The San Francisco call., 1909-05-24
From the Portland OysgoniaM of Mar 18

William z. Davidson, who cap
1907, and was not paid the reward,
declared the Raffies game a big
fake and bunko graft. Mr.. David
son, who is in Portland. told the
story of his experience to the Tel
egram today. Prior to going to Sc
attle, where he exposed the fake,
Davidson was employed here by
Allen G. Lewis in the cigar depart
ment.
81 captured Raffies in Seattle, but
never received a cent" explained
Mr. Davidson. George Harris Don
oboe, who has been working the
game for a San Francisco paper.
was playing the role in Seattle. In
substance, the system of Raff1es is
this: The man who plays Raff1es
goes into hiding and does not ap
pear at the places where he is ad-
vertised to be. He has a manager
and an assistant or two, who gather
the information which Raffies is
supposed to write. To explain.
Raffies may say that he attended
such place and saw such and
such people. While Raffies is hid
ing. his assistants are at the places
mentioned and gathering the notes.
BY this system. of course, Raffies
can escape capture until the time
called for in the contract which las
manager has with the newspaper.
When the time has expired, Raffles
gives the public a chance to get
him.
In Seattle I was working for j.
Aronson & Co. and working WI
me was Frank D. Dewar. who was
acquainted with James Saunders
one of the Rafhes party. Saunders
had explained the anne they were
working to Dewar, but did not tell
where Raffes was hiding. Saunders
rented a house In which Raffies
could hide and had given the name
of Dewar for reference. When
decided TO go out and win the $500,
I called at the real estate office
and asked the number of the house
which James Smith, the alias
Saunders was using, had rented.
This / received.
Disguised as a plumber, I went
to the house next door to where
Raffles was in hiding. / asked the
woman who lived there if she knew
who lived next door. She replied
that two young men had moved
in a week before; that they acted
very mysteriously and never had
anything to say TO anybody. ! was
sure that Raff1es lived there, so I
asked the woman to be a witness
to my entrance into Raffies' strong
hold. She consented. ] raped at
the door several times before any
one answered. Then a man poked
his head out of the upstairs win
dow and asked what I wanted 1
told him 1 was sent out by the
agent of the house to repair some
pipes which had become clooged.
He asked me what the name of the
agent was, and 1 told him, having
learned who had the rental of the
house before I went out to the
house. He told me to go around to
the back door, and there / waited
10 minutes before the door was
opened just enough to permit me
to squeeze through the opening.
Il Immediately recognized him
after 1 had got inside the house,
and 1 placed my hand on his shoul-
der, exclaiming, You are the Mys-
terious Mr.. Raffles.' He was dazed
for second and then said, oh, that
is your game, is itg and he pushed
me through the door and then
slammed it tight.
Going to the Morning Times
Office 1 explained to the manage
ment that ] had captured Rafles,
and ] demanded the $500 reward I
was treated harshly there and they
laughed at me when / told my story.
I asked that a man connected with
the Times go out to the house with
me to verify my statement / was
told that Mr.. Carruthers was Raf1es'
manager and that he was the only
man who was authorized to decide
Raffies identity. Finally / located
Carruthers, and we went to a livery
stable near the Times Office and
hired horse and buggy.
Without any Instructions from
me he drove to the house in a round
about way. When he got near the
place he said to me: You've got it
on us. 1t viii cost us $500 unless
this game runs until June IA Car
ruthers pleaded with me to keep
quiet until June IA, on which date
he promised to deliver Raff1es to me-
so / could get the $500 reward. in
the meantime I was to receive part
of the reward and get the balance
June II. He offered me $50, then
promised to pay $50 a few days
later TO show good faith. I refused
to be a party to such deal, and
demanded the $500 reward. I got
nothing from the Morning Times.
''Carruthers demanded that l tell
where / got my tip as to where
Rafffes was. l refused to tell him.