The herald., 1896-01-09
Venerable Fake Worked Success
fully in This City
OPERATORS LAND IN JAIL
Three Captures Made Last Evening by
the Postoffice Authorities
w. p. Frtch, Father, Emmet and Nelson
Fritch, Sons, Are Run Down by 1eans
of Dscoy Letters

w. P. Fritch, Emmett Fritch and Nelson
Fritch have select quar- ers at the city Jail.
They each have separate cells, although
they all belong to the same family. w. P.
is the father and Emmett and Nelson are
his two promising sons, aged about II
and 10. ..
The interesting trio is in serious trouble.
They are accused of using the United
States mail for the purpose of defrauding
people, and their particular racket was the
green goods confidence game, if the evil
dence the postofiice officials have in hand
is of any value.
The ordinary observer would think that
the venerable and time honnred green
goods proposition could be worked on no
person who ever in his or her life had by
design or otherw SO read newspaper. But
it seems that there is a sucker born every
minute. for the green goods racket has
been worked very successfully in this city
for some time past.
Postofiice Inspector Motley II. Flint was
some time ago informed that some green
goods operators were using the mails, and
more par icuarly the Los Angeles post
ofdce, to carry on their nefariOus business.
The scheme was to agree to send to a
party sample of their goods on receipt of
10 cents. Parties were persuaded by
means of advertisements and direct solici-
taton by letter to yield up 10 cents to The
operators. Then good 25-cent piece was
sen to the chump who had forwarded the
first 10 cents as a sample of the counter
felt c.in that the parties could receive. 1t
was agreed upon that for $40 good money
the party would be forwarded 500 worth
of coin similar to the sample 25-cent piece,
with gu ,rantee that the bad coin could
be worked off.
Then, if The 500 was forwarded by the
gullible parties, iii return for he amount a
beautiful box containing neatly cut paw
ing stone was sent out.
This game WAS worked all right on few
gulls, but finally there was kick regis
tered with the postofii'e officials.
A plan was then devised to capture the
clever scoundrels who were guliiHg with
green goods scheme greener people.
numher of decoy letters were sent out
nv Postofiice L spector Flint. Deputy
United -tatcs Marshal Tommy Botello was
stationed at the pos office door to watch
for the person who called for the decoy let
ters.
1t was about o'clock last evening that a
15.year-od boy stepped up to the post
Office window and asked for the decoy let
ters. They were given him and then the
lad left lie federal building.
Deputy Marsh Il Botello was in close pur-
suit. He followed the boy to the corner of
! Ninth and IAN Pedro streets. Here he en-
! tered the house and Botello saw him turn
| the letters over to w. P. Ffitch.
This was enough. 1t was all the officer
wanted. lie at once arrested the boy. The
| man who received the letters and another
| boy in the house. A search of the house
! failed to reveA Al any fulher evidence of the
illicit work the parties have apparently
| been carrying on.
| Mr.. Botello took his three prisoners to
whprp he ad I'm I,
! separate cells. Old man FriIch is about
| 50 ,ears of age and Is apparently very
ever scpundrel. The lads of course were
under his TIL elage and were rapidly devel-
oping. he catch is an important one
and the federal officers who effected it are
entitled to- credit.
The Fritch's have been doing land
office business all over the Pacific coast
and the central west, but for the present
their race is run.