Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-10
Victims Catch
Fur Swindlers;
Get Money Back
Fleeced Quintet From Base
Ball Headquarters Speed to
Grand Island With Two
Omaha Sleuths.

Five jolly youths, garbed in nea
British naval uniforms, have lef
/. Omaha and are on their way-riche
/, to be sure but not as much richie
as when they left.
Friday Base Ball Headquarter
p, in Omaha was agog with the tall
. of how these jolly tars unloadet
F, cloaks of house-cat fur on Omahan'
as priceless sealskins and fled the
city. -a..
Packy Gaughn, Bill Uvick, Bill,
/ Belts, Fred Smith, Bill Fox ant
others in close touch with Base Bal
Headquarters had parted with per
fcctly good coin of the realm fol
these "sealskins."
Hit the Trail.
During the afternoon, they learned
OF the dupe and with Detectives
F., Danbaum and Pa1mtag hit the trail
Straight to the Union hotel, l02s
Mason street, where the British tars
had stopped, the victims went. The
sleuths raided the hotel and there
lost the scent.
But the Omahans were not to be
thwarted. They learned the fur sales.
men had taken the road to Grand
Island.
Hastily arming themselves with
revolvers and filing their pockets
with ammunition the feeced Oma-
hans climbed into Packy Gaughn's
car and gave chase.
Through Grand Island the trail led
them, on to Lincoln where they
prowled the streets Friday night.
They Spy EN-.
At busy downtown intersection
they spied their quarry, slipped up to-
them and motioned them to side
street.
"We want to talk business with
YOU" Billy Uvick told them.
The sailors had visions of more
fur sales and obeyed.
Once in a dark section, the Oma-
hans whipped out their pistols and
with menacing tones demanded:
"We're wise to your game. Hand
US back our. dough"
Don't get excited" came back the
sailor boys.
How much did you pay us?" they
asked Gaughn.
"Now Listen"
Give hundred berries" said
Packy, and forthwith he was re-
turned his money. So also did Uvick
and Nathan Miller get back their
$50 each, and the sesveral others in
the party.
Now listen, boys" pleaded the fur
statesmen, don't start anything here
in town. We cleaned up over $4,000
there in Omaha at the stock yards
and along automobile row and we're
willing to give you back yours. But
please don't start anything here"
The quintet also told Gaughn they
had done a profitable business in two
Of Omaha's downtown Office build
ings.
The Omahans, so glad to get back
their lost money, abandoned the
naval quintet in their glee and drove
back to Omaha, where they notified
their friends of their good fortune.
Another Thrill.
Base ball headquarters was given
another thrill and yesterday an
other carload of feeced fur buyers
hit out for Grand Island, where. they
understood the quintet intended to
be today.
Gaughn said he understood from
the sailors they had secured the fake
furs from the M. Sidell fur house
in New York City. They also sold
quantity of wooden goods in Cma-
ha, it is said, and one of their pur-
chasers was chagrined when tailor
to whom he had taken the goods for
a suit to bGmade, told him frankly
it was worthless.
According to M. Fitzgerald of the |
American Express company, the |
shipment of bogus furs and woolen
goods arrived in Omaha July g., and
part of these were forwarded to |
Grand Island.
Detectives Palmtag and Danbaut1f
refuse to give up hope of making an
arrest in the case. The quintet OF |
sailors who gave their names as
Hugh and Charlie Stewart, Henry |
and William Johnston and John |
Mcmillan, paid the city clerk S. |
each for a license to sell furs in
Omaha.
Denies Husband Caught.
Mrs. Joe Hendrix this morning
denied her husband was caught in |
the wholesale fur swindle.
Il have a new coat she said, "and
l don't want any of my friends
thinking it's just cat or rat fur. It's |
real and it was bought and paid for"
Captain Van Deusen, head of the |
detective bureau, said this morning |
the fur statesmen were operating a
legitimate business, and that he told |
their victims when they appeared
at his office to complain that County |
Attorney Shotwell refused to file a
complaint against the fur statesmen. |