Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-24
ALLEGED BUNCO
MAN PROMISES TO
SPILL BEANS"

The arrest in Ell Paso, Texas, last
Thursday of Mark Tillery, alleged
famous confidence man, wanted as
one of the leaders in the Atlanta
swindling system which cleaned up
hundreds of thousands of dollars,
and his alleged subsequent statement
that he will get even with those
be believes responsible for his ar
rest by "spilling the beans on al
the higher-ups in the syndicate as
soon as 1 reach Atlanta" is believed
by Atlanta postoffice inspectors to be
the beginning of new developments
that will lead to indictments of sew
eral confidence men whose identity
heretofore has been concealed.
A special session of the United
States grand jury will be convened
Wednesday for the sole purpose of
Investigating the syndicate and to in
dict Tillery, in order that his return
to Atlanta for trial on a charge of
using the mails to defraud may be
expedited.
The mails were used by all men,
bers of the bunco gang to further
their schemes, Inspectors stated.
After the government tries those in
dicted and their sentences are COM
pleted, Solicitor General John A.
Boykin, who several months ago be-
gan the war on the Atlanta syndi-
cate, will bring them to trial in, SUI
perior court. Indictments against
Tillery and many other members OIL
the gang are said to be pending in
the state courts.
u. s. Agents Bare Details
The Atlanta postal agents who
caused the arrest of Tillery return
ed Monday from Ell Paso and barred
details of his capture after a long
search which had carried them into
almost every state in the union.
When arrested, the inspectors
said, Tillery was located in a
palatial suite of rooms at the lead
ing hotel in FL Paso, and was the
founder and leader of a big bunco
game there. It's operations were not
confined to the usual bunco schemes,
the inspectors declared, but opium
and other narcotics were being
struggled into this country from
Mexico in large quantities by Till
ery's men. Passports good between
the United States and Mexico were
found in Tillery's possession, the
inspectors stated
The postal agents said Tillery
had made such a favorable impress
sion on the people of FL Paso and
had been so successful in covering
his crooked movements, that public
sentiment was strongly against the
government and state authorities
who attempted to place him and
members of his gang under arrest.
A pitched battle between officers
and civilians ensued in the lobby
of the FL Paso Del Norte hotel be-
stated . +, S
Eints at Higher-ups
Taken before azfederaI commits
sioner in the Texas city, Ttllery's
bond was placed at $4,000 Unable
to post this amount he is held in
Jail awaiting action by the federal
grand jury in Atlanta, which is ex-
pected to indict him Wednesday.
A writ of habeas corpus sued out
| by Tillery on the ground that his
bond was excessive, was denied by
the United States judge at FL Paso.
It was stated by the inspectors that
| Tillery still is waging a determined
battle to prevent his return to At
! lanta.
But if they do take me-" he is
quoted as saying Il will make some
of the higher ups in the system there
And what [ tell EN- in court will
shake the town."
After the Georgia authorities, who
have first claim on Tillery, are
through with him, the Texas courts
will, it is said, ask his return to
II H,,tr II hA 1nnd nf
the bunco system in that city.
Displaced by woodward
The inspectors who worked on
Tillery's case declared on their re-
turn to Atlanta Monday that he is
rest was brought about by reports
to federal authorities by some of
the former members of the Atlanta
ring whose names never were pub
flicly connected with it. "They have
to hold their heads up all the way
through, but L intend to give the
government the straight dope on
'em when I reach Atlanta" Tillery
is quoted as saying.
known throughout Atlanta's under
world and also to the police and the
state and federal authorities: He
is said to have controlled the ac-
until Floyd Woodward and others
who 81 gradually came into power
Solicitor Boykin, it is said, has
months to locate Tillery in the hope
that through him, evidence might
be obtained against the so-called
"higher-ups," who the solicitor also
has been trying to uncover.
The next weeks developments in
the Investigation now in progress
in the federal and state courts is ex-
pected by the officials to bring sem