Gilpin observer., 1909-04-29
NOTORIOUS swINDLERs ON FOOT
RACES; HORSE RACES AND
WRESTLING MATCHES.
VICTIMS WERE MANY
WORKED ALL PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY AND SECURED &c.
IMMENSE SUMS.

Denver-With the arrest in Denver
OF Boone B. Jacobs, aged thirty-seven,
by Detectives Carr and Bell, says The
Republican, the police say that the
Colorado end of the famed Maybray
gang of swindlers, most of whom are
under arrest in Council Bluffs, Ia, has
been cleaned up. Jacobs, who is said
to have been the manager of Ernest l..
Powers, now held on heavy bond in
Denver as the footracer who is alleged
to have buncoed j. C. Bowman out of
$4,000, was arrested Monday night
about 900 o'clock at his home, 643
Grant street. He is charged with OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses.
Thomas Gay and Ollie Marsh, alias
Joseph Carol, wrestlers, and B. II.
Hartman, their manager are the
men who conducted the largest of the
bunco matches, are under arrest in
Council Bluffs. They are the men
who beat j. E. Cavanaugh of St Louis.
out of $4,000 and James Tierney of
Los Angeles, out of $4,000 on a fake
wrestling match held in New Orleans.
At the time Gay was supposed to have
been killed by Marsh, and on his way
home Cavanaugh was so overcome by
the plea which Hartman made that
he gave $50 additional to pay the "bu-
riaP' expenses of Gay.
The Maybray gang which was ar
rested in Little Rock. Ark, several
months ago. counts their victims by
the hundreds. The heaviest losers
are ]. E. Cavanaugn, $4,000; j. NJ.
Bollou of Princeton, Mo-, $4,000: ].
c. Bowman of Silverton, Colo, S13 ZOO;
r. L. King of Fowler, Colo, $4,000; ].
P. Walker, Denver, $4,000; G. A Quin-
by, Denver, s4,6S0; ]. E. Harrington
OF Hartzell, Colo, $4,000; Edward
Jones of Holly, Colo, $3,04O; W. A.
kitchell Of Denver. $4,000; James Tier
ney OF Los Angeles, $4,000.
While these are the heaviest losers,
it is estimated that all told the swim
dlers obtained $444.OOO. The opera
tions of the gang extended from
coast to coast and from the Gulf to
Canada for a period of several years.
Jacobs and Powers are alleged to
largest swindles, that Of J. c. Bowman
have been the principals of one of ths
Of Silverton, who lost $lS,700 on a foot.
race, so-called, held In Council Bluffs
In July. 1908. 1t is alleged that ia
cobs worked himseu into Bowman's
confidence and persuaded him to back
Powers in the race.
Near the finish Powers, who had OBJ
tanned a good lead, fell, apparently un-
conscious. He was carried from the
track and Bowman returned to Denver
satisfied that he had been honestly
beaten. 1t was not until he was in
formed by Chief Armstrong that the
gang had been placed under arrest at
Little Rock that he realized that he
had been buncoed.
Gay, Marsh and Hartman, the lat
ter OF whom went under the names of
George Rodgers and George Wilson.
figured in the gigantic Cavanaugh
Bwindle.
]. E. Cavanaugh. who is a wealthy
lumberman well known in st. Louis
End st. Joseph. Mo-, was persuaded by
Hartman to back Gay in a wrestling
match against Marsh. They went to-
gether to New Orleans, where the
match was held. Gay fell, bleeding
profusely from the mouth from the
broken sack Of beefs blood which he
had carried in his mouth. A doctor,
who was in on the game, bent over
him and pronounced him dead.
Cavanaugh went away with Harri-
man and like Bowman, concluded that
he had been honestly beaten. On the
train bound for st. Louis Hartman so
worked on his sympathies for the
dead" Gay that Cavanaugh gave Har-
riman an additional $50 to pay Gays
funeral expenses and to insure him
against the potter's field. 1t is this
last bit Of "humor" on the part of Har-
r:nian which caused Cavanaugh to of
fei fortune for the conviction of the
swindlers.