The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-06-19
BUNKO MEN FLEECE
MAN OUT OF $4,000.
Utah Rancher Persuaded by Sharp
ers to Bet on Races.


Fleeced out of $4,000 by confidence
men, who treated him to thous-
and mile journey and back again,
John Findley, erstwhile well-to-do
cattleman of Kane county, awoke
from a sudden dream Of wealth
Monday to find himself virtually
penniless. And before the dream
bubble bust the men who fash
Toned it we're half way across the
continent, evidently safe from cap
ture, though the machinery of
Sheriff Sharps office and of sew
eral detective agencies were run
ming at top speed in the forlorn
hope of catching them.
Findley, fresh from the ranges
of Kane county, well equipped with
cash and contented in the knowl-
edge of $4,000 more awaiting his
beck and call in the vaults of the
i State Bank of Sewer at Richfield,
arrived in Salt Lake last Wednes-
day and went to the Hotel Utah.
/ Friends were plentiful. Among
them was a prosperous gentleman
pwho wormed' his way into Find
ley's good graces by showing an
interest in Kane county. in cattle
and in land. In fact, he wanted
to buy some Kane county land.
Could Findley advise him how to
proceed in the matter? Findiey
could and did but unfortunately
the deal was not confined to land-
The gentleman appeared to be
prosperous. His name, he said,
was Clark-Algernon Clark - ana
he made his money horse racing.
In fact, he admitted this to FIND
ley, and even became so friendly
as to offer to reveal to the cattle
man the magic secrets of the race
track by which his fabulous in
come kept rolling in. Findley mad |
been so kind as to assist Mr.. Clark |
in his proposed purchase OF land.
Clark would reciprocate.
Then appeared the second stran-
ger a Mr.. "Harker,' who was in
troduced to Findley as horseman
whose Aladdin's lamp of race track
luck was no less wonderful than
that of Mr.. Clark. He could not
lose, positively could not lose, they
told FindIey.
They went to the races, or rath-
err to the poolroom. The races
were run in some far-off town, but |
the returns were to be had in a |
Third South street establishment.
Findley was assured that distance
did not hamper the luck of his
companions. In due course he
wrote sight draft for $4,000 and
turned it over to Clark for the bet.
| Clark was putting up an additional
| $4,000. He told Findley SO him
| self.
II The race was at 2 to / odds,
lust as his friends had predicted.
Findley saw visions of riches. He
went to his friends to collect, but
there was a slight delay The
bookkeeper looked askance on the
sight draft for $4,000. 1t would
| have to be converted into cash
| ier's check for the same amount
| before winnings could be paid.
This was easily done, and the fol-
lowing day the ranchman turned
the cashiers check over to his new
found friend and they went again
to the poolroom to collect the
winnings" of the previous day,
and, possibly to do some more bet
ting.
Flushed with the magic of easy
money, Findley succumbed to the
importunings of his friends and
agreed to bet his winnings and his
original capital on another race.
of fortune, they told him, and he
would be a man of wealth beyond
all possibility of want.
Harker took charge of the mon
ey this time. In fact Fdndley had
not yet set eyes upon his winnings.
Harker was to bet on certain
horse. The horse won but Harkef
came back to Clark and Findley
and confessed that he had taken
a sudden "hunch" and had played
another horse. Clark was dunn
founded, He lost his temper and
threatened to kill Harker, setting
upon him with his fists and beat
ing him to the floor In this deai
Findley was supposed to have lost
his winnings and the origina
$4,000
| When the fit of anger was ovel
| Harker and Clark again became
friends and set about the recon
| struction of the fortune that hat
gone glimmering.
Come on to Denver with us ant
we will win so much money fol
| you that you will forget this little
setback they told Findley, who
still, unsuspecting, agreed to ac
company them as the only chance
OF rebuilding his fallen air castles
Then all went to the Utah Ma
tional bank, including the book
maker, to have the cashiers CHECK