The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-06-03
SWindlerS Net
Near million

back to Pennsylvania Sadder but may
be wiser. In this deal one of Allan
ta's beSt-knOwn citizens aided the OPP
erattng gang.
One comparatively old man came to
Atlanta from Indiana, lost his money
and is still here. His story was one
of the many already told during the
four weeks of investigation of the
easy money syndicate of Atlanta
Then there was an Ohio banker who
came to this city. fell in with smooth
takers and attempted to get checks
cashed for approximately $4,000, but
all the gang got him for was $1,000.
Chicago Man Involved.
There is the case of Albert H
Thompson of Chicago. Thompson is
being sought on a larceny charge and
il is thought that he is in Cuba. So
licitor John Boykin refuses to di-
vulge for the present the details.
ThOmpSon's indictment was a sur
prise, for his wife was known to be
wealthy. The ThOmpsons have a fine
home in AShevflle
More than one hundred indictments
have been returned.
The situation was first called to the
attention of the public when John
BOykin. solicitor, made an address at
a forum luncheon of chamber of COM
merce members, He charged that the
situation was known to police officials
and others In authority.
Finally there was a demand I'm
council for an Investigation and Mr..
BOykin agreed TO appear before this
body. A mass meeting of 1000 Atlanta
citizens was held and money was
raised TO prosecute the solicitors
charges. Eugene r. Black, one of the
city's best lawyers. was engaged to
represent Mr.. Boykin.
1t has developed that the chief of
police and the detective chief have
clashed. On one occasion when the
chief of police was wiring to a Florida
point trying to get a confidence man
the chief of detectives was wiring that
the man was not wanted in Atlanta,
although he was under indictment at
that time. 1t was also charged that
detective for several years had received
$500 a week to allow a notorious blind
tiger to operate unmolested
The raids started as a result of the
fleeing of Holley of Ailkin cut of SILL
600. He and a companion made a noise
that all Atlanta heard. officers were
sent TO see him, and he and his COM
panion laid trap for Abe Powers, the
alleged steerer In the game. The detec-
tives told them to go on out and meet
was about the last they heard of the
detectives, but they met Powers by
agreement and seized him. A passing
policeman was hailed finally and
Powers went TO Jail.
Then started a search for the head
quarters of the gang. The detectives
the next day were piloted TO the build
ing In q downtown locality, where the
South Carolinians said they had been
robbed. But search as they might. the
officers could not find the room.
Raid Reveals Brokers Office.
The next day they appealed to the
solicitor and he led a personal raid of
the building The room was found at
once and he seized all the parapher-
MALTA The place was fitted up with all
the elabOrateness of a stock brokers'
Office in New York. There were black
boards, fake telegraph instruments.
fake money. and everything else
needed. 1t looked like there was all
the money in the world there, but in
vestigation revealed that only the
cover bills were good. The rest was
green paper.
That was the beginning. Within the
next few days the solicitor raided three
places operated by the gang. in one
case using axes to break in. In this
place were found all the instruments
needed for marking cards. crooking
dice; fake money. several hundred dol
lars of real money in the safe; crap
tables; and before the night was out
many visitors. who had been taken
into custody had to tell what they
knew or go to jail.
The raids were followed by many