The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-09
A SPRINTING CON GAME
FRANK RUSH AND j. j. VALDENAIRE
FLEECED OF $1,000 BY IT.
Mr.. Barnes and Jimmy Jerry Work n
Heavy SWindIing Scheme at Bus
mess Mems Driving Park.

/
was not Mr. Barnes Of New York, but he
was as clever as that gentleman ever dared
to be, and when he left at an uncertain
hour after dark last night he carried with
him the neat sum of $1,000, which he had
gathered in from an unsuspecting citizen
of Brightwood. Mr.. Barnes could not be in
terviewed before his departure, for his anxi-
ETY. to keep aloof from the police also made
him too modest to show himself about the
hotels and public places
Mr. Barnes had running mate who went
by the euphonious name of Jimmy Jerry.
Mr.. Jerry arrived in town about a week ago.
He was dead game" sport in appearance.
and, moreover, he had prosperous appear
ance and glib tongue He wandered out
toward Brightwood and into the saloon at
the head of Glen Drive, just north of the
railroad station. The place is a hotel. bill
Hard hail. barber shop and barroom, and
Frank Rush, small, bright-eyed and
STRENGTHENING German, is the proprietor of
the whole thing
Jimmy Jerry at once made an impression
on Mr.. Rush. He spent his money freely
and remarked at one time that it came easy
and he had plenty of it, though he ought
to have more. He went out to Brightwood
on several successive days and each time
he would drop in and have a few drinks
with Rush, and the two men became Well
acquainted. Then Jerry told Rush that he
was professional Splinter and could beat
any man living at seventy-five yards. He
impaired the information that his hacker
would be along in a few days and might
want to arrange match.
'But L am sore on Barnes" confdentially
said Mr.. Jerry. He done me dirt, and /
wouldn't want nothing better than to cross
him for a wad 1 tell you how it is.
don't mind telling you, because know you
are all right. You see / wins the dough for
Barnes and he don't cut it fair. The last
race L wins for him was worth $4,000 to
him, and he gives me only $500. He's my
hacker. L amt got coin to speak of He
has, and what am I going to do? Only
gives rne $500 after me a-winning several
good races for him, too"
THE GUDGEON BITES.
Mr.. Jerry found that his seed had taken
root and he impaired his plan to Mr.. RUSH
He was anxious to beat his hacker on ac>
count of the ill treatment he had received.
He thought he could get another match
with the same fellow he had beaten before,
and knew that Barnes would back him for
any amount. He advised Rush to place
$1,000 on the other fellow. ar
Then you see will let the other fellow
win. You take the money and split it with
me-"
not feel able to raise the $4,000 himself. HE
liked the idea ali right, however and his
bosom friend was consulted. John j. Val
denaire, who has planning mill and lum-
Der yard block west of Rush's place,
called in, and between them they agreed 10
raise a purse which would make it interest
ing to race for.
The race came off yesterday. and it was
the old, old story. The lambs were fieeced,
Do. Il o.. E1 sJfft
to the good. Everything was arranged
quietly. The other racing man went by the
name of Hamilton lie was brought out to
Brightwood for inspection Tuesday night
He was represented an indianapolis man
in the employ of w. b. Burford. as print
err. Mr. Barnes also appeared for a con-
sultat on, and all the details were arranged
AT 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon Messrs.
Rush and Valdenatre drove from Bright
at Central avenue and old Twenty second
street. They found Mr. Barnes and MIR.
Jerry WaIiilng LOT tnenn' ana III a snort llme
Mr.. Hamilton arrived. The men tried to
agree upon a stakeholder, but no one being
satisfactory, the 81 400, all the money up,
was placed in a ValiSe and hung on a con-
venient wire near the grand stand. The
men had about prepared, removing their
street clothes and donning light trunks
when a stranger entered the park. He was
questioned, but neither side seemed to know
him, and he was prevailed upon to act as
toed the line and the word ''go" was given.
But sooner had the word been given
than Hamilton showed unmlStakable signs
of sickness. He started to make the sprint
but did not cover half of the seventy-five
yards. jerry ran the course and the judge
declared him the winner of the race
ESCAPED WITH THE VALISE
There was, of course, a wall and loud pro-
test on the part of Messrs. Rush and VALDEZ
naire, who objected 70 losing their money
on such a race, but Mr.. Barnes stood guard
over the valise while the runners were
dressing. Hamilton was taken violently i'll
again. and Barnes and Jerry started to
make a run for it with the valise, and they
succeeded in escaping. Rush and VALDEZ
naire followed them in their buggy, but the
crafty men eluded them on Nineteenth
street between New Jersey and Alabama
by lodging through lots and houses. When
the victims of one of the oldest confidence
games known and one successfully tried in
this city several times before returned TO
the park to capture Hamilton he and the
Judge" had also disappeared.
Rush asked last night about the race,
but ha did not want TO talk. Wait a couple
of days, he said, and then we will have
the rascals captured and can tell you all
about it." He declared that he had not
lost anything, but admitted that Naldenaire
had been an easy victim.
Mr.. Naldenaire tried not to be seen, but
when he was finally approached he said It
was true that he and Rush had been victims.
we both put up the money, said he. II
lost more than Rush but he lost part of
it. 1t was my first experience in such
things and l thought il looked easy enough.
l expected 10 get 50 per cent on my invest
ment of few hours, and that is pretty
fair. 1 expect the police TO capture the ras-
Gals All hate about IL IS that it gets into
the papers"