The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-06-14
Tried IL Work tha lold RICK
Scheme On d leon
Citizens

About ten days ago man giving the
name of Joe Daniels arrived in Leon and
registered at the New Hamilton Hotel.
The same day that he arrived he went
to the residence of Mr.. Johnathan Ham.
ilton and made himself known, claim
ing he was looking for his uncle by that
name, but when Mr.. Hamilton appear
ed he promptly stated he was not the
man, and appeared greatly discouraged,
as he said if he could only find his uncle
| named Jonathan Hamilton he had
enough money to make them all rich.
Having succeeded in forming Mr..
Hamilton's acquaintance Daniels pro.
ceeded to unfold a fairy tale Of hidden
gold mine in Arizona, which was own.
ed by his uncle, himself and half
breed Indian, Ora Gazelton. After stay
ing here few days he got Mr.. Hamil-
ton greatly interested in the mine and
| on Wednesday of last week induced Mr..
Hamilton and wife to go>Mith him to
Charlton, to see the Indian and some
gold bars he had from the mine, offer
ing to pay all their expenses.
When tbey arrived at Charlton Dan
iels secured u carriage and drove them
lgabout mile and half south of town
to the timber, and after beating around
finally located the Indian, but he was
so shy he could not be approached and
as he did not understand English he
skulked off in the brush. Daniels then
produced two gold bars and drill.
The bars were about 4x4x1S inches, and
he drilled small hole through one of
the bars and then had Mr.. Hamilton
drill through the other one. Taking the
drillings, they left the gold bricks with
the Indian and drove back to Charlton
to have the, drillings examined. Dan.
iels left Mr.. and Mrs. Hamilton while he
professed to go to local jeweler to
have them assayed. He soon returned
and said the jeweler could not do it.,
but referred him to government as
sayer who just happened to be in Chari-
ton and was stopping at the Bates
House. They all went to the hotel and
were shown to room l6, and the gov
eminent assayer after exhibiting a
license with a big seal attached to it,
proceeded to make test of the gold
drillings, which he pronounced pure
gold "a Karat fine, and bought the
drillings at what they weighed, amout-
ling to $8.l5. Daniels divided this
money into three shares, giving one to
MIR. Hamilton and keeping the other
two shares for himself and Indian part
ner.
The party returned to Leon the fol-
lowing day and luckily for MIR. Hamil-
ton his son-in.law James Baker got an
inkling of the scheme and informed his
brother the county attorney. Mr..
Baker could get no information from
Mr.. Hamilton, who insisted he was hav-
ing no dealings with Daniels, but George
interviewed Daniels and denounced him
as swindler and an imposter, and
Daniels became alarmed and Left town
suddenly, not even stopping to eat an
early dinner he had ordered at the
hotel.
After he left the facts were learned
little by little, and it appears that Mr.
Hamilton was to be plucked to the tune
of 81 900, the gang having decided that
was about the amount he could be in
duced to put up. The scheme for get
ting the money was that $4,000 was
needed to buy off the Indians grand
mother in Mexico who had an interest
in the mine, and Daniels would put up
$l3, 600 and Mr.. Hamilton 81 600. The
TWO gold bricks at Charlton together
with two more at Creston were to be
brought to Leon and left in Mr.. Hamil-
IONS possession WHat6 DanlelS LOOK the.
- ~ - ~ "a land settle With The
indian, and then he would reUhrn to
Leon and he and Mr.. Hamilton would
take the bricks and 20 to Philadelphia
and sell them to the mint for
something like $50, 600 and then open
up the mine.
1t was the same old gold brick game
which 80 often has been worked
with more success than in this case,
although the swindlers came very near
getting 81 600 in this case, as Mr.. Ham
ilton had gone to the bank to get the
money and would have got it if the
90 III ar had not .hoen to dinner and be.