The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-26
DONE BY GREEN GOODS MEN.
STOOL-PIGEON WHITAKER NEAR
LY KILLED AT PELHAM.

n man named John Whitaker narrowly
escaped being Killed by green goods men
on Friday afternoon in road house up al
Pelham, known as the Pelham flights
Hotel As a result of the assault he is
now confined to his bed. The story of his
experience has been kept from the public
in hopes that the men who attacked him
might be taken into custody before they
had a chance to leave this state. The Sc
cret service detectives who are al work
on the case believe that they will have the
men in a day or two.
For some time past, the officials of the
postofice department at Washington have
been at work trying to capture the gang
that succeeded the famous McNaHy crowd
who for years operated in this city.
Whitaker it is said, was employed by
the secret service bureau to get evidence
against the gang. He wrote letter in
answer to a circular sent out by the green
goods men. He gave them to understand
that he was Farmer Ford" who had
spent fifty years of his life on farm up
in Canada. The correspondence continued
until finally the green goods gang wrote
telling him to come to New York and reg
lister at the Aston House under the name
Of 'R Ford. Montreal Can" He went
to the Aston House on FRIDAY morn
ing and was assigned to room $50. He had
only been there half an hour when tall,
weh-dressed man raped upon the door of
The ROOM
Come in" said Whitaker, and the
green goods man entered the room.
Safety" exclaimed the green goods
man, this being the pass word.
Safety" remarked Whitaker, and the
two men then grasped each other by the
left hand.
Farmer Ford, at your servise." said
Whitaker. I've Just came down from
Canada, and we haven't had a gol darn
Bit of rain since Chuesday."
Tough on the crops" said Green Goo Is
Floyd The best thing you can do is to
get hold of some of the good money that
we turn out on our farm. and you'll never
have TO work another day as long as you
live"
well" said Whitaker, II can use ell
you've got up my way and nobody win set
on to it, if it's anywhere near what you
represent it 10 be"
The green goods man then invited the
farmer detective to join him in the dining
room, where they ate meal that cost 81.
They drank several bottles of wine and had
good cigars.
Whitaker, who looked like a typical
countryman in the costume he had dis
guised himself, is six feet two inches tail
and weighs two hundred and forty pounds.
He is Oad-shouldered, and has the repu-
tation of being a heavyweight boxer He
| readily agreed to accompany the green
goods man to the headquarters of the
"counterfeting gang" They got on
Broadway car and Floyd pointed out
places of interest until they reached Twen-
ty-thrd street. Then Floyd took his com
panion across town on a
l prp1 = h
Third avenue TO Fourteenth and
then over Fourteenth street 10 Sixth ave
nue. and then up on the elevated railroad.
AT Fifty-ninth street and Columbus ave
nue., they left the elevated train and took
1 Fifty-ninth street car. They rode 10 Mad
son avenue and got aboard a Madison ave
nue. car and went down TO the Grand Cen
trail depot Then they got aboard a New
Rochelle local and rode to Pelham sta-
ton. When they left the train at Pelham,
the green goods man told his friend the
farmer that he would sell packages Of
81. 900 at the rate of SO each. Whitaker
said that he was getting scared and
thought the detectives might be around
and wanted to get back to New York right
away. His real object was to communi-
cate with Chief Inspector King and some
Of the detectives of the secret service bu-
reau. He finally became stubborn and in
sisted upon getting back on a train TO
n / IL. p
and accompanied him back TO this city.
Whitaker managed to slip a note to
messenger boy which was a message to
Inspector King. Then he told the green
goods man he supposed everything was al
right, and that he wanted to get the money
right away. The green goods man took
him back to Pelham Manor by way OF
Yonkers, walking from Yonkers to Pei
ham Manor, distance Of six miles. Then
he led him back another mile to the Pei
ham Nights Hotel, which is also known as
the White Hotel. The green goods man
met several acquaintance az the hotel and
introduced Whitaker to them.
Whitaker was led uD to a room on the
top floor of the building, where he found
a man seated at desk, on which were
several packages labeled green goods"
lie carried a hand satchel with him for
the purpose Of conceaIng the green goods
that he was to purchase. Reaching ont
for one of the packages of genuine money
that had been shown to him he proceeded
to put il in the saChel
"Wail a minute" said the green goods
mon, that contains 5000 It's fine coun-
terfeit money and can pass anywhere, but
We want 1925 Of your money for it,
At this time there was only one of the
green goods men in the room. The visitor
then and there declared himself 10 be
secret service detective and drawing a big
pistol from his pocket he leveled it at the
green goods man and said: Throw up
your hands or I'll blow the top off your
headr'
Whitaker stood with his pack to the
door with his revolver close to the head
of the green goods man. Three members
Of the gang who were outside rushed in
from the hail Whitaker turned his
head for an instant and as he did so one
of the men struck him OH the arm with
blackjack. knocking the revolver from mis-
! hand. The four men then pounccd upon
him. one Of them struck him with
club and another used brass kunckles.
Whitaker succeeded in knocking TWO Of
the men upon the floor. The other two
were still wrestling with him when fiflh
man appeared and caught him by the
threat This man tried to choke him TO
death. An three fell upon the floor, and
the Two who had first been knocked down
by Whitaker got up and attacked him.
The struggle lasted for severa. minutes,
every one Of the men in the room being
cut and bleeding. Some one came up.
stairs and carried one of the injured men
out The gang finally got the detective