The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-02-06

fish their credit locally. Dale then
said he would wire to Judge Potter
field and get the money. Later, he
showed a telegram signed by "Mrs
Potterfield' saying the Judge was in
Mexico and wouldn't be back till Jan.
8, his address being unknown. Dale
represented to me that this failure to
establish his credit" would ruin him
as racing man and lose him his Job
with the Race Horse Breeders AS
ISOLATION Of New York" He urged me
to get in on this sure thing not only
for the money would get out of 1t,
but to save him from a very bad pre-
dicament. He told me all would
have to do would be to put the money
in one of the local banks, and Wilson
would put his in the other. Finally.
through sympathy for Dale and by one
argument or another they persuaded
me to go home and get the money.
went back to Illinois, and by
mortgaging my property and borrow
ing from friends, raised $17,5OO. I
had previously deposited draft to my
credit in a Lakeland bank for $4,000
and ! returned with the checks for
Sl7,50O, which deposited with the
$4,000, making $4,000 in all. I, first
got cashiers check and went out
with Dale and Wilson to a house on
the outskirts Of town. where the rae
ing returns were being received.
CThis house is the one on Vermont
avenue, where 1t has been known the
crooks were operating J They made a
plausible excuse about not wishing
the transaction to 60 through in the
form of check and asked me to get
the currency. went to the bank anil
got the money in currency which
they put in a box for me. Wilson
went to the other bank, claiming
that he would get his share in cur
rency. We met on Massachusetts ave-
nue. and were taken out to the house
III a car. Wilson threw down his biz
package Of bills, and I also gave
mine to the cashier. The returns of
the race we were betting on came
over the wire, or were read by man
who pretended to get them over the
wire, and our horse lost. Wilson pre-
tended to raise rough house and
had to be held to keep him from in
juring the other men-there were a
dozen or such number. there. helped,
hold him, and finally we got him out
20 the car. I told Dale and Wilson
they had ruined me, and that they
would have to make up my loss. They
promised they would do so, and that
would get my money in two weeks
/ I got two wires from them at various
tfmes-one dated at Atlanta and one
at Memphis, Tenn, saying they were
; were working and would get my
money, but that is all I got. came
down in the hope of locating them and
recovering my money or some of L
The chances of Mr.. Goembel get
ting any part Of his money are, of
course, very slim. The men who vic,
timized him probably are working
some other town now, as the gang Is
well organized and the same workers
do not remain long in one place, but
are transferred from place to place
It is not impossible that the men who
robbed Mr. Goembel are among those
arrested at st. Augustine. He will 60
to Jacksonville to see IL he can iden-
tify his acquaintance among that
bunch.
Tho Federal authorities are TAKING
up the matter of the operations o,
crooks In Florida, and an effort will
be made to have this case specially
investigated