The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-06
GOLD BRICK SVINDLERS


Two Mes Arrested In New York for swim.
ding . Man I'm New Orleans Oat u
Ss.OO0-They sell Him ian Iassrsss In
SlO0.0OO worth Of. .0old Bricks. secured
In South America"-AFrested Just He.
fore Taking . Steamer for Europe
New York. August s.-The police nave
locked up at headquarters two men want
ed in New Orleans fer swindiing a
wealthy saloon keeper out of $s,OO, and
also suspected Of being member Of a
gang who have operated extensively in
South American countries and the large
cities of this country. The prisoners are
Ivan Antonio Magyar. 80 years old. of 73i
Dolphin street. New Orleans, and Regelio
Guiterriaz, % years old. who also comes
from New Orleans. Both men are of the
Franco-Spanish or Basque type. common
IN South American countries. They said
that they both left New Orleans four
days go. The swindled saloon keeper il
Pascal Lastell.
On July 9th, Magan went to the saloon
keeper and represented himself as Ralph
Diaz. He stated that he and others were
ment, stationed at Buenos Ayres. While
thus employed they became possessed of
100000 in gold bricks. Diaz displayed one
of the bricks to Lastell and asked TO have
it analysed and tested thoroughly.
Lastell had the brick filed and was told
that the filings were pure. unahoyed gold
dust. The next time DiaZ called he had
with him a young man, supposed to be
GuiterriaZ. The young man stated that
the older one was his father, and that
for a long time he had suffered with an
affection of the heart. The reason for
this was the great energy he had dis
played in his early life in accommodating
a fortune. He said his father did not
care to run any great risks and wanted
ton in his gold brick fortune. When his
father disposed of his interest in the
gold bricks. it was his intention to go to
Tampa for his health. When Lastell was
the gold bricks, he parted with his $1,000.
He soon found he had a lot of fake gold
bricks on his hands and he notified the
New Orleans police.
One of the men supposed to be a mem
Der of the gang died suddenly in
New Orleans of heart failure. imposed to
have been s~uperinduced by the excitement
attendant on this transaction with Las
tell. His name was Joseph E. Maria
Mayano. The police of this city were
notified that the baggage of the gang who
had departed had been taken by the
Pennsylvania company. Two days later
John Martinez, alias Gonzales, was sup
posed to be the leader of the gang, and
an unknown man had sent a postal card
to Ivan Antonio Magyar in New York.
The police kept a watch on the postoffice
and when Magyar called for his postal
card he was Swallowed to a house on Lex
ingtOn avenue. Soon he came out with a
young man, swarthy and of Spanish
origin. The detectives followed the pair
and placed them under arrest. On Ma
gan's person was $247, a draft on a Lon
don bank for $40 and a first-class pas.
senger ticket on the American liner St
Paul, which sails tomorrow. On the
young man was found s104, an ingot OF
pure gold about an ounce in weight, dia.
mond jewelry and a package of fake dia.
monds. Both men were locked up.
Two trunks belonging to the men were
fOund at the house. which contained a
complete outfit for the gold brick swindle
Magyar when questioned, admitted that he
knew Mayano. who dropped dead in New
Orleans. He said Mayano owed him 49,
500 for a long time. but repaid the money
before he died. The police of New Or.
leans have been notified of the arrest
The prisoners were arraigned in a police
court and r~emanded.