The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-30
Great Pressure Brought to Bear TO
Have Them PaIdoned.
From New York, Chicago and
Other Points From Prominent Peo-
pie to- the Governor Asking for Their
Pardon-A Hearing Given Yester-
day by Governor Gienn-1Ii>.ors of
the Case That is Become Famous
and Widely Known.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, y. g, June "a.

a hearing i'm d case in which tn,
public has been for years interested,
this being known as tie gold brick
in which March %. 1901, three
men, J. l.. Howard, alias Frank
Thompson; A. L. Daley, alias Gomez
Bono, and H. 3. Hawley, attempted to
Paul Garrett, 4 well known
manufacturer of wine, then living III
Halifax county, \. c., but now Of Nor
folk, Va, out of several thousand dol
lars by means Of the gold brick swln-
dell. Howard and Hawley figured
most prominently in the scheme, How
ard going to see Garrett and pretend
ling that he and his confederates own
led large blocks of gold, which were
held by Gomez Bono, at Il place near
Greensboro, and further thai they
were the owners of large mining inter-
|ests in Arizona. They pretended that
the metal was % caret fine. Howard
said they could show the metal to be
IgOld by chemical analysis, to be made
by Hawley, who was at Greensboro
with what purported to be ~assayer's
outfit. Garrett caught on to the
scheme at once, and made up his mind
not only to foil the swindlers out also
to- effect their capture, so he wired the
sheriff at Greensboro to be on the
watch with a force of deputies. He
also notified the authorities in his own
county. Garrett went to Greensboro
where Howard met him and he was
taken to the place where Bono, b
Youngest man of the trio, was what
was in called the camp, that is
La 'schack" made out of bushes, Bono
said to be an Indian, and knowing very
little English. A gold brick, sO-called,
W as produced. Just at this moment,
lGarrett made a secret signal, upon
which the sheriff and his posse made
"a rush and captured the three men
and their outfit.
This was the first gold brick swindle
attempted to be worked in North Caro-
lima, and it excited no end Of atten-
ton, not only in North Carolina, but
TALL over the country. The case was
|trie din June at Greensboro, Garrett
being the star witness for the state
The charge against the men was con-
lspiracy. Solicitor Brooks having drawn
lIu0 DlIl, anu TIE SIdlIu jury VII
promptly found it a true one. Besides
lGarrett, the witnesses were Sheriff
Patterson, w. J. Weatherly and Gar
land Daniels. The defendants made a
motion to have the witnesses excluded
from the court room, but the judge
lsaid he would not do this, II Of the
men being the high sheriff of the
Icounty and another his chief deputy.
The defendants excepted to the re-
marks of the court, which were made
before the jury was passed upon by
ieither- state or defendant. The judge
|said that this matter was entirely dis
%cretionary with him and that consider
ing the high moral character of the
witnesses for the state he declined the
motion. The defendants, upon convic-
ItiOn, moved to set aside the verdict
for a new trial, and in arrest Of JudS-
ment. All these motions were denied
land the judge sentenced Howard and
Hawley to the ~penitentiary for ten
lyears and Daley for seven years. The
defendants appealed and the bonds for
Howard and Hawley were fixed at
five thousand dollars and that for Da-
ley at three Thousand dollars. The
lSupreme court found no error in the
proceedings of tn Superior court, and
upon this the men began their terms
At once a great fight to get them out
IOf the prison began and letters poured
in upon the then Governor Charles +.
IAycock, from the cities Of New York
and Chicago. 1t is very plain that
powerful pressure was behind the
movement. The governor of Illinois
made a personal request for the par
don of Daley on the ground that he
was a mar of good character and in
formed the governor that he would in
time return the favor, whenever it was
asked for. Finding that no sort OF
proceedings before the governor OF
state courts would secure the release
Iof Hawley and Howard, recourse was
had to the Federal court and an effort
was made at Raleigh to induce judge
IPuriell to- discharge he men, on the
lground that the punishment for theil
I~offense was in violation of the fedora
constitution, in that it vas excessive
land unusual. The judge did not 81
find.
\ noted criminal lawyer came her.
from Chicago to represent the men
land was very bold in his statement ant
his actions. Since that time this mai
has been disbarred, it is learned, fol
something unbecoming an officer. Their
Mr.. J. l.. AItschaul, of Little Rock
Ark, took up the case and pressed i
with great vigor. He enlisted prom
Inent men in New York and also~s
number of members of Congress. Las
December before his retirement from
This office, letters were poured in Oh
IGovernor Aycock. who stated he wouis
/ mot act on the matter, but would leave
: I'll to his successor, Governor Glenn
lone of the most interesting letters il
: the collection is written from the Hous
Iof Representatives at Washington
: dated December 10, to Governor Ay
4, Icock, by Mr.. Altschaul. In the cours
of this letter he said:
John ID. Snarley, alias John L
!, Howard, formerly lived in st. Loui
land Chicago. and while there bore
+ lgood reputation for honesty and goo'
: citizenship, at one time owning seven