Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-27
SWINDL.ER MUST
FACE CHARGES
LEADER OF FAKE FOOT AND
HORSE RACE GANG BROUGHT
BACK TO COUNCIL BLUFFS.

Des Moines, Feb. 25.-J. c. Mabery,
the man in the red auto" DIS he was
known in Council Bluffs, will be
brought back to Iowa from Little
Rock. Ark, to defend himself against
the charge Of conspiracy brought by
t. W. Bellew of Princeton, Mo. NAB
cry is said to be the leader of the
gang which operated in Council Bluffs
Tor several months, and brought to q
close a career of lawlessness last DC
tober by swindling Bellew out Of
$50, 200 in cold cash.
Armed with requisition papers
which were signed after o'clock last
evening by Governor Carroll, Detec-
tive William Groneweg Of Council
Bluffs left last night for Little Rock,
where Mabery is under arrest Mr..
Groneweg recently returned from
| New York City, where he successfully
fought a legal battle for the custody
of John G. Dobbins, who is accused
by Bellew of the crimes of larceny and
! conspiracy. Dobbins is now in the
| Council Bluffs jail and Mr.. Groneweg
feels highly elated over the successful
issue of the efforts that have been
| made for several months to locate
| Mabery.
Mabery, together with F. NJ. Clark
and l. j. Warner, was arrested by
Postoffice Inspector Swanson of Coun-
Gil Bluffs in a fashionable apartment
house in Little Rock. They are under
indictment at Little Rock for swind-
ling gul]ible and wealthy victims and
1t may be that the Arkansas officers
will oppose the efforts of the Iowa au-
thorities to extradite them.
Story of the SwindIe.
The story of Bellows loss of $4,000
was told last night by Mr. Groneweg,
who declares that Bellew, when he
went into the deal which brought
about the swindle, had no hint that it
was dishonest and was not enticed
into the deal by the promise Of Win
ming money from other apparent
suckers
Dobbins lived at Princeton for many
years and became acquainted with |
Mr.. Bellew, who is wealthy mev-
chant there He was persuaded to
aid Dobbins, he says, when the latter,
who was in debt, came to him and |
said he could make enough money tc
pay his debts If Bellew would help
him.
Together they went to Council
Bluffs, BelleW declares, and there he
was shown two race horses and told
that they were to be pitted against
each other in a trial of speed. Dob.
bins introduced him to others of the
gang, who were ostensibly eastern
men with plenty of money to bet on
one of the horses. Dobbins was stake
holder and Mabery, it Is alleged was.l
one of the principals in the betting
Bellew was entrusted with the money
the friends of Dobbins wanted to bet
on their horse, and when he had put
all of it up as stake money there was
still about 100000 awaiting a takeI'.
Then the friends of Dobbins suggest.
ed that Mr.. Bellew furnish this mon
ey, to be repaid to him the following
day He had brought just 100000 in
cash from Princeton, Dobbins having
told him it might be needed to estab-
lish Bellows standing as man of
means.
After the bets had all been made,
one of the gang, posing as an officer,
ence was in progress. This was the
signal for the getaway, and Bellew
was quietly notified to meet the others
at Kansas City on the following day,
when he would receive his 100000
Threatened with arrest by the sup
posed officer, the bettors called off the
arrang ements for the race.
Two Now in Custody.
Bellew went to Kansas City, from
there to Chicago and thence to New
York each time answering messages
from the gang, whose members were
meanwhile putting just as much dis
lance as they could between them and
the man they had duped. Finally Mr.
Bellew gave up the chase and report
ed the swindle to the officials at Coun-
Gil Bluffs. The federal authorities
were interested, as the mails had
been used to further the scheme Since
last October the chase has been on,
and now that two Of the accused men
are in custody there is a chance that
Bellew may get revenge.
Mabery, Mr.. Groneweg says, was a
we'll known figure in Council Bluffs,
where he and his pals posed as brok-
ers under the firm name of Mason &
| Co. He lived in style and spent much
of his time riding in red automobile.
Several swindles involving big