Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-23


held--had told him the swindler!
never allowed a victim to escap'
from their sight from the time the!
first took him in charge until they
had secured possession of his bank
roll.
"This victim. told me-" continued
the solicitor, that one of their mem
bers met him at the train, took hin
to a leading restaurant, bought MIN
the finest dinner to be had, and ther
escorted him to these rooms. He sal'
their dealings were very business
like and that they impressed him a:
being heightened gentlemen whom
he could trust without question
"Then they took their visitor tt
q good hotel, but one of their mer
STAYED in the adjoining room to- set
that he did not communicate WIFI
anyone during the night. The mex
day. the customer was taken to the
Peachtree street office and introduce!
to the manager, who refused 10 Tan
business with him until he, had mrs
shown him how their patrons c4ee'h0e
IN on the races.
"After the victim watched Tor al
bour and saw a number of men rusf
in. Law down their money, then oraN
II hack a, few minutes later, eXactI9
doubled he asked to be allowed tf
bet on one of the horses that appear
ed to be going good, and they ,tooi
his money. Before the day enae1. I !
man | have in mind had donated SAA'
500 to the swindlers.'
Some members of the ralolns
party, said the apartments
m lent at IS IL Broad street were tne
* 10 Broad street were the mos
nerfect headquarters for a gant
of crooks they had ever seen. me-
we're barricaded in here II sucn
wav that if officers had vlslteo
t T@y While they were at home, they
would have found it extremely dlI'
ficuIt to effect an entrance why
theI could have used their peep,
outs" and seen them coming, II
had been day time; If they mao rdlu'
ed them at night, their signal sys
and in day or night the place was
sacureIv locked, Screened and fast
ened, he asserted. 49,
"A city license bearing the name
Cumming Tailoring and PfeSsil4
company" hung on the wall OF tne
Broad street apartments. Statloneay
bearing this same name also was
found in the rooms. =
Elaborate Furnishings -
In the raid Saturday morning e. Oh on
rooms 302, 800 and 800 Soutnet;I
and his squad unearthed the oottlces
where the solicitor is certain the
company" transacted its business
with the public. Entering the suite
of rooms through No. .302s the Gus
toner found himself in an elabor:
with lounges and easy chairs witt
expensive rugs covering the floor
This room opened into the cashiers
office" equipped with desk anCG
railing, writing desks, telegraS,
blanks, bulletin boards, racing oul.
letins, telegraph tickers, callers, anc
other equipment which gave to the
office every appearance of the head
quarters of a flourishing business
concern.
The third office was marked "pri
vate,' and it is said was used by
a member of the. gang who poseec
as the manager of the company. II
this office, said the officials, wers
gobus credentials" from New Yorl
bankers and other prominent con
Germs certifying that the company
was thoroughly reliable, and author
izing drafts by the company for large
amounts. ...--
It is said that at rs West Peach.
tree the syndicate employed the name
of the United Turf Exchange" Sta
tionery found in the offices purport-
ed to show that the company was
capitalized at $25,000,000.
Everybody winning
H. G. Holley, of Aiken, S. c., told
of his visit to the offices, and how
he left minus the $1,000 he car.
ried with him.
1.-THE RACES seemed to be going on,
he said. 1.-THE cashier was busy pay.
ing out money to alleged customers
who came in; employees were mark,
ing up results on the bulletin boards
callers were announcing the winners
of the last races, and the place was
fairly humming with activity-and
everybody seemed to. be in goot
spirits and pulling down heaps OF
money. The thing looked so real,
just fell for it." .4... . .
Wade Lamar, another Aiken, S. c
farmer, who says he came near t.
dropping $1,000 to the gang
told how he was lured into the com
pany's offices by a man. he met OF
the downtown streets, who callec
himself Tom Moore. Moore was {
well-dressed fellow, appeared to have
lots of money, and treated me very
a young man, and Moore asked hin
how he came out on his racing bet:
yesterday. He replied that he wor
$4,000, and was going back to the
offices in a few minutes.
Moore asked me if 1 wanted tt
go up and pick up a little easy money
SO we were soon in the cashier:
Moore and other members of the gans
introduced me to several booster!
who were busily engaged in placing
large fake bets on favorite horses
The game was explained to me. They
said when the horses came across
the finish line in the big races, the
news was flashed to the whole world
They said their private wires. gave
them the results before they reached
the bookmakers, and said that wheI
the winning horse was revealed, th'
idea was for me to place a big be
on him before the bookmaker knew
the race was over" AL.
Mr.. Lamar said he became "wilC
with excitement" and was fast be
had' on the races, when a, sudde1
'hunch" told him to leave the place
Everything in the office gave thu
appearance of prosperity, and there
was a wealth of equipment which
gave every indication of being gen
which they paid out large sums O.
parent land office business the com
pany was doing, practically stagger
ed me, and if ! had remained will
them thirty minutes longer, I fee
sure they would have fleeced me ou
of the $4,000 1 possess" ~
Solicitor Boykin said Saturda!
night he was following clues which
he believed would lead to arrests o.
other members of the "wire-tap
ping" gang within a few days. ri have
received considerable valuable infor
nation during the day which may
enable me to apprehend them--ol
some of them right away"
The solicitor said he did not in
tend to call on the police or detectiv,
force. 1.-The police and detective:
have had their chance to rid Allan
ia of these joints and these gang:
of criminals, but they have failed
to get the desired results. Now
have taken matters into my owl
hands, and with my assistants, l an
going to get to the bottom of this