Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-23
GOLD BRICK MEN
WHO GOT 100000
WORKED IN NEWARK
Charge Letters Used to Swindle
English People Was Sent
from Hotel Here.

A foreign swindling game. with New
ark for its base of operations, has been
brought to light through the arrest of
a man who gave his name as James
Thomas Southwick, in New York.
Search in the rogues' gallery revealed
that he is a w~ell-known international
crook, named Charles w. Adams.
1t was the old gold brick game of a
member of a foreign family having died
in the West possessed of great riches,
which he left to his family on the other
side of the Atlantic. Responses to the
letter were addressed to the Continental
Hotel here.
h case first came to the attention
of the authorities in America through
a letter received from Duton, Hartley
& Blyth, a law firm in London, by
Conway & Williams. New York law
yers. The writer's said that their client,
a Mr.. Lewis, living in Wales, had given
them a letter received from Southwick
stating that a relative of the family
had died in the West leaving them his
estate. AS he letter gave the Con-
tinental as his address the Newark end
of the case was turned over to Ed
ward Q. Keasbey and Welcome W. Ben
der, of this city, who engaged the New
Jersey Detective Agency to follow it
up. Mr.. Bender and Detective Gregory
spent all of yesterday and last night
waiting for "S~outhwick" to call for his
accumulated mail at the hotel, not be-
ing informed of Southwick's arrest I'M
til today.
The letter was written to q Mrs. +.
Lewis, of Llandingal, L~landovery,
Wales. 1t was received by her hus-
band, who gave it to his attorneys to
investigate. 1t read as follows:
Newark, Nov. 16, 1909.
Dear Madam-It it is with deepest
regret that 1 write you of the death
of poor William. He died two weeks
ago from pneumonia, after a very
short illness. His last words were
of you and your great kindness to
his dear departed sister. He spoke
of financial aid you had extended
TO her and said for that reason he
wanted you to have all of his prop
erty of every kind, for he had no
relatives of any sort alive after his
sisters death, she being the last.
The above statement is embodied
In his will, which l have in Col
orado in a safe deposit vault for
safe-keeping. He left you sole heir
of all his vast holdings, consisting
of ranches, cattle, horses and
sheep, besides some very valuable
coal lands; all this left to you and
your heirs absolutely. There are
also securities that can be turned
into ash at once, and which I will
turn over to your accredited agent.
1t will be absolutely necessary for
you to send at once someone en-
powered to receive from me this
estate, 1 being executor. This prop
erty all lies in the State of Col
orado.
| have business of my own in the
East that will detain me about 4
weeks, which will give you ample
ime to e some one to meet me.
If sent at once Gable name of per-
son coming, name of steamer and
date Of sailing. so hat ] can meet
MIN on his arrival. At the end OF
four weeks 1 return to Colorado. l
suggest this meeting in New York
for your convenience as well as
mine.
Please give this your earliest at
tention. Do not wait to write. Cable.
Believe me dear madame, yours
very respectfully,
JAMES THOMAS SOUTHWICK.
There We're several letters awaiting
%Southwick at the hotel. One of them
was postmarked Dublin. They will be
turned over to the New York police.
According. to the New York police
"Southwick" or Adams is one of a
gang of three swindlers who have been
operating their game for some time.
1t is claimed that within a year the
alleged conspirators cleaned up 800, 900.
TRY STAR CLASSIFIED ADS.