The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-13
CROOKS ARRESTED IN PITTSBURG
RESEMBLE THE ONES WHO
SWINDLED HIM.
JOE GoBIEL is CONVINCED
THAT THE PAIR ARE THE SAME
MEN WHO DID A $1,4OO
JOB HERE.
POLICE WILL COMMUNICATE
With the Smoky City Officials to
Get Fuller Particulars of
the Mem.

1t may be the men who got my money,
said John Gelina of ITO South Wabasha street.
walt till l get my glasses and tell my wife,
She may be able to tell them better than me-"
G o b Q reporter last evening had handed
Mr.. Gelina newspaper sketch of Frank Mar
rau and Louis Gussear who are under arrest
at Pittsburg, Pa. on charge of swindling
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Gelina examined the pict-
ures and then agreed that 1t was hard to
tell by pictures Just how the originals looked
Mr.. Gelina said he would see Chief Of De-
tectives SchweitZer today and have the police
authorities at Pittsburg send on a full de-
scription OF the two men. 1t was just about
a year ago that two smooth confidence men
struck st. Paul and few days afterward
did Mr.. Gelina for $1,400 in cash. One Of
the swindlers, who gave the name Of Ignace
Barber dropped into the place Of business
kept by Mr.. Gelina at ITO South Wabasha
street. He was about the place for couple
Of days and as he drank wine, only claret,
and that by the bottle, and knew how to or
der a good meal he made friends with Mr.
Gelina and his wife. They visited Como park
one evening and just by chance met Joseph
Marteau who was bewailing his hard luck
In French about giving newsboy a $40 gold
piece and not getting any change. He was
delighted to meet someone who could talk
his native language, and made fourth mem
Der Of the party after excusing himself. He
incidentally mentioned that he was worth a
deal OF money and was looking for q chance
to invest it. Stranger No. l. who was known
to the Gelina's as Barber, seemed to be much
taken with Marteau. but the Como park
stranger was cold Ice and did not seem to
care for BARRIERS advances. The Gelina's did
not get the strength Of the GOODNESS between
the two men at the time, but few days after
ward they saw it all.
To make long story short it was finally
agreed that Marteau should buy out Gelina'
interest in the business and an inventory Of
the stock Of liquors and fixtures were taken.
Mrs. Gelina, who had money in the bank
drew the same to the amount of 81 400 out
and placed it with Marteau's $40 600 in gold
in a valise. The valise was placed in Gelina's
safe and the next day the transfer of the bust
ness was to be made. The next day neither
of the men put in an appearance, and by this
time the idea had dawned on the Gelinas that
they had been a little hasty. However, they
agreed that they could not lose anything as
the bag with their money and also that of
Marteau's was in their safe and locked up.
There was no appearance of the strangers and
after several days Of waiting, the valise was
taken from the safe and opened. 1t was found
to contain nothing but lot of brass washers
and few Chicago papers. The washers was
what had jingled when Marteau shook the bag
and told about his $4,000 in gold. So cha
grind were the Gelinas that nothing was said
OF the affair to the police, and 1t was not until
late in the fall that the story of the swindle
was given to the public by the Globe
The arrest of the two men in Pittsburg
on Friday last. for attempting to work the
same game there has caused the police here
to think the men are the same ones who
turned the trick here. The police of Chicago
have notified the Pittsburg officers that the
men now in custody wanted for swindling
P. Leon, of 224 South Clark street, out Of
1880 in the same manner that the Gelinas
were swindled here.
Although neither Mr.. Gelina nor his wife
could identify the pictures of Marrau or Gus
scar as being those of the men who swindled
them, Joe Gobiel, who conducts the restaurant
at luz Wabasha street. in connection with, the
saloon, said there was no doubt in his mind
that Marrau was one of the men who had
turned the trick here a year ago.
The way the swindlers caught Leon the
chicago man, was exactly the same as in
the Gelina case. Leon went on to Pittsburg
from Chicago to identify the two men and
while Gelina does not think 1t advisable to
leave st. Paul to identify the men he will
nave the police here send for photographs and
descriptions of the fellows. In case they are
the men who turned him, Mr.. Gelina saws he
Will spare no pains or expense to bring them
back and prosecute them.