The balance of the
money was made up, but when they reich
ed here they discovered that they would
have to make the deal with $780, 3-s..f,-, :
Arrangements were made that the meet
ing should take place at the Slater House
at o'clock in the afternoon, but Hill
came and said that the "old man. had NOT
arrived and they might have to go to New
York.
Going to swap vaIise..
He (Greathouse) had two valises, and
when Wheeler had made the deal, and had
the $1,000 in one valise, he was to come out
and they would change, and he Great
house, would get the one with the money
In it. Hickman was to have had 500, but
he failed to get it. When Wheeler had got
drunk Hickman came to the hotel and told
him of 1t, and said: we'll make the deal.
and let Wheeler go to -"
He realized that 1t was a game of swim