Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-11
SWINDLED OUT
OF $4,000 ON
A HORSE RACE
LOSES LIFE'S SAVINGS ON
FAXED CONTEST
coUNTRYMAN FROM WASHING
TON MARKED AS VICTIM
Supposed Friend Lures Him to Los
Angeles and Induces Him to
Draw Funds from
Bank


Il Sprague, Wash, twenty years to
accumulate a bank account OF $4,000.
In less than twenty minutes, in an
alfalfa field near Monrovia, Tuesday
afternoon, he was separated from hts
llfe's savings by a gang of swindlers,
headed, the police say, by one j. ID.
Ward alias Dad Griswold, and the
medium used was the old game OF
faxed horse race.
Mitchell was picked out as the victim
of the swindling game many weeks ago.
He Is a man OF simple. nonest priiie p-
pies, who has passed most OF his years
in the backwoods and smaller rurai
towns OF the northwest.
Ward, the leader of the gang who
swindled him. is a member OF the or
ganization which has headqnarters IN
Dubuque. Iowa, and Terre Haute' lhu..
which for months has been pulling off
fake prize fights, horse ana toot races
all over the country.
Early in January Ward appeared in
Sprague, Wash, Mitchelfs home' ana
stated that he was a land buyer ana
timber cruiser. Because OF the activity
of the United States government in
prosecuting land and timber frauds in
Washington and the scrutiny OF all en-
tries of homestead claims, Ward stated
that probably he would be unable TO
take up any government land in the
vicinity of Sprague.
He made himself a good fellow, how
ever, and cultivated the acquaintance
of Mitchell every day. Finally he told
Mitchell that they ought to take va
cation, and offered. simply through
pure friendship for him, to pay his ex-
penses on a trip to Los Angeles.
Mitchell, who had not had a vacation
In twenty years of struggle for a COM
petence, was lured into making the trip.
L.. 1nf4 AFars o. n
with Ward and came to Los Angeles.
Ward Pays Expenses
Here they registered at the Westmin-
ster hotel. and Ward. paying all ex-
penses, secured the best rooms In the
house and did not allow Mitchell to
spend one cent of money on anything.
At the hotel Ward met an old-time
friend who was represented to Mitchell
as being a rice planter from Louisiana,
sojourning in Los Angeles for his
health
Ward and asked him TO attend to his
numerous business deals, which he was
unwilling to look after on account of
his bad health. Ward gladly under
took the job.
A few days later a telegram was re-
ceived at the hotel from New Orleans.
addressed to Wards friend, offering
tion near Orange, Texas.
Ward informed Mitchell that he
knew his friend was willing to sell the
ranch for $4,000. and made a PROPOSE
tion that Mitchell buy 1t for that sum
and then sell it to the New Orleans
people for the $4,000. Mitchell is said
to have agreed to this proposition, and
the two then went TO the National
Bank of California, where Mitchell
drew a draft on his bank at Sprague,
Wash. for the necessary money.
After the cash was obtained Ward
and Mitchell spent several days in see
ing the sights around Los Angeles.
waiting meanwhile for abstracts of the
ranch property to come from New Or
leans.
Race Was Sure Thing
Monday last one of their trips took
them to Monrovia and Arcadia. Here
Ward discovered there was a fixed
horse race to be pulled off in private.
and he told Mitchell a party of men
was willing to bet $4,000 that certain
horse could beat another. He stated
that he knew which horse was to win.
and that they might as well pick up
the $4,000 while they were waiting for
the land deal to be completed
He convinced Mitchell that they
could win the money and Mitchell
agreed to this proposition. Tuesday
afternoon was the time fixed for the
pulling off of the race. Ward and
Mitchell were on the spot The latter
had his $4,000 in gold in canvas sack
and Ward produced a certified check
for $4,000 on the Chemical National
bank of New York.
This check and the real money were
turned over to another man. who acted
as stakeholder and already had in his
possession the $4,000 of the opposition.
The horses were brought out and start
ed in the race.
Mitchell's horse led all the way to
near the finish, when it stumbled and
the jocke5- fell off He was seemingly
badly hurt and .when the crowd Of
eight men who were present got to him
he was in convulsions and helpless.
The man who was holding the stakes
i'm the big race cried that he would
go for a doctor, and that was the last
seen of him and the money, which he
carried away with him.
Under the plea that they would be
arrested for gambling on a race out
side of the regular track Ward got
Mitchell back to Los Angeles. and the
two men commiserated one another on
their joint loss of $4,000.
Ward proposed that they hunt down
the robbers privately. and later stated
that he had information that the
stakeholder had taken a train for Port
land, Ore He proposed that they fol-
low on the next train, and Mitchell
agreed.
Detectives Arrest Ward
.,olice Detectives Chapman and
Home and Detective Sergeant Kelley
we're aware OF the attempted swindle
from the time the $4,000 had been
drawn rom the bank here, but with
out evidence could make no arrests
Ward and Mitchell were found, how
eyer, at the Arcade depot. ready toI
take train north, and Ward was ar
rested.
The two men were taken to police
Headquarters, and there Mitchell was
asked for information concerning the
swindle. He refused, howeve-, to be-
lieve he had been robbed of his money
and stated that he was able to take
care of Himself and that his friend
Ward had lost $4,000. also but that
they were going to get it back.
When he was finally convinced that
ne had been swindled he broke down
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