The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-04-29
IN THE lime LIGHT
Oskaloosa Man Mentioned as One
of the "Mikes. /"

Des Moines Tribune: George s..
Wright, attorney for ], c. Mabray,yes-
terday gave to history new word
from the lexicon of the con men,
when he designated the swindlers'
Headquarters such as Mabray is ac-
Icused of conducting in Council Bluffs
las stores.
i According to Mr.. Wright, there were
| stores" in Council Bluffs, Kansas City,
lSt, Lonis, New Orleans and other cit
lies, until Mabray was arrested. Now
these business houses are closed, their
lformer owners don't answer when the
Telephone rings. They aren't at home
when the postman calls. They've quit.
/ OF course, Mr.. Wright doesn't admit
that his client ran one OF these estab-
misunderstanding like that for Mr..
i Wright. He isn't in the business OF
making admissions, He will admit
THAT Mabray is arrested. He will adj
NIT that he is going to win out in the
trial There he draws the line.
Yesterday both lawyer and client de.
lveloped sudden desire for publicity.
Until Mabray was identified by Mrs.L.
/ X. Gates as ]. j. Mccain, newspaper
reporters were as unwelcome at the
4 Mabray apartments in the Polk county
ljail as a delegation of fake horse race
Victims would have been. Then came
Mrs. Gates and her resurrection stunt,
and the whole scene shifted.
Mabray sent for Wright and Wright
sent for the reporters. Mabray talked
land talked on the Mccain case. He
couldn't be tricked into telling any,
thing about the confidence games, burt
Mr.. Wright later on, told some, of the
things he has learned since he began
loosing up bmco records in order to
prepare himself for Mabray's defense.
"oh, Mabray Didn't Do It."
"Of course, you know Mr.. Mabray
didn't do it," said the attorney, grave
| ly, though his eyes did have the grace
| to hold smile, but some of the
stories they tell about him are posi-
lively grand. OF course, his scheme
i mean the scheme they say was his
lis not a new one. A Missourian
named Boatright is credited with in
venting it years ago. But I've found
some good stories since I've been in
lyestigating the records, some stories
that show originality and a sense of
humor that Is refreshing.
MY sympathies are all with Mabray
and not with the Mixes, his victims
They all wen1 into the schemes think
ling that they would beat somebody
lelse. They were taken in themselves,
a just reward for their attempt at
double dealing. i@
"The steerers were free lances.
They worked alone and when one of
them got likely subject he sold
! MIN to the store where he thought
the best results could be obtained. 1t
might take months to work UP a case
to the point where the Mike was
ready TO bite. Then the game would
be framed up. Perhaps il would be a
horse race; perhaps a foot race or a
boxing match. Always the Mike put
his money into the game under the i'm
preston that he was betting on sure
thing and 'skinning' the other fellow.
After everything was fixed a pic
IRE was taken of each outfit just be.
ore the race or boxing match. The
| Nike can be picked out in each OF
these pictures by the initiated. Al
ways he was photographed with
towel over his shoulder having been
drafted as sort OF second to one of
the fighters or racers, as the case
might be.
These pictures were taken with a
purpose. The Mikes thought they
would be fine for joke on the suck
ers' afterward. But when the denoue-
ment came and the athlete upon whom
Jail of Mikes dollars were staked sud
denly developed heart failure and ap-
parently died Mike was suddenly re-
minded that the pictures would be
used as evidence against him in
|manslaughter case. -
OskaIoosa Man Likes u.
Right there was where .Mike'would
start running. That picture was a
wonderful agent in his disappearance
stunt. Some OF those Mikes are run
ming yet, or were until they picked up
the papers after Mabray's arrest and
saw how they had been duped. They
were slow to realize their stupidity.
One man at OskalooSa sank $4,000 at
the Kansas City sore and fastened
back home for another $1,000 When
that was taken from him without the
slightest pain he produced $500 more
and the grafters had to argue with
MIN after taking that to keep him
from coming back with dollar or two.
"One of the Mikes at Kansas City
was an old man of 20. He was an en-
thusiast on horse races, and fake
race was fixed up to separate him from
his money. He thought he had cinch
of winning several thousands from a
syndicate OF millionaires, and before