Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-02
THE GOLD BRICK GAME.

An AteeDDt - 1lln- flsn - IoWo Dooa1
J. 8. Carpenter il proprietor Of the
city hotel 1t Wheatland, Iowa.
About week ago . man giving the
name Of Joseph Williams came 70
Carpenters hotel. He was waiting
there to meet . cousin named Ma
gruder. He got to talking about the
west-about Benson, Ariz. Carpen-
ter knew all about that place; had
been there and had friends there.
Williams knew ami named . number
of them. This opened the way to a
closer understanding. and finally
Williams burst ont with impatience,
after several days Of hanging around,
sometimes . guest Of the hotel and
sometimes away somewhere else,
and said he would wait NO longer
for this cousin.
Then he told the usual fairy tale,
to-wit: Eight years ago while VIII
liams was at Benson, Q Mexican
killed prospector, was about to be
lynched, and Williams gave him
money to flee with. A month ago
the Mexican returned, but his iden-
tity was learned, the lyncing party
was about to reorganize for his bene-
fit, 80 Williams took him and brought
him to Davenport. He had an object
in doing this. In the interim of
eight years this Mexican had been of
in the hills $50 miles from q railroad
and developed rich gold mine. He
had II big gold bricks that he had
made himself cached near this mine.
Oue he brought with him. The
Mexican had staid at Davenport
while Williams went to Wheatiand
to look up his cousin. Magruder. put
him onto the good thing. get money
from him to 60 on to Washington
and get patent for the 1000 acres,
more or less, that the mine was To-
Gated on. and be his partner. Dis.
gusted at not fiuding Magruder,
Williams offered the snap to Car
penter. Carpenter took it in-too
good to let slip. Carpenter accepted
Williams proposition to bear ali ex-
penses. and his last lingering doubt
was removed by reading column
article, clipped from an Arizo ma
paper. telling of the find of the mi
by the Mexican, and its wealth.
Williams and Carpenter came to
Davenport. The hotel man was tax
en- out near the fair grounds, where,
on the side of the hill, Williams un-
earthed a gold brick. Williams said
the Mexican was drunk. He was a
crank. anyway, and he believed he
would drop him, il he could raise
$50 to 60 to Washington and patent
the land himself. A hole was made
in the brick and the borings taken
to T. Kircher's jewelry store, where
it assayed 20 carets fine. OF course
Carpenter never suspected that Will
liams exchanged tie brass borings
for gold. Williams then suggested
that Carpenter leave him have the
amount needed. Here Carpenter be-
came suspicious, but he did not act
as though he was. He said Williams
could have the money II he would
wait until he made trip back to
Wheatland. Williams and Carpen.
ter had date at the Milwaukee de-
pot in Davenport yesterday. when
the deal was to be closed. Jim Con-
nelly, the detective, was on deck at
Carpenters request. Williams and
Carpenter strolled down toward the
river with the fly cop on their trail.
At Rock Island and Front streets
Carpenter halted and grasped hold
OF Williams. and beckoned for De-
tective Connolly. But Williams
broke away before the officer arrived
and he has not been seen since.