The sun., 1904-12-10
GOT LONE GREEN GOODS NAN.
COLLINS, REPORTED A DEAD ONE,
WAS BUSY ADVERTISING.
sIeuth spied HIS Name and Federal Omcers
swoOped Down on Him-same Old
Tricks-Jaii Breaker snd BAH Jumper
Had Plenty OF New Ceme-Ons.


sweOped Down on Him-Same Old
Tricks-Jaii Breaker snd Bail Jumper
Had Plenty OF New Ceme-Ons.
"The Lone Green Goods Man. as the
United States postal authorities call Grove
l.. Collins OF Linden, N. j., was arrested
yesterday afternoon at t29 East Thirty first
street by Post Office Inspectors Cortelyou
and Boyle and Detective Sergeant McCon-
vile Of the Central Office, and locked up
at Police Headquarters.
He Is said to be the nerviest, slickest green
goods operator that has given trouble to
the Post Office Department and the police
in the last twelve years. He has served
three terms in prison, has jumped heavy
bail and escaped from the penitentiary.
-7he Lone Green Goods Man" has made
fortunes out OF the game, the post office
inspectors say. and has dropped them in
stock gambling in Wall and Lasalle streets.
The post office sleuths have been seeking
Collins In this city since word came that he
broke Jail in Ottawa. Canada, on July II.
They got on his trail week ago. when ad-
veItieements appeared In newspapers which
read like this:
oesilty 70 make from doiisrs .hoas.nds Of dollars
COLLINS. l2a East Thirty -nrst street.
Why The Lone Man was fool enough
use his real name in batting suckers, the
police cant figure out, especially since he
was wanted for jail breaking and on charges
OF victimizing hundreds OF people all over
the country.
The "ad" came to the notice OF Inspector
McClusky, who had Collins's record, and he
notified the post Office inspectors With
McConville, Cortelyou and Boyle went to
n n lnh
busy with his correspondence. They ar
rested him, put nippers on his wrists in case
Of accident. and then searched the room.
In several big notebooks, filled from
plate in its legibility. were $4,000 addresses
OF people from New York to San Francisco,
and from New Orleans to Chicago There
were, too, letters from pibblers at The Lone
Mans bait. Some Of these letters said that
the writer's would be on shortly with cash
tell them how to make thousands OF dollars
out of dollars. Some Of the cleverly worded
bats were taken "a evidence. Collins's
table was covered with letters after this
style:
You will have to come out and give us a
clear idea Of what you are looking for. Have
you d little cash for a goods business? A
small lot, say 500. will do TO start in with.
with you on is 500. Please enclose all letters
We may have written TO you. so that We may
TeCOIleCt you.
As delicate hint Of the nature Of the
business he intended to discuss with such
as cared to come on" the Lone Man put
In each OF his letters a green silk thread
A plentiful supply Of these green threads
we're found, enough to inclose in letters to
all of the 10000 addresses he had secured.
There were found also number Of letters
from New York stockbrokers, showing
that Collins had played the market heavily
and had been big loser.
The Lone Man is a we'll dressed. rather
good looking man Of forty-two. He took
his arrest with the GOODNESS and nerve
that have marked him as an unusual man
with the police for years. He will he ar
raigned before United States Commits
sioner Shields this morning. Then he
will probably he sent back to Linden. al
though the Ottawa police may demand
his eItradition.
On Feb. 27 last Collins was arrested at
Linden for operating a green goods game
through the mails. He was indicted at
Trenton by the United States Grand Jury,
secured s25oo bail and promptly skipped
United States District Judge Lanning issued
Post Office inspectors hunted high and low
they couldn't get trace OF him. Then they
heard he had been arrested in Ottawa on
the sdme charge and had made daring
escape with another prisoner.
After that they were informed by Asa
Collins Of Linden, the Lone Mans father
that he had been killed in an accident, and
the father even went so far as to take out
letters of administration on Collins's estate.
HIS criminal record is:
Arrested al stockwel, y. Y. in'September
1892. and served eighteen months in the
Arrested at Fort Erie, Canada, in September
1900, and served eighteen months in the
'oiprS Arrested dat at North Brookfeld, y. Y. and
served one year in Auburn