Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-29
THE GoLDsBoRo sWINDLE.
Liner Loaded with Goods Unpaid For
Sailed Away.

Francis G.. Bailey, the leading
spirit in the Goldsboro venture year
ago last spring, has been found guilty
of grand larceny in the first degree In
the criminal branch Of the supreme
court. The jury was out less than
fifteen minutes.
1t was the wind up Of a string of
circumstances of unusual nature be-
ginning in March, 1908, when the
Export Shipping company at IL
Broadway, of which Bailey was presi-
dent, and his brother, Albert W., was
treasurer, sent out lot Of circulars
to manufacturing firms In this coun-
try. They were in the field, it ap-
peared, to buy everything from ma
chinery and tools to monographs
and champagne for the Central Sup
ply company of Townsville, Austria
| liza. They placed orders, directed the
goods sent to New York for trans
portation, and in most cases made
first payments.
Then Bailey and his brother Sc
cured the former Clyde liner Colds
boro in Philadelphia and brought her
to this city, where she was loaded
with about $4,000 worth Of mer-
chandise. They drew on the Cen
eral Supply company. discounted the
shipping drafts, and with all the
available ready money in English
gold on board the Goldsboro sailed
away, not to Australia but to Hon.
duras.
What was left of the Export Ship
ping company went bankrupt and the
| National Association of Manufac-
turers got busy. The brothers were
arrested in Puerto COrteZ, Honduras,
and consented to give up their pro-
ject of dealing in mahogany to come
back to New York. That night
Francis Bailey slipped over the side,
stole a boat and escaped. He wrote
to a friend In this country that he
was so close to the officers search
ing for him that night that he could
Lieutenant Beery, who had him in
charge, lost his job.
A year later Albert Bailey was
brought back and convicted. He
was sentenced to seven years in Sing
Sing. Through a letter sent to the
prison the elder brother was traced
to Vancouver. He was posing as Col.
Edward Shannon KilcOnnel on a
ranch near Whennock, New West
minister. One afternoon last spring
Detective WILDER of the Central Of
flee saw him hOeng corn with a
Japanese laborer. Bailey denied his
identity, but he consented to go TO
Vancouver. There he admitted that
he was Bailey, but declared that ne
couldn't be eXtradited for his crime,
he had had a lawyer look it up, he
said. When Wilber showed him the
law Bailey found that his solicitor
had consulted an out OF date cOde.
If he had known the law lie would
not have settled there, he told the
detective.
Assistant District Attorney Mott
picked out from many the complaint
of the Keystone Driller company,
which had lost $1,926.1S. Bailey $
lawyer tried to show that the Colds
boro might have been on its way to
Australia for all the court could tell
and declared that were siXty-tive
days grace, allowing for mail trans
portation to Australia, before 1t
could be said that a crime had been
committed. Bailey was arrested be-
| fore this time had elapsed.
Mr.. Mott brought into evidence let
ters showing that Bailey had secured
| n 5000 acre concession in Honduras,
country that the United States had
no extradition treaty with at that time.
The goods on board the Goldsboro
seemed TO the prosecutor to show
that Honduras was the ultimate des-
tination. Such things as hammocks,
seeds, Photographic supplies and
other things that were rare down
there but could be bought in Australia,
made up the cargo.-New York sun.