The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-06
Visitor To Lakeland
FIeeced Out OF $4,000
By Confidence Gang

W LII k0aIS III uI6 oye6, anu uIb NOiCc
breaking at times, as he realized his
financial ruin, Chas. Goembel, Of
Strawn, Illinois, a robust, cookbook
ing middle;aged farmer of the better
class, today told the sordid story Of
how he was buncoed out of $40 900 in
cold cash by the gang of crooks who
have been operating in Lakeland.
1t is the same old story of the un-
suspecting farmer coming to Florida
with the intention to invest in real
estate, meeting an agreeable stranger,
who in turn falls in with an acquaint
ance who has sure thing" race
horse proposition. They let the Wis
itor in on the sure thing, and he fin
ally wakes up to find that the money
he had worked for all his life, and
all he could borrow in addition, Is
gone.
Il had read the advertisements OF
the Lakeland Highlands proposition in
the Chicago papers," said Mr.. Goem-
bel, "and I was impressed with them,
and came down December 18th intend.
ing to invest my savings in a farm
On the way down, an agreeable man
giving his name as H. T. Wilson, 60.
on the train at Orlando, and l made
mis- acquaintance. We went to the
same hotel. Wilson throwing out the
impression that he was also interest
ed in farm lands. Next day we went
for q walk along the lake shore. VII
SON suggesting that we stay in town
and look 1t over, and defer goiug out
to Mr.. Hallam's until Monday. (This
was Friday. As we walked, we passed
a stranger. whom Wilson pointed Out
TO me as sure winner on the races
said he recognized this man as one he
had seen at the Buffalo Hotel in Kan.
sas City, and that he had made a Ger.
tain Judge 'Potterfleld of that city rich
Later, we turned up one of the streets
leading from the lake and this mar
came up an intersecting street. vii
son calls out to him. Hello, Kansas
City!" The man replied, "This is moi
Kansas City" We'll" says Wilson
you've been there--I am a friend o.
Judge Potterfield, of that place, ant
| saw you at the Buffalo House !" TIL,
man made no further denial, and wit
son asked "Have you got ANYTHING or
for today?" After some hesitation thu
man. whose name appeared to he J
A. Dale, said he had. "Bet a little TO,
u.s." said Wilson and gives him a do.
lar. At Wilson's suggestion also
gave him a dollar, although I did no,
want TO bet. Dale left and returned
shortly and gave us $3.50 apiece
which he said our bets had won. Az.
ter some talk, we gave him SIS each
and ne brought us back $40. We al,
three went back to the hotel, Dale and
Wilson meanwhile talking Of the bic
winnings the latter had made for
Judge Potterfield" which they said
amounted to something like $50 900.
Arrived at the hotel, we went to q
room and Dale said he had a chance
tc do something big, and asked viii
son If he could raise $4,000 to 90 in
on 1t. Wilson said he could. Both
asked me II could raise such sum
but I said I couldn't. They wrote
three checks-one for $4,000 and two
for 100000, making $55,0O0 on whici
they said they could get bets Of 2 tt
/ l. Dale gave Wilson a card with in
structions to go to the Exchange
and place the bet. The Exchange.
they said was in the second story o
another hotel. Wilson returned
shortly and said he had never seer
such stacks of money as was at tn,
! Exchange. He reported, however, tina
they wouldn't take outside chec',s. ant