The evening leader., 1918-12-04

state last winter, and names S. T.
Conley as one of the gang. Tarpon
people will remember Mr. Conley and
his band, who were domiciled here
last winter.
The advance guard of this gang is
believed to have arrived in Tarpon
Springs few weeks ago and to have
rented house on Tarpon avenue near
the Inn. Would it not be worth while
for our people to get rid of these
tourists"
Opening an old sore and swearing
out a new warrant charging them
with swindling J. w. Croft, an Okla
homa tourist, out of $4,000 via the
confidence game book-making route
word is expected today at the sherifs's
Office that. ten male anrll female alleged
swindlers wanted here have been ar
rested in Atlanta, Ga. q
Former operations here are said ~
have cost residents and tourists
Florida more than a million dollar
1t is understood also that warrant
outstanding in Pinellas county for tn
same outfit, sworn by man claiming
to have lost more than $4,000
through their operations.
The new warrant was sent to At
lanta last week when advice was re-
ceived here from the chief of police of
Atlanta by Attorney E. J. Binford,
representing Croft, that the men and
women wanted here were in Atlanta,
preparing to come to Florida and
their winter stamping grounds. Mr..
Binford Immediately swore out a new
warrant and the sheriff's Office wired
the Atlanta police chief to arrest and
hold the crowd. Up to last night no
word had been received from Atlanta
since the warrant was sent.
Charge is Conspiracy.
The persons named in the warrant
are J. D. Ryan, jr.; Louie Martin, Jen-
ME Green, Clip Douglas, A. C. Brigge,
c. Murphy, S. T. Conley, Charlie Col
Inns and I'll. E. Harrison. The charge
is conspiracy to defraud.
1t is alleged that these people have
operated in many counties of this
state, with Lakeland the general
clearing house for all operations. 9th
er towns named in the warrant are
Tampa, Orlando, Sanford, Kissimmee
Palatka, Fort Myers, st. Petersburg
Clearwater and Miami Well-to-do
tourists are said to be their choicest
victims.
The swindling of Croft, it is charg-
ed, took place more than a year ago
and the warrant was sworn out man,
ing him as the complaining witness
because he is the only victim here who
has not swallowed the loss with a
>saorsel of chagrin and embarrassment
He preferred to bring charges while
other victims have, in more or less
shame, kept out of the courts.
Operate on Big Scale
The operations of this gang are said
to be extended and complicated, ac-
quaintances with proposed victims be-
ing made on trains on the way south,
the confidence man working his way
closer and closer to the lamb, termi-
mating later in a chance fly on the
horses where advance" and "inside"
information on race tracks before it
is given to the general public. Usual
ly the victim is given a few winnings
before the shears are closed.
The warrant charges that Croft was
swindled out of $4,000 "and many 9TH
er persons out of large and immense
sums of money by these persons, rep
resenting they were operating a pre-
tended game of chance, (horse races)
book-making establishments and other
games to cheat j. w. Croft and other
persons of property and large sums
of money * x"
1t is also set out in the warrant that
Croft was induced to enter house in
Polk county, which Judge Binford
stated was in Lakeland, in which book
making and other games were estab-
lished for betting and gambling. 1t
was here that Croft parted with the
$4,000, the warrant stating well
knowing that they, or some of them,
would get said sum. \"
The crowd is said to be the same
that became intimate with a local at
torney two years ago, their greatest
activities here being in the winter of
1917 "while tourists were spending
vacations in Florida" continues the
warrant.
Judge Binford stated yesterday he
lad heard of many cases of shorn
ambs who blamed this gang for the
oss of their money, but told of one
case where the victimizers became the
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