The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-22
G0LDBRICK MEN NABBED
ELABORATE SCHEME 10 SPINDLE
Lh0LISHMIA.
Son OF One OF Gfsdstone's Cabinet Minis
tiers Bit-His Agent Was About TO Pay
$1,000 foe Two Chunks OF
Brass.


swinclers VINO have hitherto been I'M
known TO our police. in the ccls at police
headquarters.
The real story Of this attempt at fraud
runs back to about January Of This year.
and begins at Tijuana. Mexico, bat the
FIRST episode IN its action 90 which the
reader viii be introduced had its scene
in Cortlandt street not far from the Jer-
scy city ferry. on Tuesday afternoon.
Suonng along among the busy tLrong
OF people there were Detective Scrgeants
form0so and his sidc-paitncr Braun. Incy
were not looking fer anything IN particu-
lar bat presently they became aware that
there was something out Of the ordinary
in the actions and manners OF two men.
They watched ana followed the couple.
Tho men went into "a restaurant and re-
manned there some time. and by the time
they came out fornloso and Braun were
satisfied that one of the two men was "A
confidence man of some sort aud tho other
his prospective victim. The ono they
Thought "a crook was "a man of medium
height with full bat struggling dark
brown beard. dark brown hair spriuklod
with grag. brown eyes. ana a very sale
low complexion. lie had q mole ON the
bridge of DIS nose. A. the couple cmcrg-
cd from the restaurant. the detectives
met them and invited the man with tle
mole on his nose 20 Toxic little walk With
them They took him direct 20 police
headquarters. lie would tell them nothing
Of himself except that Dc was ~ years old.
born in ireland. married. and that he was
q miner.
DE was wen dressed. wore a gold watch
and chain. and had 500 I'm his pockets
A bunch OF KEYS which had interested the
detectives more than the other Things.
and when one Of these was found go be-
ionr 20 room I'm 1aylor's Hotel in Jersey
CITY the detectives started on az once for
that place.
Arrived there thcy found. perhaps. tho
finest layout for "a gOld-hrick swiudle that
has ever been seen hercdbouts and enough
in ire way of papers 20 make clear the
method hy whi,h the swindie was 20 DE
worked. Traps had been laid for Of least
half a zen"persons. and the CORE epon-
nence 90 and from these different persons
vas an carefully arranged ana pinned to-
gether separately. One Of these bundles
contained two documents which seemed
o. immediate interest. one was a letter
OF Introduction. which read as follows.
Befkcr Oldham Feb. T. 1896.
Dear sir.-rhls viii be handed 10 You
10y Mr.. George Plrmmer Campbell who
heirs OF my father. of whom ! am one.
lie leaves Enrand tomorrow. aud viii
wire sou at once asking you TO make am
appointment 90 meet him. If convenient.
900 san Francisco. He viii arrive at the
Halter place between March DO and So.
and yoH viii therefore consider yourself
~sieved Of all responsibility IL YOU hand
- Mr.. George Piummor Campbell the
treasure you now have in hand. due 90
%
20 do. Yours truly
HENRY GREAVES.
Mr. Norton. Hot Springs. Ark.
The other was a cablegram dated Lon
dom March G. 1896.
''1o Norton, Hot Springs. Ark:
Sailing Teutonic Wednesday. Stay
Holland House hotel"
Gathering up all of the g0ld-brick lay
out and tue other belongings of The man
who was known a. th-m APP 10 that time
as John Doe. but who Will hguIe hereafter
as Norton. The detectives took them TO
police headquarters. where he already was.
From there they went 10 the Holland
House. wlrfc they found Mr.. George
Plummer Campbell. Tie proved 10 be the
II an who had been with Norton when the
detectives first saw Norton IN Cortlandt
street
When Mr. Campbell had left Norton on
fflI NIiNf 1T was Win HA NAtNAfi 0hNii'NiAN
that they were TO meet again the next
day yesterday al the pier of the White
Star line whore Mr.. Norton was 10 eN-
change two OF the shiny gold bricks which
had been captured in Taylor's Hotel Tor
$1,000 Of good money on behalf OF his
principal Henry Greaves.
Henry Greavcs was but one Of number
Of Eneiishmen VINO had been invited 10
bite al the gilded bait but the invitation
had not gone direct 20 him, or to any or
the others. While resting Tor a time at
Tijuana about the hrst Of the year. Mr.
Norton carefully clipped from some Eng
ush newspaper number OF Death notices
of persons who had left estates OF any
size. Among those persons were John
Grenish OF the Knoll. chichester road
Cravden who LETT an estate OF 1881
Andrew Montagu. OF Yorkshire george
Orme of Manor House, sutton who lott
.t9g SIS. John Edward Cox OF Nashins'
ton House. Havant. southampton, VINO
LETT fi2100 Malcolm Ovans SINS OF ~
Harley street. London, who left H5ols, ana
Mr. Hilton GrcaVes or Defkef-"lth lh-N,n-
nam. Lancashire. who was perhaps the
yichest man of them all. Just as II these
men were sim alive at the time Norton
wrote a letter addressed 20 each, the pur-
port OF which was the same. This was the
letter sent to Mr.. Hilton Grcavcs
Tijuana. Mexico, Jan. ~. 1895.
''Afr. Hilton Greaves Dcrkcr-within- Old
ham. Lancashire England.
"My Dear rriend.-I arrived here this
morning, and Immediately set about 10
inform you or my whereabouts 10 has
been about a year since YOU heard from
us. and / suppose YOU have given me mp
for dead. When YOU know The fact. you
viii not think it strange when we ar
rived az Alamos we found the Yaqui In
diaug preparing for an Instruction SO was
forced 20 camp near there until things
quieted. As there are no mail facilities
in that country could not inform YOU
where or how We were. After months
a. YEARLY waiting partial Quiet was re-
stored and vs. cautiously resumed our Jour
uey, travelling NIGHTS and keeping well
away frcm trails and places freQucnteG
by the Indians. finally reaching the Old
ruins whore we found The gold uniisfurb-
ed During the interval the old gentleman
contracted q Terrible cold which nearly do
velopod into pneumonia. / dreaded the
results. and hy care and rest monaeed
70 pull him through, and ne is now camped
near the mouth OF the Yaqui river waiting
my return
1T was impossible for him 70 come fur
Their. I wanted 10 remain with him until
he fcft better able 10 travel lie would
not herr TO that. end insisted on my com
ing rieht on with what gold We had and
20 Inform YOU where and how We We're
Hc "a q SICK man. and fear he viii not