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Show EFFORT TO FLEECE PROSPEROUS TEXJH Police Arrest Alleged Fake Horse Race Man of Gentlemanly Gen-tlemanly Appearance. HE WAS CONSIDERATE Took Friends to Lunch and Showed Them How to Get Money. Wlith the arrest of one man and the seizure of furniture in two rooms in the Brooks Arcade building. Third South and State streets, what the police claim was a perfected plan to fleece a visitor from Texas out of $5000 was nipped in the bud last night. H. F. Banknight, a wealthy drv goods merchant of Goree. Texas, was the intended in-tended victim of the swindle, say the police. po-lice. The timeworn fake hoise race game was used. Following the arrest of one of the alleged bunco men, who gave his name as Charles H. Williams. Bauknight accompanied detectives to the Brooks Arcade where, in rooms 309 and 310, the Texan declared, he had, upon information furnished him by two newly made acquaintances, ac-quaintances, won more than $3000 betting bet-ting on the races during the past two days. Williams was arrested by Detectives H. D. Huntsman and M. Fitzgerald. Besides the furniture taken from the two rooms In the Brooks Arccade, detectives de-tectives seized two suitcases, the contents con-tents of which they declined to divulge. Williams was held incommunicado last night, while officers searched for another man, believed to be a parti ter of the prisoner1. Meets Amiable Stranger. Bauknight told the following story to the police: I had been to the Pacific coast, and was looking about for a healthful city in which to locate, as I have been poorly for some time. Standing on Main street last Friday morning, I was approached by a well-dressed man who engaged me In conversation. He said he was also a stranger In the city. We walked , around, sightseeing, sight-seeing, and up by the Brig ham Young monument he suddenly stopped, asking ask-ing me to wait a mtnute as he saw a man crossing the street whom he knew. He approached the man and together to-gether the pair returned to where I was standing. My newly-made friend, who said ins name was Williams, was insisting to the other man tliat he had seen him win $6,000 on a horse race in Los Angeles, and at first the stranger denied it. Then finally he admitted his identity, and taking us for detectives, offered us a roll of money to turn him loose. Well, we all had a good laugh over the mistake, then the stranger took us to lunch. He was an awfully nice fellow and seemed to take a liking to us, so he said that he was going to show us how to make some easy money. He took us to a room in a building down the street, where he bet a dollar and won five. Then he handed me $100 to bet for him. and with that he won $3000. So, on his advice, I bet $100, and I also won $3000, so they told me. but my friends advise'd me not to draw down the money, but to leave it up for a big "killing" on the next race. I saw how easy It was, so decided to get a lot of money from my home bank and get rich. I intended going back to Texas to arrange for the money, but they showed me how it could be handled with drafts and notes on the bank. I was in the telegraph office sending a wire to my wife to have her arrange to send the money here when the officers arrested my friend. Still Unconvinced. It all seems very strange, and I think the police have made a mistake, for this man certainly appears to be a gentleman, and I cannot believe that he would do anything crooked. He was stopping at the Hotel Utah, he said, but after we became friends lie moved to my hotel, the Linden. Well, sir, he wasn't a bit proud ; came down there and shared my room with me. He certainly is a nice gentleman, gentle-man, and I fear that the police are making a grave mistake. However, the police are holding Williams, Wil-liams, while Bauknight has decided to remain here until matters are cleared up. George White, a business section watchman, watch-man, had shadowed Bauknight and his companion to the telegraph office, following fol-lowing information which he received from a man employed in an automobile supply house on Exchange place. The man had informed White that he had overheard a conversation between Williams and another man, in which they were "framing" to get $5000 from the man from Texas. Bauknight declares that if the police convince him that he was up against a crooked game, he will remain here and prosecute his "friends." |