The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-10-29
GOLD BRICKS.
A STORY FROM NAVARRO ABOUT
ALLEGED SwiNDLERS
who Attempted to Operate In Tha,
vicinity-A History of their Opera
tions and a Statement of How
They Went at II,

Several prominent Navarro, Ohio.
sitzens have just let go of the hot end
Of the gold brick swindle. Their natur-
al shrewdness is what saved them from
financial ruin, for nine out of ten men
would have swallowed the tempting
bait which was adroitly thrown out
here by smooth individual during the
past week.
A man calling himself Robert TrasS,
or Trail Bob" of Winslow, Arizona,
dropped into Navarro and made inquir-
les concerning family named Iinsmas-
ter. He assumed to be an illiterate
man, and to several of the citizens he
explained that he had come east to
hunt up one Andrew Zinsmaster, whom
he claimed had been a prospecting
partner for period of 16 years. An
drew, according to Trask's story, left
him about four years ago, and came
east to jamestown, N. Y, to visit an
aunt. In the meantime, Trask made a
rich find, and came east to find his old
time partner. He went to jamestown,
where he learned that Zinsmaster dice
more than year ago.
Trask had no relatives, so he con-
cluded to divide up the stakes with
Zinsmaster's relatives. Through a
travelling man he learned of the Zins-
masters at Navarro. He came to this
place and told his story to Mr.. w. IL.
Stahl, the leading dry goods merchant.
AS Zinsmaster is an uncle, Stahl be-
came interested at once. Stahl sent
him to see $. Zinsmaster, the banker,
and John Zinsmaster, the hardware
dealer. After q conference they all
went out to see Michael Zinsmaster, a
wealthy farmer living near here. Trask
explained his business, claiming it was
to find an honest man to go with him
and his Indian partner, named Manuel
Garcia, who was stopping at Gallon, o.,
to Philadelphia, Pa, to take $50 ounces
of gold to the mint, and also to Wash
ington, ID. c., to get patent on his
claim, which Is located in the Monsol-
Ion ountains, Arizona He also want
ed partner to do business for him,
who should be well paid and have an
interest in his claim, and to make his
story good, he showed a clipping from
a Winslow paper, which stated that
"Robert Trask, white man, and Manuel
Garcia, Indian, had sold 10 pounds OF
gold there for $1,000, and that they
must have struck it rich somewhere. u
Trask had So, 900 on his person, which
he showed, and also some very rich ore
specimens. The Zinsmasters accepted
his proposition, and agreed to go to
Washington with him, Trask te pay all
expenses. He took John and Michael
Zinsmaster to Gallon, o. There they
found the Indian, sure enough, with
two bricks supposed to be gold, weigh
ing $50 ounces. John Zinsmaster drilled
hole into the bricks, and took the
scraps to United States assayist that
happened to be stopping in Gallon, who
pronounced it pure gold. The Indian
would not agree to let them take the
bricks along east with them, but would
sell his half interest in them for $ls 900.
M. Zinsmaster, being a very careful old
gentleman, did not bite at the bait, so
Trask brought them back to Navarro,
being out about $50 for expenses.
Robert Trask said he would go back
TO Gallon and try to persuade his Indian
partner to go east with him. He prom
ised to let the Zinsmasters hear from
him, but so far he has failed to make
good his word.
'Trail Bob" of Winslow, is trailing
around now in new pastures. He has
doubtless been making vigorous use of
his kicking machine, for he run up
against "guileless people, in whom
there was was no guile" in Navarro,
and spent his good money for naught.