Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-07

+ 81 4. ~ r.. ss.+s.+s'.
that he be spared the humiliation of
being held up before the public as one
who would attempt to put through a
crooked deal; explained that his wife
would hear of it and that 1t would serve
to shake her trust in him; that he
was employed in Los Angeles and
would be discharged were his employer
to hear of his attempt to beat The
Herald, and 1t was at last decided to
grant his request and not publish his
| name.
George Harris Donohue was particu-
larly anxious that the man who at
tempted to carry out the conspiracy
be exposed. He will probably read this
story with considerable satisfaction.
The confession signed by the amateur
crook is In possession of The Herald,
as Is the affidavits of the commercial
traveller who impersonated the Mys-
terious Mr.. Raffles, and those Of the
officers and reporters who worked on
the case.
The following is the letter written
by the conspirator who saw a royal
| road to fortune through a fake cap
ture:
Hatches Lovely Conspiracy
LOS ANGELES, Cal, April 4, 1907.
Dear Misty: The plot thickens and
as my fertile brain has developed
great scheme, I will PROFOUND to you
a way in which both you and can
make a few ready dollars at which we
will not be compelled to lose any of the
sweat of our brow.
1t is in regard to the reward offered
and as you have repeatedly stated in
the columns Of The Herald that your
only hope Is that some person will reap
the harvest who really needs 1t. I will
say that any man who has been
through the San Francisco catastrophe
and lost everything that he had ac-
cumulated and had a wife on his hands
and had to jump sideways in order to
get another position whereby he could
earn an honest living by hard work is
a man who really needs 1t, that man Is
me.
| l was in Chicago when you pulled off
this kind of q stunt, and as far as I
could see everything was pulled off on
| the square. 1 was across the street
when you returned the watch to Actor
Carle and / was in the crowd at State
and Lake streets on your last day there
as hunted man, and remember when
the little Norton girl at Seigel-C Cooper's
captured you. The people there took a
great deal of interest in the affair and
| great crowds would gather at the va
rious places, but let me tell you that
things are different In this town, so
much so that 1t is filled with sceptics
and knockers. I have talked with quite
a number about 1.-THE Mysterious Mr.
| Raffles," those that have heard or
read about him declare it fake, others
had not even heard of such a person,
even one of the proprietors at the
store where I am employed said that
1t is one of the most foolish things he
had ever heard of and then let the in
cident slip from his mind forever.
| 1 figure that a fellow who works in
side as I do stands only about one
chance in million of getting you. Not
that there are million inhabitants In
this city, but because circumstances are
this way. In the first place nearly all
the police officerfs have seen you and
as the plain clothes men can devote
their time to suit themselves 1t stands
to reason that the city is paying a
squad of men who are looking for you
and who try to make 1t their business
to pick you up. l can safely say that
each police officer stands a couple of
thousand of chances to a fellows one,
like me.
Then there Is class of idlers who
hang around the cigar stands with
nothing to do but to keep their eyes
open and nab you when you go by.
Then there is the bunch who are EN-
plcyed outside who can keep a constant
watch for you. What chance does a
man have who works inside nine hours
a day and gets out on the street only a
few minutes at lunch time? Now here
is proposition for you to carry a few
gold dollars back to the great white
| Way" with you and no one will be the
wiser. And 1 could lay the corner stone |
of the foundation of little house out
in the suburbs 1t might be laid out
a little crooked but | could possibly |
straighten 1t out later
I'll tell you how we will work 1t. |
will leave the corner of LIST and Spring
SITS. at 1880 noon Friday, the 4th, w. u. |
Tel. time, and go straight up First ST.,
on the south side of the street. up past
the police station, through the cut in
the hill and up to the top, which is
called Bunkerhill Ave.
l expect you to ask me for a match,
after this is furnished you will ask me
the time OF day, then / viii ask you If
you are Mr.. Donohue. BY that time we
are both sure of each others Identity.
l am we'll aware that you are running
big risk and that your reputation Is |
at stake, so is mine, and you have got |
to look h Of lot like "Raffies' "
picture which was taken by the police
photographer or l would not recognize
you. If for any reason you can't or
won't meet me on Friday l win make
the same trip saturday and viii leave
the corner OF First and Spring az 1890
noon. You can stop me anywhere along