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Show liiro of 8jm. A Startling Sensation Yesterday Yester-day in Provo. j Ceo. C. Whitmore, of Nephi, the Victim of a Gigantic Swindle. Copper Bricks Sold to Him Under Cuise of Their Being Be-ing Pure Cold. A gigantic swindle was perpetrated in Provo Monday night by which George C. Whitmore, president of the First National Rank at Xephi and a prominuit stock man of southern Utah, was defrauded out of $6,000. A fellow by the name of. Henry Johnson, who professed to be profoundly ignorant ignor-ant and whose appearance naturally bore out th.it lown early that morning enquiring for a man by the name of Whitmore, a stockraiser, saying that lie had been entrusted with an important message from au old acquaintance of this man Whitmore, and that he could deliver it to no other person but him. Ex-Sheriff J. W. Turner, of this city, an old inencf ot .Mr. V hituiore's, was communicated com-municated with and he sent the man Johnson to Xephi to see Whitmore. The man went down and told his tale. He related that the man he came from was a Spaniard; that they were living on the outsorts of Provo,bcing nervous about staying at a hotel with the im mense amount of gold bullion they had ; their possession; that they had covered a valuable gold mine in Mexico and had reduced the precious metal into bricks. What they wanted was to place these gold bricks with the bank and sell them to the mint, in consideration for which services Whitmore Whit-more was to receive a handsome commission. com-mission. That afternoon Whitmore came up with Johnson from Xephi, a rid that night accompanied by J. W. Turner went down to the camp of this old acquaintance. On arriving at the camp Whitmore was introduced by Johnson to the Mexican who gave his name as Da Nacha Xaha. Two mild bricks and a drill were produced. j.o have them tested. An -arrangement was entered into that if the bars proved to be as represented that he would give them 50,000 in part payment. pay-ment. Reaching Provo, Whitmore and Turner went to Mr. Peck, the jeweler, and had him put the drillings to the test. Sure enough it was gold, and yesterday morn ing early Whitmore Whit-more went to the residence of Cashier Dusenberry, of the First National Bank, and told him he wanted $0,000 m currency. No explanations were made. The money desired was handed over, and down to the abiding place of these two men went Whitmore and Turner. The money was turned over and the gula bricks given up Reaching Reach-ing town the precious freight was placed in the National Bank. Colonel Moore, of the U., N. & C, looked at them and took a few fillings from them which he placed in acid. Alas! The gold bricks were nothing more than copper. The news was soon carried to Whitmore and scouts sent out everywhere every-where on the trail of the men. The bricks are about four inches square and sixteen inches long, weighing thirty-six and thirty-eight pounds respectively. re-spectively. Were they the good stuff represented, thev would fetch about $24,000. They haye a clear ring, which of itself ought to dispel any thought of them being gold. The news was soon carried to Whitmore, Whit-more, says this morning's Tribune, and his feelings can better be imagined than described. Soon the whole town of Provo knew that the astute banker had been victimized and a search of the town and county was made by a posse of officers, who were stimulated in their search by promises of a liberal reward in the event of success. Whitmore and officer Hills of the Provo. force finally concluded to come to Salt Lake and boarded the train. In a seat ahead of them sat a well-built well-built man, whose complexion was of dark olive tint, and whoso manner was familiar to Whitmore. It was the "Spaniard" of the scheme. Riding their time, they waited , until the train was three-quarters of a mile of the city, when they made known i their identity and placed the sharper under an est. lie was taken posthaste post-haste to to the county jail and locked up, the officials meanwhile observing the utmost secrecy. It was learned, j however, that 8&00 in currency and irold v. as fo'uid upon the prisoner, and it. is .resumed other eliminating evidence. evi-dence. The Spaniard" is well known in this city, it is said, but all efforts to learn his name were fruitless. The other man was so accurately d-s d-s iiln u l y Whitmore that the officers experierced no difficulty in learning ! that !.ewas;ll Atkins, who, as a con-tld; con-tld; i!( c Jiiao and ah.ii -per, is said to ih:i.e iio Ml.,f lioi i; ti.H count i. H ji.-, rtvtj u on tlu fct: et ts, a; though i bi.Urv Kii'i-v ins re.l character. 'e ' pas a '"Cist benign expression wlpcl! is lightened by a venerable gray beard and mustache. He has the appearance appear-ance of a preacher, and being well educated, has plied bis calling with the most signal success, as none of his yictims, so far as known, have "squealed" when robbed. He was seen j on Main street yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock, the very mold of fashion, fash-ion, by the very officers who are now searching the country for him. His confederates in this city were active and were among the first to learn that Whitmore was on his trail. ' Last evening about 8 o'clock a buggy load of his associates drove up Main street and took the road for the Hot Springs, At JO o'clock the same buggy, driven by V boy, returned, and the officers were informed that Atkins had sent the buggy back from the Hot Springs, where he was waiting for the east-bound train. A posse hea'ded by Whitmore usd Sheriff Burt was immediately imme-diately sent there, but at 1 o'clock this morning word was received by telephone tele-phone that the officers had been duped I and the search abandoned. How Atkins managed" to arrive in this city in advance of his confederate is explained by the fiiet that he drove in a bugsy from Provo to Lehi, and at that point boarded the train for this city, arriving here shortly afte- o'clock in the afternoon. Fortunately for Whitmore, Atkins, who has a number of aliases, is re ported to have property valued at 815,-000 815,-000 m Ogde'n, and an effort will be made, to attach it to-day. |