Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-09
BIG SW|NDLER
VISITS FIESTA
JAMES BALL is WANTED BY
DETECTIVES
Police of Two Continents Have Been
on His Trail for Years, but He
Has Successfully Eluded
Is Them

Bring in James Ball.; picture at
Central This little line on police
bulletin of recent date is just so much
Greek to an outsider, but to the Off
GERS working out of central 1T means
that James Ball, confidence operator,
green goods man and swindler of world
wide note is in Los Angeles and If
one of them captures him he will do
something the sharpest detectives in
world have failed to do.
The following description is attached
to the instructions to officers, and from
1t the reader can gain some idea of
the man for whom the police of two
continents have searched for years, but
who has shown such wonderful shreWd-
ness that he has outwitted them all:
James Ball, 33 years old; 81 or 8;
about $50 pounds; square shoulders and
we'll proportioned for height, dark hair,
dark eyes, which are somewhat sunken
and heavy; dark eyebrows. Usually
wears full dark beard, trimmed Van
Dyke style; speaks with low, soft voice;
seldom drinks or smokes. Usually
wears long gray overcoat, soft black
hat and striped or checked dark gray
and brown suit. Picture at central.
Sought Twelve Years
"Who is James Ball?" a reporter
asked Ed O'Malley, the famous eastern
detective, who is visiting with friends
| in Los Angeles during the Fiesta.
'The best of his kind" was the reply.
1--WE all know who James Ball is, but
few of us have ever been lucky enough
| to get personally acquainted with him.
"For twelve years James Ball mas
| been a much sought man, and mem
bers of the private detectives associa-
| tions will feel much easier If ever he
| is safely placed behind steel bars. l
doubt if he ever will be, though, unless
he gets more careless in the future than
he has been in the past.
IT knew Of James Ball ten years ago
in New York. At that time he had
pulled off a big hotel robbery by a
clever trick and had gone to Paris.
| T was detailed on the case and for
more than year he led me merry
chase all over Europe. Then he went
| to Egypt and I was called off by my
| agency, who wrote that / woul-- be re-
iieved of the chase and another oper-
ator would take it up. That made me
provoked, as L felt that 1 had failed,
| but I obeyed the call and returned to
our New York office.
SwindIes English Woman
"I had not been back in this country
| 2 month when 1 received information
| that James Ball was again in New
| York and 1 at once got busy. FOL
three months I passed all my spare
moments trying to get some trace OF
the man. 1 even learned one n1gh
where he had apartments and went
there to meet him. / was thirty min
utes late, however, as he had moved
He did not know 1 was following him
and it was just luck which caused him
to move.
81 then dropped the chase for the
| time being, but about month after
ward he succeeded in swindling noted
English woman who was visiting In
Boston out of $780, 900 by selling her a
cattle ranch he did not own. The next
I heard of him he was in Montana,
where he was passing himself off as an
English lord, and about six months
later I heard of him in Germany, where
he was posing as Canadian cattle
king.
During all these years he has never
been arrested and I know of only few
detectives who have met him person
ally. 1 am not on his track now, but
if I meet him in Los Angeles you may
be sure that will remember the long
chase he gave me ten years ago and
the local Jail will have a visitor of
which it may be proud.
"I am not surprised to hear James
Ball is in Los Angeles, and would not
be surprised to hear that he pulled off
some big job by which he would gain
control of a wad of money belonging
to one of our Shriner friends. 1t will
be a good capture if any one of the
local officers make it-but they are un-
dertaking a. hard Job.