Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-07


is willing to go to any honorable
lengths to win such a prize. Few per-
sons, however, are willing to stoop to
fraud and deceit to walk off with the
purse, yet an instance of this very
nature was met with by The Herald
in connection with the adventures of
the man of mystery Friday.
The purse containing the $1,000 has
been put up by The Herald. 1t is
offered and will be given to the man,
woman or child who first Identifies and
salutes Mr.. Donohue with the words
You are the Mysterious Mr.. Raffles
of the Los Angeles Ecralu," and at
the same time shows a copy of The
Herald for that date, or exhibits
receipt showing he has paid one years
subscription in advance.
The Herald has taken all possible
precautions against fraud. The manag-
ers Of the paper knowing we'll that un-
scrupulous persons might attempt to
win the purse by foul means, they we're
prepared for the game y hich was
sprung.
Donohue Demands Exposure
Early Thursday cfternoon a Japan
ese visited The Herald office and asked
to be directed to the editor. When
taken to the city room he delivered
a letter addressed to George H. Dono-
hue, which was turned over to William
K. Carruthers, manager Of Mr.. Dono-
hue, who attends to all business for
the man of mystery. Mr.. Carruthers
In turn directed the letter to Mr.. Dono-
hue, and a few hours later received a
telephone message from the latter in
structing him to at once run down the
writer of the letter and show him up
to the public The letter was returned
to Mr.. CarrutherS and by him given
to the city editor. The letter request
ed Raffles to sell out his employers,
break his agreement with The Herald
and go in with the writer and beat
the paper out of the $1,000 reward Of
fered.
Compounds a Fraud
In the letter were instructions which
the writer requested Mr.. Donohue to
follow. He advised having a meeting
at which time arrangements could be
made for the writer of the letter to
capture the Mysterious Mr.. Raffles,
and said he would be at First and
Spring streets the following day at
1890 o'clock From that point he
would walk west on the south side of
First street as far as Bunker Hill,
where he would expect Mr.. Donohue
to approach him, ask for a match, and
then for the time. He would then
mention Mr.. Donohue's name and the
latter would be expected to acknowl-
edge his identity.
Arrangements would then be made
whereby the writer of the letter could
meet Donohue in some public place the
following day, greet him as the Mys-
terious Mr.. Raffles of the Los Angeles
Herald, accompany him to the office
of the paper, where the writer would
claim the $1,000 reward, and in pay
ment for this the one who wrote the
epistle graciously agreed to "split" the
purse with Mr.. Donohue.
Trap Is Laid
"I hope you haven't any religious
scruples, the world is full of nothing
but graft an. If you haven't already
made arrangements with somebody else
1 hope I'll have a chance. to work it
with you," said the writer, his small
mind evidently being unable to grasp
the fact that even if Mr.. Donohue was
without religious scruples he might
have business integrity enou~h to deal
fairly by his employers, mankind and
himself.
The initials F. A. l.. d. were signed
to the letter the writer failing to give
any other clew to his identity. He
did, however, tell a way in which he
could be met, and asked that the man
OF mystery agree to meet him so final
arrangements for the fraud could be
made.
AS soon as the letter could be read
arrangements were made for trapping
the man.
1t was decided to arrange with some
man who resembled the Mysterious
Mr. Raffles, have him take the place
of the man of mystery and follow out
in every way the instructions of the
letter.
1t was decided to request travelling
salesman employed by Davis Brothers,
1856 Ellis street San Francisco, who
was at that time stopping at the Hol-
lenbeck hotel, and who had been
stopped on the street a number of
times by persons who believed him to
be the Mysterious Mr. Raffles, to act
as the man of mystery and aid i'm
showing up the crookedness of the
writer of the letter.
Falls Into the Trap
Upon being approaC Led on the sub
ject the commercial traveller at once
agreed and at ~ o'cloc,- Friday ap-
peared at The Herald office prepared to
aid in defeating the purposes Of the
man.
In accordance with the instructions
In the letter he first went to Spring
and First streets, where he stood for
few minutes closely watching the
crowd to see II ne could distinguish a
man wearing a light overeoat with a
white string In its lapel, a black hat
and dark suit. At 1880 he saw such