The herald., 1897-09-04
Lord Tells More About the
SWindle
AND HOW IT WAS WORKED
BALDY Sewers WAS A VERY
VECULIAR MAN
And the Ten Thousand Dollars Would
Be Returned in a Few Days
If It Were Presented

Justice Morrison's courtroom was
crowded yesterday afternoon by large
throng of people who were there to hear
Isaac w. Lord resume his narrative Of
how he and George A. Bowran were
swindled out Of $40 900 by George Knowl-
ton, alias "Rebel George" alias j. w.
Alexander. In the crowd were a number
Of well known business men whom rumor
has it were approached as prospective
victims by the one-eyed miner before
he ever found such good thing in Lord
and Bowran. While none of these were
victimized by the glib-tongued ignorant
old Alexander, yet, as the rumor goes
a certain we'll known attorney and
member of a large business house did
spend several hundred dollars quietly
prospecting the Sierras in the hope OF
finding the fabulously rich mine which
Alexander had described as having been
discovered by old Baldy Sewers and him
self.
Lord went upon the stand at 3:3O
o'clock and resumed his narrative where
he left off the other day. He said that
after having seen the nuggets in the
Farmers and Merchants bank he re-
turned home with Alexander only too
happy to think that he was to be allowed
to organize company to operate mine
where gold nuggets like those he had
seen could be shoveled up by the bucket
full. He and his wife and Bowran were
all thoroughly happy over their appar-
ent good fortune and felt that at last,
CIV 1sVecr oil al
their lifetime they were speedily to be-
come millionaires and have an easy time
for the rest Of their days.
Continuing the story, Lord said: I'VE
all went to bed happy that night. The
next day Alexander was to leave US, and
he came around to me before he started
and said that he didn't know, but he be-
lieved he'd better take little money up
to his partner, Badly Sewers, when he
went back to the mine. Badly was pc
culiar fellow and he knew that he would
Just rave when he found out that the bag
Of gold had been placed in the bank and
q partner taken into their mine. Alex
ander said: OF course I'll tell Badly
about buryin that thar gold up thar in
the arroyo and my not sleepin' for the
wheels a-buzzin in my head and telling
me to take it out, but that'll not satisfy
him less'n I take somethin' to him fur
to show that you fellers that I've let in
on the deal means business.
'Well, how much do you want? I
asked. oh about ten thousand dollars,
1 guess he answered. But 1 know how
Baldy is When he sees that money he
won't take it, but II say for me to bring
it back to you. I wouldn't be surprised
If I'd have it back here by next Tuesday.
IT thought it might be good idea to
let the old man have the money, as he
offered to leave all the gold he had in the
bank for security, and decided to do it.
But couldn't raise $4,000 at once, go
concluded to let Bowran in on the ground
floor and give him chance with me. I
thought I could raise about $4,000, and
when told Bowran about what AleXan-
der wanted, he said that he could raise
the other $4,000 all right.
1.-THE next day we three came to Los
Angeles and went to the First National
bank and asked Mr.. Elliott if my note
was good for $4,000. l told him that I
wanted to borrow the money for
month, but would probably have it back
again in ten days, relying upon Alex
ander's statement that old Badly Sow
ers would return the money after it had
been rendered to him. Mr.. Elliott said
that could have the money, and asked,
rs 1t a gold brick?' I said, No, sir; it's
q mining DEAL Well he said, I've
known you a good many years. Mr.. Lord
and I guess you know good gold when
you see it!' Yes, 1 do answered, and
there's $20 900 woth of it on deposit in
the Farmers and Merchants bank right
now.
"Mr. Elliott counted out the bills to
me in large denominations, and I felt
mighty proud when l pocketed the mon
ey. then hunted up Alexander and gave
him the money. He rolled up the bills
and put them in one of his capacious
pockets. In the mean time Bowran had
been out to see some parties who were
owing him and trying to collect from
them. He only had $4,000 at his disposal,
and was trying to raise the other thou
sand. He came back very blue because
he had not been able to make the COL
lection and said that he could not pos
sibly raise over $4,000. I asked Alex
ander if $4,000 would not be enough to
satisfy old Baldy, but he said that he
couldn't think of starting away with less
than $1,000. Then I agreed to loan Bow
ran $1,000, and drew draft on a San
Bernardino bank for that amount. I
haven't bothered him for it since, but
I loaned the money to him all right. We
were all three then at the United States
hotel. and we were very close together,
for we all felt very near to one another.
Bowran started to count out the rolls.
but Alexander seemed to get nervous,
and suddenly grabbed the bills and said
that there was no use taking the time
to count them, as he was not afraid OF
being cheated.
AFTER this we all felt very much jolli-
Ned. We don't any of US drink beer.
so we just got on the street car and. rode
around and had sort of jubilee all to
ourselves. We were out to the cemetery