The San Francisco call., 1896-03-09
A Constable's Investment That
Produced a Speedy Re-
turn.
ALEX RosBoRouaH's eUANDARY
Methods of Gold Brick Men That Sue.
ceeded in Swindling the
Very Elect.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
COS Rrnadwav March Q

AAhAAND Orf1Sh DAN L FRANCISCO lAIL,l
90S Broadway, March s.
Three tramps who are now in the Hay
wards Jail tell little story that, if true,
should te an interesting field OF inquiry
for Grand Jury. According to their mar
rative the Constable and Justice of the
Peace only need to work about two days a
month to insure a reasonable income.
The men under arrest are Joe Green, Tom
Riordan and Will Macy. Green tells the
story.
''There were gang Of eighteen OF u.s."
he said, "and in the course of our travels
we struck Turlock. Just outside the town
we met an obiiging fellow, to whom we
told our chronic tale. We were out of
work and were looking for something to
eat and possibly to drink. We forgot to
mention the fact that we were looking for
work, and that little omission seemed par
ricularly pleasing to our friend. He gave
US enough to get one good meal, and as we
marched into the town he told US we were
his prisoners and that he was the town
Constable We lodged that night at the
expense of the county and next morning
we were taken before Justice OF the
Peace.
We all admitted we were tramps in the
found guilty and ordered to leave town at
once: We were so we'll pleased with our
constable friend that we again accepted
his hospitality. He was far more geneT
Gus the second time, giving US the money
wherewlth to purchase our own meals.
We did not spend 1t for meals, but some of
the crowd got drunk, and next night we
were all under cover again. The same
business was gone through second time
with the Justice, and again We were or
Gered to leave town or be locked up. Some
of Us went, but a few of US tarried, and
again we became the guests of the consta-
be. In the end we learned that the con-
stable and the Justice divided fees
amounting to S162. They were jolly off,
cials, though, and we have placed Tur-
lock on our itinerary when we again go
south"
Alex Rosborough, ex-Tax Collector of
this County, wharfnger of San Francisco,
and who enjoys the reputation OF having
sung himself into office, is in quandary.
Alex is q polished minstrel and without
doubt one OF the most natural clowns in
California. Since he was high-school
graduate he has been in demand. He has
drawn the line at nothing, whenever his
services have been sought; it was enough
for him to know that his talents could help
some worthy movement and his acceptance
was freely given. Throughout the whole
County Alex has been, and is now more
than ever, in demand, and be has so often
stated that each appearance was to be most
positively the last as an amateur, that he
has risked his chara cter for veracity IN his
desire tokpe of service. Now he is soreIy
perplexeG He says thatif he declares him
self to 4e a professional and expects his
little fef his patrons will think he is
perpetrahing. one of his old Jokes. Ii
o Uara hill ha
expects that all he would hear
would be a hearty laugh and the
we'll known 'encore.' 1.-The matter is
really becoming serious" said Alex
couple of days ago. Il told the San Le-
andre folks at Christmas that it was my
last appearance on the amateur stage.
Then l told the same thing at Livermore
q few weeks later, day or two ago / re-
peated the story in Alameda and still am
asked to go somewhere else. You see am
IN a very serious predicament. If l should
ever go before the voters of Alameda
county they will tell me that do not keep
my promises. That would be equivalent
in a measure to singing myself out of
Office, wouldn't it? However. don't let
these ideas of mine get into print. have
not made up my mind in the matteras
yet and should people know was hesitat-
ing. several who are now planning to ask
me would perhaps be deferred. That
would be breaking precedent and | am a
st1ckler for precedent. Good by"
It might have been thought, after
all that has been published during the past
ten years about ''gold brick' swindles, that
no man of ordinary intelligence could be
caught by such gauzy schemes at this late
day: The developments IL the police
court during the past week prove that this
Is not the case. A close acquaintance with
the men and their methods shows how
thoroughly they have learned the act of
creating confidence, after which the
swindle followed as most natural and le-
gitimate transaction. One of the leading
of the men was their indif-
ference to time. They were never in a
hurry. Their victims could take away
their nuggets and bring them back when
they had tested them. They could visit
the buried treasure at any convenient
time, and by such methods the victim was
leo TO believe IN the genu1neness OF the
The "qulck presto" movement
that is usually used by frauds would have
created suspicion at once, but these men
worked from the opposite standpoint.
They had good thing and time was
minor element. And the feature of their
system was their GOODNESS. Arrest did not
trouble them, and when under cross-ex-
animation oneof them said to an attorney
y
aware that you make me sick?" Their in
difference to judicial procedure is remark
a bic. and when they were held 10 answer
Ward beckoned to Farmer Hofstra, who
had been victimized to the extent of $10,-
300, and calmly asked, Gould [ induce
Won. sir to go on my bail2" These facts
are needed to show enough OF the nature
Of the men to give an indication of the
scheme that they are capa BILE of formulat-
ing. That they were far more successful
than is generally known is proved by the
TACT that more victims are being heard
from at intervals, whose sole anxiety is to
prevent their names from getting into |
print. Some of them are actually fright |
ened that the friends OF the swlndlers will |
prey upon some of the victims desire for
secrecy to the extent of making them help |
in putting up bail. under threat OF ex-
posure. Such story would be thoroughly |
IN keeping with much that was told on the
during the past week: