The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-21
WORKS DYNAMITE GAME
A HIGH-CLAss swINDLER ARRESTED
AT THE BATES HOUSE.
Carried White House stationery
Claims to BE ). G. Hills, Manager
of Glass Company.

VIZ NNtCttifCS nave Deen SUCCESSIVE III cap
turing in the past few weeks is the clever
est, Chief of Detectives Colbert says, he has
dealt with during all his experience. This
man has pocket case of cards initiating
those of Mr.. Cortelyou, President McKin-
ley's private secretary, and a box of sta
tonery bearing the stamp of the executive
mansion. He now puts up the front that
ne is resident superintendent of the Ameri-
can Flint-glass Company, which does not
exist except on the superintendent cards.
lie dresses well, wears his beard cut in
trim Van Dyke style. talks fuently. with
excellently chosen English, and laughs
pleasantly at the detectives. MIR. Colbert.
he says. you have been very kind to me.
and l appreciate it very much, but 1 pre-
sumo you understand that it would not be
profitable for me to talk at this time He
is evidently an all-around good" man and
very versatile. Here he attempted to work
the employment game but he was also pre-
pared to play the trick of carrying a va
lise full of dynamite into the private Of
flee of a capitalist and daring him to re-
fuse to give him money
Edward Cess, whose home is near Rush
vile. came to this city to get a start in the
business world. He took a room at Ia
West Vermont street, and in the newspapers
PhL dAt oNFCAtloSlutHJ lQdL ne wanted d QO-
sition as a bookkeeper; he had taken a
course of study to prepare himself for the
work. Monday well-dressed and courteous
gentleman called on Cess at his boarding
house, said he had seen his advertisement
and was ready to talk to him in anticipa-
ton of employing him as bookkeeper, CASH
Ter and paymaster at the Anderson factory
of the American Flint-glass Company, of
which he, Mr.. u. G. Hills" was the resi-
dent superintendent. The position which
Mr. Geiss was offered involved great re-
sponsibility, as he would be in charge of
the pay roll for ,4S0 men, and therefore the
company, through Mr.. Hills, was forced to
insist that Mr.. Geiss file $4,000 bond Sc
curing this bond would cost 500. OF this
amount the company would bear half and
Mr.. Geiss the other half The position
would pay good salary and Mr. Hills
was sure Mr. Geiss was fitted for the work
Geiss decided to go and see his father,
down on the farm, before he acted When
he conferred with his father they became
somewhat suspicious of Mr.. Hillis's allur-
ing offer and when Geiss returned to this
city, yesterday morning, he informed the
detectives of Mr.. Hills and his peculiar way
OF employing a boOkkeeper. He then re-
turned to the Bates House, at which Mr..
Hills was stopping, and talked to him as
II he still trusted him. Hills told Geiss
that he would put him on the train for An
derson at night, and that he would not
take the money for the bond until then.
He put Geiss to work writing an autobiog-
raphy in order that he might determine
what education he had. At II clock Hills
went downstairs and out of the door of the
hotel. Detectives Thornton and Kinney
were at the door, and as Mr.. Hills stepped
to the sidewalk they told him they guessed
they would have to hold him for while.
Mr.. Hills was naturally somewhat sur
prised at being arrested. but he willingly
and without CONSERVATION agreed to accom-
pany the detectives.
DROPPED HIS CARD CASE.
AS they stepped on street car another
passenger told Detective Kinney that their
friend had dropped something. Kinney
looked on the ground and saw a card case
Look there" he said to Hills, you've
thrown away your card case"
Il beg your PARDON replied Mr.. Hills
graciousIy. but you mistaken. That
case belongs to some one else
This is the case which contains the cards
bearing the name of President McKinleys
assistant private secretary
Hills was taken to the private office of
Chief of Detectives Colbert. He thanked
Chief Colbert for the chair offered to him.
and waited coolly for the conversation to
begin AS he sat there. showing to advan-
shoes and clear-cut, intelligent features, the
detectives thought they either had a rare
prize or an innocent and bright business
Hills was the former. Hills said,
in reply to Chief Colbert's ques-
tons. that he had been in the city since
Company was new trust, and that his
business was perfectly legitimate. He re-
or anything else about himself He also re-
fused to tell the names of any of his bust
ness associates At this the detectives de-
cided to lock him UP on charge of being
confidence man. but before they did so they
took his photograph and bis measurements
by the Bertilon system. These, will be sent
to Chicago and Washington this morning
in the hope of finding out who Hills re-
ally is.
THE DYNAMITE" LETTER.
Yesterday afternoon the detectives,
Thornton and Kinney, returned to the hotel
where Hills was stopping and searched his
room. They found a valise containing sew
eral articles and the following letter, type
written, dated Sept. IS. 1898, and inclosed in
an envelope marked Strictly Personal:
"Sir-The satchel you see contains twenty
pounds OF the most powerful. explosive
known; it is ten times more destructive
than dynamite and it explodes by concus-
sion. In my right hand have SO calibre
revolver and l am a dead shot. / am des-
perate, and must have certain amount of
money. This you can furnish Without 1t
am determined to Gle, but will not die
alone, for upon the first sign of treachery
or a. determination to thwart my purpose,
L Will eAplOue InlS 1mmenSlIH ana we Will
both go to death together, and, incidental
ly, so will everyone inside of thirty feet of
Wnere we are. / am no crank but am deS-
perate, seeing those / care for wanting
things they have been accustomed to; and,
struggle as can, cannot secure remuner-
alive employment. Hence my resolve to
either procure what / need for them or die
in such way that the disgrace of my act
cannot attach to them. In case / am forced
to Kill both you and myself there will not
be even remnants found of us. Treat me
right and do not even contemplate treach-
cry; If you do, you know the penalty. Do
as ask without parley and you are as safe
as you ever were.''
The game to be played with this letter is
There was no immensite or any other ex-
plosive in Hillis's possession. In the valse
also was box of fine letter paper marked
in the corner in blue ink Executive Man
sion,' and an envelope full Of cards bearing
Mr.. Cortelyou's name, like those found in
HillisS card case, which he repudiated after
throwing it away. One rubber stamp found
In the valise made the name George
Barnes. Washington, ID. Z. Another was
a stamp like those in postoffces to mark on
envelopes the time of leaving and arrival of
mails and the cities from which they are
sent and received. The type in the stamp
can be changed and Hills had a full set.
Hills said, when the letter was shown to
written the letter just to practice. Then he
laughed. He refused TO talk about the rub
Der stamps. Hills said there a man
In this Aty with whom he would like to
nave a private conversation, but when he
was told that he could send for him he de-
land have sold several hundreds of
thousands dollars worth of goods to leading