The herald., 1897-09-14
More Light on the Rebel
George Swindle
THE PROSECUTION CLOSED
WHAT THE LINE OF DEFENSE
WILL PROBABLY BE
Bowron Tells a Part of the Story
Which Did Not Come Out in the
Testimony

Yesterday morning in the police court
I. w. Lord resumed his story of how he
and George J. Bowron were swindled out
of $4,000 by the fake nugget trick turn
ed by H. w. Knowlton, alias Rebel
George" He picked up the thread where
he had left off at the last adjournment
of court and brought the nara tive down
to the time when he discovered that his
friend. the old miner, j. w. Alexander,
was none other than a disguised swind-
Ter. There was nothing of particular
Importance in the testimony which has
not already come out, although Lord S
picturesque manner Of telling the story
was sufficient to fill it with interest.
The sack of gilded nuggets was handed
Lord and he was asked If he could iden-
tify them. mo, sir, cannot" he re-
piled, "for those are not the nuggets
shown me by the defendant. The Aug
gets that 1 saw when tied up the sack
were good ones"
The line of defense which will be set
up was inferred when Mr.. Gage asked
the witness, Did you not give the de-
fendant written instructions as to what
he was to do with the money al the time
| that you turned it over to him?"
Il believe that I did do something of
the kind" said Lord.
What were they?"
"Well, 1 don't just remember exactly,
but he said something about wanting to
make sure that the money would get TO
Baldy Sewers if anything should hap
pen to him, and suggested that I had
better write out something or other to
show in case he should be found dead in
his room, where the money on his per-
son was to CO."
"And you can't remember what those
instructions were?" persisted Mr.. Gage
mo, not exactly" said Lord.
| Further questions tended to show that
an effort will be made to prove that the
$4,000 advanced by Lord and Bowron
was really to defray some Of the ex
penses of stalking out the mining claims.
Attorney L. r. Hill took the stand and
was asked to relate the circumstances
Of visit he had received from the de-
fendant when it had evidently been
Rebel Georges" intention to draw him
into the same scheme in which he after
ward got Lord and Bowron interested
He was taken to the bank and showed
the fake nuggets but did not bite at the
swindle. This evidence was stricken out
on an objection raised by Mr. Gage.
The case of the prosecution was closed
with the testimony Of j. F. Burns. ex-
chief of police, who related the circum-
stances of visit to the bank where the
nuggets were deposited. He stated that
either Mr. Hill or II. T. Hazard had frs,
informed him that there was an ignorant
old prospector in the city who had a
bag containing some $24 900 worth of gold
nuggets in a safety vault at the Farmers
and Merchants bank. He went to the
bank and examined the nuggets. Pick
ing up one, he cut into it and discovered
that the material was nothing more than
Jumps of lead gilded over so as to have
the appearance of gold nuggets.
With the conclusion of Mr.. Burns tes-
| timony the case was again continue j
| until September % at 10 a. m.
AN IMPORTANT POINT
There is one part Of the story Of the
swindle which has not come out in the
prosecution, and which Mr.. Lord over
| looked telling when he was giving his
| testimony. According to Mr.. Bowron' S
statement the night following the day
when the money was turned over in
this city, some one rode up to Lords
house at o'clock and called for that
gentleman In about half an hour Mr..
Lord returned and appeared to be very
nervous He remarked to Bowron that
he was afraid they had been swindled
out Of this money and said that someone
| from Los Angeles who had heard of the
transaction had ridden to Cucamonga
to tell him to look out for Alexander,
as he was crooked. Lord said he did no:
know whether the man was telling the
truth or not He had offered his services
to recover the money for so per cent.
Lord had arranged to meet him th.
| following day at the Nadeau hotel, and
talk the matter over with him, and he
wanted Bowron to go along.
Bowron was very much astonished al
this turn of affairs, but agreed to keep
the engagement. In the morning they
came to this city and at the Nadeau Lord
introduced Bowron to the man he had
promised to meet. All then proceeded to
one of the small rooms in the rear OF
Henry Edelman's saloon, where they
discussed the swindle. Lord was con-
vinced that they had been duped and
was in favor of agreeing to the terms
of the man, who represented that the
money could be recovered. Finally, act
ling upon his advice, Bowron signed a con.
tract agreeing to surrender half the
amount If the sum which he had placed
with Alexander could be recovered. From
that time he left the whole matter en-.
tirely to Lord. When he made frequen
inquiries as to the progress being made
toward the recovery Of the m oney, LORD
would put him off with the remark thai
he hadn't got the money yet, but hi
soon expected to have it. In this way the
case dragged along until the account Of
"Rebel Georges" arrest at Portland wa.
published. Bowron by this time hat
given up all hopes Of getting his money
back and decided to prosecute the case
Oakland's Water Front