Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-12
GRAY is ARRESTED
Bogus Golfers Representative
Held by Police Pending Ad-
vices From Concern.
HAS BEEN VERY BUSY MAN
Clerks and Stenographers EN-
ployed-Claims He Has Been
Acting Under Orders.

W. j. Gray, claiming to be a repre-
sentative Of the Collier publishing
house of New York and whose bogus
transactions were exploded in the
story printed in The Argus last even
ing. il either rank impoSter or the
dupe of some one smoother than HIM
self. He was arrested last evening at
the Rock Island house by Detective
Richard Carnes and locked up mt the
city Jail where he will be detained
pending advices from the Golfers. who
have been wired a description of Gray,
Us there * a suspicion that he has
been conducting similar operations in
other parts of the country, perhaps
using the same concern.
Gray has been stopping at the Rock
Island house since Jan. 80. on which
date he arrived here from Dubuque.
His board at the hotel is paid up eX
cept four days. He has watch in
pawn in Davenport. and had just
about reached the end of his string
financially when taken in by the po-
lice. Gray has brother, George Gray. |
living at 900 Fourteenth street. The
latter is employed at Rock Island ar
senai. having recently moved here |
with his family from another city.
Declares He is Innocent.
Il am consciously committing no !
wrong" said Gray at the Jail. Il have
been acting in good faith from the |
outset. receiving my orders from Au-
gust Seymour. western representative |
for the Golfers. The last | heard of |
him he was at Kansas City. He would |
write me at intervals advising me in |
relation to the bureau we expected to
open in Rock Island. | have none of
his letters, as they were burned by |
me at his suggestion"
Gray is Il modest appearing young
man of p years. He dresses well, but
not gaudily, and is not as talliative as
one would expect book agent to be.
He spent Il great deal of time at the
Young Mems Christian association.
where he made the acquaintance of Il
number Of young men whom he prom
ised to place in lucrative positions.
Alfred Platt. physical director of the
association. resigned to take charge
of crew of solicitors that Gray was
assembling and expected to start out
from Rock Island in the near future
y
as stencgraphers. and machines had
been ordered from the Underwood
and Remington agencies in Davenport,
the latter 10 deliver u tomorrow to
Gray in this city.
Hurry for Office Force.
Boolikeepers and office men. how
many, no one seems to know, were
employed. Gray stating that it was
necessary To have Il force in readiness
to go to work when the bureau was
opened. which would be i'm course
of a week or 50. lie enGeavored to in
duce Il young man who holds Il posi- |
tiCn with one of the local banks to re
sign and go with him, and tried the
same game with lady who is a book |
keeper in one OF the department |
stores. Both agreed to consider his |
propositions.
DR.. j. w. Stewart. who has charge |
Of the rental cf the store building on |
Second avenue. formerly occupied ny |
the Rock Island Furniture company, |
and which Gray announced had been
secured for temporary quarters for
the Collier western bureau. stated to-
day that Gray had been to see him
several times. and that he had an ap-
pOintment with him today TO close
the deal for the leasing of the build
ing. DR. Stewart recently telegraph
ed TO Mrs. Plummer. in California. the
owner Of the building. fer her appro-
val Of the terms on which he had Of
fered to rent the store. She replied
last night that they were satisfactory.
+. :. White. manager of the Collier
Davenport branch. has learned that
in 1902 and 1903 w. +. Gray collected
moneys from a number OF Collier pa
irons in Ohio. The descriptions of the
two men tally. u
Had Not Turned Trick
A. far as known Gray had not got
ten money from any Of the parties
with whom he had business relations
here. but the police are of the opinion
he would have turned his trick when
the dozen tvpewriterS were delivered
to him from Davenport tomorrow,
pawning the machines. which are sold
at SlOO each, and blowing the town.
He would probably have been able TO
secure $500 or $400 on them.