Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-16
BOUGHT A GOLD BRICK
Leon, Iowa, Man Taken in By .
Smooth swindler. an Alleged
Indian.
Saved By a Friend, Who Discovers
the Scheme in Time to Give
Warning.
Operator Thought To Be the One
Operator Thought To Be the One
Who Swindled q Nebraska
Banker.

Who Swindled Nebraska
Banker.
Leon, June 16.-A western looking
chap appeared in Leon and made in
quiries for relative whose name, he
said, was Jonathan Hamilton. The
stranger was coarsely dressed, wore
white SLOUGH hat, soft shirt, full heard,
and affected the mannersms of west
ern miner. Heswas directed to the resi-
dence Of u. p. Hamilton, to whom he
explained that he was looking for an
uncle named Hamilton and expressed
great disappointment at not finding
him. The two men engaged in conver-
sation and the stranger in burst Of
confidence related to Mr.. Hamilton
plausible story of the discovery by an
Indian of gold mine located in Ari-
iona.
With great adroitness the pseudo
miner told of his connection with the
Indian who was at that, time hiding in
the woods near Charlton With two
large blocks Of gold taken from the
mine.
Being myself an uneducated man..
said the Willy sharper. II had hoped to
find my uncle, who would undoubtedly
have assisted me in raising the required
amount of money with which to estab-
| lish my claim and purchase machinery
| for the development of the nine.
Further converaa ton revealed the
fact that Mr.. Hamilton was not averse
to engaging in speculation, providing
the miner had means of substantiating
his assertions regarding the value of
the property. Come with me to Char
iton." said the swindler. land see for
yourself I will pay you for your time
and If you do not find matters as rep
resented you will have lost nothing by
the trip
This proposition was accepted and on
Tuesday Mr.. and Mrs Hamilton ac-
|companieG the uncleless individual to.
\ Charlton. where a team was engaged
and the party driven seven miles to
lonely spot in the woods. where the In
1 dian was concealed. The willy red
skin appeared very shy and. was appar-
entity displeased al the Introduction of
a stranger to the secret, but was finally
induced to produce sample of ore in
the sha pc of a yellow brick that showed
Isevidences of having been buried in the:
4 ground.
Mr.. Hamilton and the swindler bored
| into the ore with gimlet and secured
a quantity of metal. Returning to
/ Charlton they discovered more rare
/ luck, for a government assayer had
seen fit to visit Charlton and was even
\ then occupying room is at the Bate
house. To this man the shavings from
1.-the ore we're taken and. after careful
Testing he pronounced the value of the
brick to be $4,000 and offered then and
There to purchase the stavings, of
(which there was less than half an
ounce, for IS. Said he: IF you gem;
tlemen are wise you will keep Very quiet
iabout this matter until your title is per-
\ fected or some other person may de-
/ stroy your opportunity for an immense
/ fortune Y
The first stranger then exhibited a.
bundle of bills about he size Of a folded
lbed blanket and proposed to Mr.. Ham.
iiltcn that they form a partnership, he.
Ito furnish $4,000 and Mr.. Hamilton
$4,000, the latter to old the pricK fo.
sixty days as security. THIS being sat
,isfactory Mr. Hamilton was paid IS for
! his lost time and his wife presented
with a silk parasol and pair of kid
gloves. after which the party returned
Ito Leon the following day to complete
1 the financial end of the deal.
| In the meantime County Attorney
Baker had been informed that Mr..
4 Hamilton had gone to Charlton on a
4 mission which appeared suspicious to
/, his children and when the party ar
4 rived in Leon Wednesday noon he
/ warned the intended Nictimof the swim
4 die. Later, at the home of j. I. Baker,
Where the party had gone for dinner,
4 the stranger was told of the officials
suspicions and unaware of the fact
that Baker was an attorney, asked that
/ he be sent for. Baker complied with
1.-THE request. denounced the s'windle in
strong terms, and notified the sharper.
/ THAT the game was up. The latter, ev-7
identity realizing that safety lay in
/ flight. offered some trivial excuse and
left the house. After partaking of a
hurried dinner he disappeared and has
not been located since, altho the county
| attorney notified the officers at Charlton.
to arrest him If he could be found there.
4 The swindlers are believed to be the
same ones who secured $4,000 from a
| Hastings Neb., banker a few dayssag
! and Mr.. Hamilton is to be congratulated
THAT he escaped without the loss of his
money.