The San Francisco call., 1898-01-01
Sold Gold Bricks and Furnished Pals to Dupes as
 Detectives.
BOLD WORK OF THE BAND.
One of the Victims Receives a Taunt- ing Letter Signed by
 "SlIppy Ike"
Special Dispatch to The Call.

BOSTON, Dec. 31.-When the case of John Reed, the notorious confidence man, charged with innumerable bunko games all over rural New England came up in the Police Court in Lowell, Mass, this morning, the defendant failed to appear. This is his second default.
 Accordingly Reeds bond was de- clared defaulted by the court, and there is a certified check for $7000 in the Prescott National Bank from Bail Commissioner w. B. Thompson of Cambridge to satisfy the wounded dig nifty of the law. The disposition of the money will be made by the Superior Court. and Farmer Charles Sweetser hopes to get back what he lost, as George F. Penniman did some seven or eight years ago, the money he invested in a bogus gold brick
 This is the climax in the remarkable case of a mysterious unknown bunko man backed by unlimited capital. The authorities have no doubt now that Reed has deliberately jumped his bail, or that the bail arrangements were made deliberately with the view of paying cash down what the court de- TUT llDcLdllOu. HIS was the first assignment for trial due him since he was bailed in Brockton and settles the point as to his intentional absence. Had he appeared here proba- ble cause would undoubtedly have been found and he would have been ordered to the Grand Jury, possibly in increased bonds, fact which partially explains the hustling movement his friends got on to go the rounds of the places where complaints were pending and put up the money and permit him to get away before the court got down to work on his case in real earnest. Charles Sweetser, who was the victim of Reed and a fellow who insisted on calling himself Tennessee Sam" and nothing more, was in court this morn ing with his two sons. MT. Sweetser is not very communicative about the case.
 That's the last we will see of Mir Reed, I guess" said he this morning when the case had been disposed of. Mr. Sweetser lost s3500 to Reed.
 The non-appeerance of Reed was not a surprise to any one, as 1t was an open secret that after he had been taken to Boston from Brockton, where he was last arrested. he had been again liberated from the Sheriff's custody by a neat legal trick and had left for parts unknown. Reed, up to the time of his departure, had deposited as bail for his appearance at Cambridge, Clinton, Brockton and Lowell total amount of s31, ,5OO It Is now an ac- cepted fact that this large amount was virtually paid as the price of his lib- erty, and now that he has gone there is little chance of his appearing at any of the other cities or towns to answer to the charges against him. Farmer Martin Wood has just received the fol- lowing letter from Reed:
 Martin Wood, the Gambler: How much will you take now to settle the Reed case? There will be some more gamblers after you. The money you gave the detectives helped to bail out John Reed. They are all partners. When they trap a soft thing like you they give your name to their partners and they come around and take an- other fail out of you. For sporting you won't do. SL1PPY IKE.
 "Care KlondiSe. Ha. ha!'
 After losing his s4500 Wood paid a de- tective $500 to find Reed for him. The detective was one of the gang.