Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-09-20
DETECTIVE ADAMS STORY.

There never was a Job, said Detec.
tive Adams, worked in this country.
which could match the great gold coin
swindle so successfully carried out
upon the expert dealers in money In
wall street. No class Of people are
easier to beat than Wall street men.
provided they are met upon their own
stamping ground by fearless men who
deal with them upon an apparently
solid platform.
AS recall It, the bogus coin dis
posed Of was worth, face value, about
100000. and the thieves were kind
enough to go in and get the premium
upon this sum. The firm which han
died the gold in this city was Wells &
Co., and they were above suspicion.
The coin was sent to them from Frink
& Beaman, an honorable London firm
OF bankers, and every connection
from start to finish had all the marks
OF genuine transaction. There was
nothing to arouse suspicion except the
gold itself, and that was not critically
examined at the time, because It had
been shipped in a perfectly regular
manner. Inquiry would probably not
have been made into the transaction
for a long time IL 1t had not been for
the disappearance of Nathaniel
Storms. who had completed the tran
saction with Wells G Co.. and collect
ed the money for the gold.
Storms came to this country with
the gold and had letters of introduce
ton equal to the best certificate of
character. He represented that he
was the agent Of a syndicate Of for
eign capitalists who had been quietly |
gathering up all the gold they could |
get hold Of in Europe at their own fig
ures. and had got together several mil |
lions Of dollars which theyrintended
to put upon the American market to
get the benefit Of the large premium.
When Storms collected the money
for the gold. he made an appointment
to meet Wells & Co. the next day
upon a matter of Importance, and he
did not show up. He was stopping at
the old Aston House, and letter was
sent there by a. messenger, who
brought back reply that Storms had
given up his room there in the morn
Ing, before he went to Wells q Co.'s
ofhce.> His baggage consisted only of
a handbag, and he took this away
with him. 1t also was learned that
Storms had not stopped at the Aston
House at all. He hired room there
BY the week. but never went to It, and
only called at the hotel to get his
nail.
Storms had told one Of the members
Of the firm that he had given a din
ned 70 some Of his English friends at
he Aston House and related some of
he stories which were told BY. his
friends Of American life. II was con-
Iidered very strange that Storms. who
carried all the marks of honesty In
lis face and speech, should have lied
bout such an unimportant matter:
md. considering all the circumstances.
doubt was raised about his veracity
n other matters Of importance.
Several days passed and nothing
vas heard from Storms. Wells a Co. I
'ecame bit uneasy and sent a cable |
o Frink & Beamen. asking for in
ormation about the further shipments
4 gold. Frink G. Beamen replied that '
hey did not know anything about
hipments Of the precious metal. and
you'd be delighted to find any cf Il
hen the direct inquiry was made By I
Wells & Co. Of Frink & Beamen Il I
hey had not consigned 100000 TO
Wells & Co. The answer came bacz I
hat they had not. IN