The San Francisco call., 1899-08-15

! the trip, reversing for his purposes the
! true state of the case.
The men got, Howard's money and then
to use the detectives expression, pro-
| One of them sailed with Green on the
Alameda. the other two pretended to
do so.
After the arrival of the steamer from
Honolulu, Gibson says, the men reported
! TO Howard that the deed was done, got
their money and went to Chicago
! These two men and the one that sailed
with Green are known to the police and
are expected In this city at any time.
not be, divulged. These are the same
men who stood up the Wells-Fargo Bank
messenger in front of their building They
also fitted up the specie tank of the Aus
tralia and then robbed the steamer.
Augustus Howard, alias Charles Mason
alias Bowyer,. alias Godfrey, alias Doyle
convict While under committai for trial
| on charge Of forgery he escaped from
| the Braidwood jail In Australia this
! king-pin bunko man has a sentence of
HIS record as an Australian crook to-
gethsr with his picture were forwarded to
According to the description given in the
! document Howard Is native of America
or London and he was born in 1866.
He arrived in the colonies in 1879 where
! he professed to be an engineer. He was
| first arrested by the Central police in
Sydney on July 20, 1885,. on two charges e.s
months. and on being released he grew
too handy with the pen and was arrested
on two charges of forgery and three
charges of gaining money under false pre-
lenses. For these crimes Howard was
| sentenced to five years Imprisonment
His sentence was subsequently reduced
and on gaining his freedom the rascal at
tempted to carry on his nefarious bust
ness again. On April II, 1885, he was ar
rested on several charges of gaining
money under false pretenses, and sen.
| fenced to serve another term of five
years.
On July % Howard escaned and +ho
Australian authorities had given him I'm
for dead until Chief Lees wrote to them
requesting the above record of his Grim
| inal life in the colonies
In addition to having a startIine, cri,,,
inal record in Australia Howard is nor
unknown to the local police
Detective Tom Ellis, who assisted Chief
Lees to work up the case against How
ard. arrested him on January II. 1897 on
a charge of obtaining money under false
pretenses. At that time Howard was
manipulating his Acetyline gas scheme on
Sacramento street. One of his many
dupes, j. II. Blakeway of III First street
swore to the complaint, which was sub
! sequently dismissed.
During the time Howard operated in this
city and Oakland he bunkoed fully twenty
people, some of whom he subseouentIy
paid back to avoid arrest. After gettine
! his first money from Green, Howard made
a trip to Honolulu. He returned from the
islands in 1897, and practiced deception on
l.. Peterson of 226 Market street for the
sum of $50; Shortly after he bunkoed A.
j. Starbird, corner of Spear and Market
streets, out of 5000 DR.. Saunders of Aia
media put. faith in Howards glowing nic-
ture of the untold wealth there was in
! his pet gas scheme, and 1t cost the doctor
just $500 to find out that Howard was a
star bunko man. The ordeal nearly
ruined DR.. Saunders.
| Howard's smooth tongue parted District
Attorney e: K. Taylor of Alameda County
| from 5000, but the former made restitn
tion to escape the meshes of the law
Mrs. Apphel of 625 Central avenue. Ala
media, had an experience with Howard
that cost her $400. and the lady was
forced to mortgage most of her furniture
to keep the wolf from the door In 1Sq5
Howard and his wife lived with a woman
named Mrs: Bowel who kept a lodging
house at 237 Post street. Unsuspecting
individuals with a tendency to give up
their money readily were scarce and
Howard ran several hundred dollars be-
hind in his board bill. To avoid paying