Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-08-26
50 MEMBERS Of
ALLEGED RING G
ARE IN CUSTODY
Are Charged With 0per-
ating Confidence Games
in Colorado, Florida, Cuba
and Elsewhere.

ollN h-tSNNtiS' vs.
tBy The associated Press,)
Denver, Colo, Aug. 25.--J. Frank
Norfleet, Of Hale Center, Texas,
one-tlme victim of the Joe Furcy
gang of confidence men and who
has since devoted much of his time
to hunting down men engaged in
swindling others, furnished infor-
nation TO District Attorney Philip
Van Cise that led to the arrest last
might and carry today Of thirty
three persons alleged to have ope-
rated confidence games in Colorado,
Florida, Cuba and elsewhere.
The arrests were made by deputy
district attorneys and state rangers
and the prisoners were kept in the
I basement OF church all night to
| prevent them from communicative
with prisoners in the city Jail. Lou
Blonger and a. w. Duff, two OF
| those arrested, were released today
on bonds of $4,000 each, but the
others were held in Jail in Adams
and Jefferson counties, adjoining
| Denver.
Career As Il "Nan Hunter"
Norlleet, discussing his career as
Il man hunter tonight, said:
Il had never known a crooked
man or dishonest woman in my life
until the day Furey took me for
sucker. We--ma, my little girl. my
! boy, Pete, ana lived on rancn
| at Hale Center, Texas, Pete was
ambitious and wanted to go to
school. So ma and /, who had
saved quite little pile, agreed he
should 60 We picked out tho
school at Plainview. After settling
! Sonny there, l went on TO Fort
Worth" 1t was there he met Furey
and first was swindled. After tell
ing of this affair, in which, accord
! ing to Norfleet's story, he finally
was "frisked of every cent he owned
land left up to the neck in debt"
Norfleet continued:
You know, l promised ma I'd
quit this man hunt and 60 back
home and live at peace. But some
| body's got to clear the earth of
these vermin. They prey on the
! innocent. I know tWenty-four men
in Texas and elsewhere who have
been robbed, broken-hearted, and
some have died because Of the viii
! lainy of these confidence men.
Somebody's got to fight them to
finish and I'm the man that's willing
Ito do ii.
Master Mind at Work.
"Fureys dead, Gerber's in prison,
! Wards in a suicides grave, but
there's still master mind at work,
lard sooner or later FL get his ad
dress and him-that's Charles &.
Harris, alias w. b. Spencer, and
another almost equally clever, Reno
| Hamlin.
you see, they were all in the
swindling oil lease and farm land
deals. Hamlin was caught ana
placed under $4,000 bond which
! he jumped, and so is at large again.
l traced Spencer, or Harris, to Can
Iada. Got him there at Montreal.
! lie was watching a human spider
climb a building. Got my hands on
him and raced him through the
! streets into moving picture show,
where the manager, getting eH-
cited grabbed me. gave me over
to the police and let Spencer go,
He's a good locker and / just look
las though | was oine of the born
| every minute brigaC-.
But l know the con man breed,
When | came to Denver l recog-
nized one of the old gang standing
on the corner. lie didn't recognize
me and so I knew ! had a bit OF
work cut out for me here. For
two days and nights | played their
game. | can play any game except
that Of a good looking. attractive
wise man.
81 am firmly convinced Spencer
or Harris is not far away and it is
my intention to get him, He was
/ too close to Furey and Gerber ana
Ward not to have enjoyed some OF
my money and he's got to pay.
Not AFRAID OF Them.
"Pm not afraid of any of them,
/ Right is on my side and even ma
turc. For they look at me once
and invite me to lunch or to buy
some oil stock, or to get in on a
] ldUl StutlIltt VI lity olIoNC tA'N
pocketbook lure in front of me or
Just act as an amiable stranger
anxious to be nospItable TO the new
boob who's come to town.
"They are the vilest crew afflict-
ling society. They're thieves, rob-
bers, killers, If need be. And I'm
out to get two more men on my list
and I'm going to get them, and
after that, why, I'm going home
to Hale Center, Texas, and let ma
Imake a fuss over me and feed me
some of those biscuits and waffles
and corn pone and baked ham thar
Ward and Gerber ate before they
took us into the tune of $4,000"
Officials of the district attorneys
office said the arrests followed an
linvestiga ton of more than n year.
They estimated that more than ST.
! 900, 900 had been obtained from
tourists and visitors in Denver
during that year by members Of
1.-THE alleged ring.