The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-20
lst. Petersburg Independent. }

lot TeIeIsUufS Riu0pehu0ht,J
''Was that story you printed about
the confidence men, in Fridays pa
per, true? If it was not true car
tell>you story of the confidence men
that is true and it will be a good
cne."
An irate woman gave vent to her
feelings in the above language in the
local room of the Independent Sat
urday afternoon and then went on to
denounce the city officials and the
police force declaring that no effort
| is being made to arrest the confidence
men who are operating boldly in St.
Petersburg. She did not hesitate to
express a very poor opinion Of the
local police and declared that she was
going after the confidence men her
self. She and her daughter, who the
woman says, is a crack shot with
revolver, may start out to capture the
crooks themselves falling to get help
from the officials here.
The woman said the confidence men
had gotten their clutches on her hus
band and that he drew 5000 from his
bank and turned it over to them be-
fore she and her daughter got wind
of it. She said one Of the "coh
men, a very nice appearing man who
poses as a tourist" had taken din
ner at their home two weeks ago by
| invitation of her husband. She said
she and her daughter had furnished
the local police evidence against this
| man and that the officers both here
and at Tarpon Springs knew where
the gang had headquarters at Tarpon
Springs, yet they had made no effort
| to arrest them. ".
| She declared that both her son anf
son-in-law were members OF The pc
| lice force in the city in which shf
lived in the East and that she there
| fore had pretty good idea OF wha'
ought to be expected from policemen
who desired to do their duty.
The woman stoutly declined, ever
when begged. to do so, to give he
name or her address, saying that th'
$500 had been stolen and couldn't b.
recovered and that the police had al
lowed the men to get away, so ther'
could be nothing gained by having
her family written up in the news
papers.
She was very angry and when leav
/ ing the Office declared that he
J daughter was fine writer and woul'
I nublish shortly to the whole countr'
the story of how the confidence mel
| operated with immunity in St. Peters
burg. She was asked to supply tn
story to the Independent but said sh
preferred to send it to the newspaper
of her home city so as to warn IN
people there that no police protectio'
could be expected here.
/ The woman's husband had been de
frauded, according to the story sn
laid on a scheme to invest money :
developments at Tarpon Springs bu
| the details were not given. 1t was nc
clear from the woman's story whetn
| or her husband after being victim
| ICED had made any effort to have tn
j men apprehended or whether ne ha
been to the police with the STORY
ii the robbery.
chief of Police A. J. Casters sal
tedav that some three weeks since
! man and his daughter visited poh'
Headquarters and complained that u
man had been robbed of $500 in ia
NON Springs. He and his daught'
- made Chief casters promise 10 Ne'
Z tho matter secret. and said they wou
: moi have 1t known for anything tn
] Tho old man had been a victim
I orooks. They said, so Chief Eas.e
I declares, that they did not expect
lget their money back or 70 nav r
I man WHO aefrauded them . eausns' ) )
E old man was unable to furnish a
Z further information Of value in hu'
+; ing for the crook, said Chief Easter
IThe old man said he had reported
! affair in Tarpon Springs to the pol
e lut was confident the man who
- his money left town before the pol
knew of the crime. Chief East'