The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-08-04

Four confidence men Of Seattle.
using two ~bunco" prize fighters
aud a"ffamed.up" four round boxing
contest pulled off privately near
the banks OF the DuWamish river
outside Of Georgetown Saturday
afternoon. separated Frank II PHI.
inE from sis.e00. which be had re.
ceived that morning from the Sean
dlnavian American bank Of Taco.
ma. by James r. Thompson Of Ia.
coma indorsing Pillings check
Pilling. who ~ 80 years Of age.
married and secretary Of the Butte
Adjustment company. which he
says Il halfmillion dollar corpora.
ton of Butte. IL prisoner IN the
Tacoma city Jail lie is charged
by Mr Thompson. who - mem
Der OF the Thompson company. real
estate dealers. Proyident building.
Tacoma. with detrauding him out
Of $4,000 10 cash.
Il was the first boxing contest
PiliinE had ever seen and be was
such easy pres for the confidence
men that be says he believes he
must have been hypnofiKed By their
smooth talk a. ID Carley. Hell
ena. Mont. sign painter. brought
Pilliug from Butte to Seattle Halt
distruHiing aud half believing In
the honesty Of Carley. the prisoner
says he Is AZ a ioEs To know
whether Carley was also victim
OF whether he was sharer IN the
$4,000
Plnkerton detectives. hired by
Mr. Thompson. are searching for
four men who pulled off the deal.
They gave their names 20 Pilling as
Cummings. Gordon. Hamilton and
Wilson
Stakeholder Was the Referee.
Cummings was stakeholder and
referee The four round boxing
contest was puiled off between a
fighter named Smith and another
named Mccormack. a. principals.
Pilling says he bet on Smith and
Smith won. Cummings awarded
Smith the fight on a foul Wilson,
Gordon and Hamilton backed Me.
Cormack. They raised a howl upon
the referees decision. Cummings
hurried back 60 the RsinierGrand
hotel ahead OF the others TO with
draw the money from the safety
deposit yanlt. telling him. Pilling
says. aud Carley. " they did not
find him at the RainierGrand. Go
meet him at the Spokane hotel.
Spokane. and thus get away from
n pinch"
Carley and Pilllng were about to
board a Spokane train at the Seat
tie depot Saturday night when Mr.
Thompson. accompanied by Pink.
erton detective. stopped Pilllng
Thompson made demand for the
SIS 900 he had that morning given
Piiling on the latters check. which
Thompson Endorsed Pilling didn't
have IT, The confidence men had
H. Since Saturday night Piliing
has been under surveillance OF
Plnkerton detectives. either at the
Rainier.Grand. Seattle. or the Taco
ma hotel. Tacoma. Late yesterday
he was locked mp on complaint Is.
sued by Justice Frank N. Graham
az the instance OF Thompson.
Charge Made Against PiliIng.
Pnling ~ charged with issuing.
drawing and uttering a certain
check for the sum Of $4,000 drawn
upon the DAILY Bank a Trust com
pany. a Montana corporation, with
intent TO defraud said James r.
Thompson out OF the sum OF
5000"
Word came back TO the scandin-
aavian American bank OF Tacoma.
from the Butte. Mont. bank that
there were not sufficient funds 10 !
the credit OF the Butte Adjustment |
company. az present 20 meet and |
satisfy the amount Of the check
Mr. Pilling says he had never !
seen a prize fight before, had never |
gambled: had never drank. smoked |
or chewed lie is Just plain busl- |
ness man. For 1 6 years. he says, he /
has been a resident OF Butte, Hell. |
ena, and other Montana cities But |
he was swlndled out Of $4,000 In |
greenbacks Saturday. after four Sc
attic confidence men had worked /
Tor az least two weeks. An OF the |
above he says himself And his /
appearance would indicate that |
every word he utters is true
Pulling Tells Of Deal.
Pilling's own story OF how he be.
came the fall guy, 10 use the con
'ldence mems term, Is best told as
he related Il 20 "a reporter In the
Tacoma city jail last night:
II feel that have been such a
'ool that have practically no eX-
'use 10 make" said piling. Jas. Il.
Thompson is a lifelong friend. and
Il was because OF the confidence that