Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-21
TWO HELD FOR ALLEGED
BUCKET-sHOP CAME
], A, Bolton and Ross Howell
Arrested on Information
of 0. ], Minter

Charged with operating a fake bucket
shop swindle game, two well-dressed
strangers, j. a. Bolton and Ross How
ell, are awaiting trial before a Fulton
county Jury, meanwhile occupying sepa-
rate cells in the Tower. Ap2rehended on
information given the authorities by o.
j. Minter, a prominent business man OF
Monticello, Ga, who says he was vic
tim of the two alleged sharpers, the
pair are being held on warrants charg-
ing them with a felony, pending the
thorough investigation of the entire al
fair.
The authorities are working on the
theory that there are several more men,
bers of the alleged gang of COINCIDENCE
men and that the "flmf1amming" of two
well-known citizens og Rochelle and
Abbeville, Ga, in Atlanta a few weeks
ago was the work of the same parties
Mr.. Minter, through whom Howell and
Bolton were arrested, became suspicious
of their actions after he had been par
TALLY worked" by the pair, according
to his statement to the officers, and
informed the authorities as to what was
going on. Deputies Mayfield Hardy and
Mckenzie appeared at the Aragon hotel
Wednesday night, at a prearranged
PENDANTS, their arrest following imme-
diately.
Thursday noon an effort was made to
secure the freedom of the two alleged
confidence men on writs of habeaS cor
pus taken out by Attorney Ernest
Buchanan, their counsel, but Judge Ben
H. Hill, of the superior court, dismiss
ed the proceedings when warrants were
produced by the solicitor general charg-
Wi
The officers are making every effort
to round UP the remainder of the group
of alleged confidence workers, and 1t Is
indicated that there may be additional
arrests within a short ime
Minter told the officers that on Satur-
day he met Bolton in the lobby or
local hotel, and in the course OF va
ried conversation, the latter called at
tention TO a pocketbook laying in
chair close by.
The pocketbook contained several pa
pers bearing the name of a-"Mr. Ross,
stopping at the Ansley hotel, said Min
ter, and with Bolton, he went to return
the property. Howell was found with
out difficulty, and being apparently over
loved to receive his pocketbook, onereu
them 500 as a reward, which was de-
clined by Bolton. Howell then Informed
Minter that he was investigating some
bucketshops in Atlanta, and had pro-
flied to the extent of $4,000 by his
operations since reaching the city.
ont of appreciation for the return
of his pocketbookJ Howell is alleged to
have offered to allow Minter and Bolton
to Share in the speculations AT the
'bucket-shop" and declaring that ne
would Immediately open another deal, ne
wrote two checks, one for S2o,OOV ana
another for $4,000 and sent them TO
the supposed esta blishment without de-
lay.
shortly afterward Bolton left to visit
the "bucket-shop" and get the winnings
but returned to announce that as me
two checks given by Howell were on
out-of-toWn banks. the operators at the
shop would not accept them, although
there we're $4,000 in winnings on the
deal for which the checks had been
written.
Minter claims he was asked to stand
responsible for a part of the $4,000
check while Bolton and Howell agreed
to take care of the balance. He left soon
afterward for his home in Monticello
Ga, to secure the money. but held
conference with his counsel, W. II. Key,
of that place, who advised him to In
form the Atlanta authorities of the
whole matter and secure the arrest of
Howell and Bolton.
and when by agreement he met the two
alleged sharpers at the Aragon hotel
wednesday night, the deputy sheriffs
were also on hand to make the ar
FISTS.
In their cells at the tower Bolton and
Howell emphatically denied all charges.
Bolton represented himself as "hnan-
cier," travelling in the interests of A
mining proposition. He came from Boil
ton, Mont, he said; the town of Bolton
willie was named for his ancestors. He
didn't know Minter, he said, and the
whole affair was a big mistake.
Howell stated that his first acquaint-
ance with Bolton was when he asked
him for a match in the hotel lobby He
stated that he came from California but
declined to discuss the case further.
Both are held under $4,000 bond pend
ing their trial in the Fulton superior
snr