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Show NE MILLION DOLLARS squcozed from business mon of unqucstlonablo standing by means ot fraud methods, tho Btrlngs of which wero pulled from every big city of tho United States; probably probab-ly several millions more tnkon from contributors whoso timidity prevented them from coming forth to testify .at tho Council Bluffs, In., trial. That, as far as Is known, Is tho fruits of ono of tho most thoroughly equipped swindling organizations which. tho United Uni-ted Suites over knew. Tho Bwlndlors, captured recently west of tho Mississippi rlvor, wero brought to book and tho whole Btory camo out at tho Jury Investigation which returned Indictments In-dictments and In tho developments which followed subsequently. subse-quently. Kstnbllshed In ob hnndsomo n sulto of offices as J.l'lerpont wan that of tho m- Joi l-ep I i IMF 1 If W 91 nocent "sheep" nnd iSnZ-riittr VI UlWJ --"r-flJ l 1 W tho lutler was fleeced itrffESTLING Y WtW- - - ffitk W. Kfl In duo tlmo. tlflTCfl. (sR!i!h Ai sSK Rvcry game known SWINDLER MD WJSSm Hl lo tho underworld b SWINDLED jfwSff- was theirs nnd now ShlMiriQ HflNDZl ffyC jiRMRfijH every month. Thoy had u perfect book- 'SSSS.A keeping systom; they employed agents ; In every part of tho country, theso yl , i ngents paying roynltlcs for tho' uso of cer- '.y . tain swindles, thoy 'traveled In palnco cars T',- und established a clipping bureau for tho pur- V ' poso of manufacturing printed news Items tmmmm about themselves. Agents were numbered, "Mikes woro numbered nnd tho games they used wero ulso known nnd used In numerical ordor. Tho head of tho "fraud trust," when nrrcsted, wnB residing In a pnlntial residence In tho south with his wlfo und a cortege of servants .about him. The swindles and tho manner in which thoy wero pulled off showed Ingenuity worthy of a hotter cause. Thoro was no haphazard work In tho operations opera-tions of tho syndlcnto. It wuh a most careful y managed organization. Its ramifications covcrod tho wholo country. A code book with n red covor a sort of "Who's Who In Grafting" Graft-ing" found ln tho lender's possession, contained con-tained tho .names and addresses of 30G of the syndicate's willing workors, ngonts or Bteorcrs In all tho principal cities of tho country. Every ono of theso ngonta had attached to his numo a nunibor. It was his duty to got up jobs or "plnys," ns tho syndicate books call them. It didn't matter what tho gamo, If tho agent carried car-ried It through t,o bucccsb ho got u percontngo of tho recclptB. Theso agents wero not thugs or pluguglloa or saloon lonfors. Thoy wero chosen with particular reference to their education, edu-cation, appcaranco, mnnnor of dress, ability to nBsoctato with gentlemen. This fact is shown by moat of tho lottors captured by tho government. govern-ment. For nearly two years tho syndicate had headquarters head-quarters In Now Orleans, later moved to Scat-tie, Scat-tie, thou to Council Dluffs and finally went to Llttlo Rock, Ark. During all this tlmo tho ngcnla wero busy. Wherever an ngent was stationed tho hooks show that tho syndlcnto had n "store," a genteel word to tnko tho placo of plant or "con gnmo." Mon with monoy wero Interested In proposed laud doals. HorBO racing or wrestling woro not niontloned. Nothing Noth-ing was hurried. Sometimes It took monthB to land a victim properly. In ono enso on record tho ngent worked for (wo years nnd at length "tapped" tho "Mlko," ns tho victims nro called, for $37,000. In Bomo Instances tho frnud was bo smoothly handled that tho "Mlko" went back n second tlmo and gnvo up nnothor 5,000 or $10,000 heforo ho learned that It was loaded. Tho syndicate Insured Itself aealnst "squeal ing Mikes" another name for victims who complnln by photographing every cvont. At somo tlmo in tho contest a picture would bo taken, nnd always these pictures contained faces of tho syndicate lcadors and tho victim close together, usually shaking hands. Theso pictures could bo shown to a family if necessary, neces-sary, to prove what father had been doing when ho lost his thousands. Thoy wore very vnlunhlo. Sovorol of them were found. Land propositions wero tho favorlto halt for men with wenlth. Tho sporting event camo In cnsunlly, ns a sldo play such as thoy do-clnred do-clnred any purty ot millionaires might choose to arrange. Tho leader und his companion millionaires mil-lionaires never by any chnnco Induced tho "Mikes" to bet on nn event. Thnt was loft ln tho hands of tho ngonts. Tho case of n wealthy farmer In Illinois, will, perhaps, servo as well as any of tho -100 or more recorded, to show how tho BWlndlo wns worked. Tho farmer wished to buy land nsanlnvestmout. Ono of tho Byndleato'sngontsknow of C.000 ncres that could bu bought for fl.GO an acre, nnd If bought at once, might bo sold Immediately for $7.60 an ncre. Thnt Bounded good. Tho farmer and Ills wlfo accompanied tho ngent to Llttlo Rock to seo tho land. On tho rond down south tho ngent showed supposed nowspnper clippings describing tho westwnrd trip of his principals and .other "rnilllonnlrcs" In a private car. Tho government found n bundlo of theso clippings In tho lender's vnllso. Thoy ovidontly wero mndo ln n Job printing office, but thoy impressed im-pressed tho farmer nnd his wlfo and made thorn feel Important ln being allowed to meet such largo men. Thero was much delay In arranging a trip to boo tho land, Tho owners woro away Bomo-whore Bomo-whore thoy usually woro hard to find hut everything would, soon bo nil right. Tho fnrmor proved, with a draft for $10,000, his financial standing, a requirement nover neglected by tho millionaires, and wero shown every courtesy by tho receiving party. Ho wnu n dally visitor In tho excellently equipped offices In tho Southern South-ern Trust building nnd becamo well acquainted acquaint-ed with tho prlvnto Bocrctnry. Ills wlfo was taken out In tho touring car to Uio beautiful mansion rented whero alio met tho leader's wife, and had a lovelv tlmo. Tho syndicate wnsn't losing los-ing any time. While tho furmor's wife was eating sherbets nnd lady's fingers, tho mnn, his patrlnrchnl whlto board trimmed and brushed as it had not been for years on tho homo placo, was being taken deeply deep-ly Into tho Innermost con-lidonco con-lidonco of tho secretary. This man know that tho farmer would never havo anything to do tfsk MHHk) lln& bout or a HkS ' aBviiiinB t 1,0 8aii thor 5f -l bUBhol of mon- Ay ey on tho tn- bio when tho millionaires quit betting. It Included $10,000 of his money. After this wns finished tho whole party wont to a lonely road a mllo outside tho city near Fourche creek. Thero thoy found tho horses and Jockoys awaiting them. Thoy wero to race to tho foot of a hill about ono-hnlf ono-hnlf mllo away. Tho farmer liked tho appcaranco appcar-anco of tho sorrel mnro on which ho and tho millionaires had bet their money nnd ho was justified, becntiso the sorrel really was a mag-ulflccnt mag-ulflccnt anlmnl. Thoy got away ln good shape, tho Borrel In the lead. Tho other man, tho friend with tho losing horso, was sad. Tho Illinois farmer . throvr his hat ln the air and yelled. Hut ah, ns they say In novels, what's thlB? Something had happened to tho Jockey on tho sorrol ho had fallen suddenly forward ho was off down on tho ground und tho millionaires and tho "friend" wero - running down tho rond toward tho spot. When thoy renched him thoy found his faco covered with blood, It was flowing from his mouth, ho was Injured Internally,, ho was dying. Fright seized everyone Of course tho llllnolsnn didn't know, ho learned only a fow days ago, that tho syndicate JockeyB and wrestlers and boxers always bled much at tho mouth. Ho didn't kuow they carried car-ried llttlo thin rubber sacks filled with blood, or something resembling it, In their mouths; that sometimes they bit tho sack and sometimes some-times burst It against their ears to show how dangerously they havo been injured. Tho millionaires said it mustn't get Into tho papers. Tho farmer's wife said sho wanted to go home. Then sho thought of her husband's $10,000. When they turned to see tho stakeholder, stake-holder, ono Gcorgn Wilson, ho had disappeared. Tho rnilllonnlrcs wero furious. So was tho "frlond" whose horso certainly had won because be-cause of tho accident. l'I am n lumber dealer," said a Minnesota mnn. "I am not 30 years old. 1 used to go up to Minneapolis occasionally and there met nn old ncqualntauco, Louis Stowc, whom I hadn't scon for years. My family had known him for 20 years. His fathor Is nn Episcopal rqc-tor. rqc-tor. I took this fellow to my homo often after I mot him. Ono day ho sold ho had a friend, Frank Myers, nn Instructor ln physical culture-, whoso cousin, Qcorgo Bennett, was private secretary for threo or four millionaires in Pittsburg, Pa. Theso millionaires had developed devel-oped a wrostler, Gorman by uamo, whom thoy would match ogalnBt nnyono. Stowo said tho millionaires would bet any sum. ART-ja'tiL? J persuasion I agreed to go to Omaha "" - match I was duo for a vacation nnywrt Stowo said 1 couldn't Ioro. A certain A, IK Shores wnu to wrestto tho millionaires' mnn, who had ngrerd, Stowo said, to let himself be thrown. I took with mo n chock far $10,0ty0 to mako a showing. Tho millionaires 1 met were this Gordon nnd two others. I told Stowo, ! ' Omaha, that I was 'next' nnd wouldn't bet my monoy, but would bet their money for thc as I'd been nuked lo do. I doposlted my cbeel ' in n bank. During the bolting tlft leader,- I ffKED DEAV1 Oli THE MftT. II f Gordon, naked mo to plnco a bet or $8,004 fff or $10,000 on tho Bldo. I deferred, doing III It, however. Shortly afterward George fl ' Dennett, the prlvnto secretary, told me lUf. that his money, which ho had hoped to 'llll ot ln Omaha to bet on tho match, had ll III nt como and that It. might bo declared I UK off if I wouldn't help. Stowo nnd Myers I II and Shores, tho wrestler, wept nnd plead-'(I plead-'(I cd with mo to "help them by putting up V ' tho atnkcs thoy needed. Finally I consent cd. Tho monoy was to bo merely-an ad- . ,l vanco, I got tho $10,000 at the bank and gave it to Stowo to hold, as he wns tle only man I knew well or thought I did. He gnvo mo this receipt: Ilrrtlved of ...10, which Is nut to tu bet or huxixrdcd In any manner. (Signed) LOUIS STOWK. "Tho wrestling began promptly'. Our man, Shores, got tho first fall. Ha was to got tho second, too, because tho mil-llonnlrc's mil-llonnlrc's mnn, Gorman had agreed to give up. Hut In the second bout Shores fclL nnd apparently bursting a blood vessel, gavo overy evidence of dying In great "Evcryono was greatly excited, Gor- don wept because ot tho disgrace Attach- ing to his family ln having him present nt Btich a death. In tho midst of the ex-?n ex-?n cltcmcnt, lleunclt, the private secretary, rushed up and whispered that he was ruined. Ho hod bet his employers' rao - cy the stakes he held for thorn art must now escape to Canada. I was has-tied has-tied out ot tho building on the plea that I. was BHJ a guest und must be protected. One of the mil-llonnlres mil-llonnlres rcmnlncd with tho supposed corpse "Stawe professed to be ruined. I lent bin enough money to got out Of 'town, He Bald be t was sick, so I gavo him my overcoat. They nil got away. I was glad to get out of town nnd Into my own state. I never saw any ot them again until now In tho Llttlo Rock- jail. Stowo never has been caught nor has my H $10,000." It Is Interesting thnt the case which resulted ultimately In tho arrest of tho swindlers, arose out of another friendship of sovernl years' standing. This was tho Sutor case. Mr. Sutor Ba la known to many porsonB in Kansas City who havo spent tho summers at his resort, Cass BBb Lake, Minn, Ho had known ono Uarnoy Mar- BBJ tin for years, ho snld, nnd liked him. Ho know HBb him bo well nnd liked him so well that he never -aVsl supposed ho would defraud1 him. When Barney- 5 y 'H gavo him a "tip" on a supposed good thiiig' MK BhJ Sutor saw no valid reason for turning ft down any more thnn ho would nt a track with every Ba day races. Four or five horses were to run la a rnco at Council Dluffs this was ln August, BBb laBt and Mr. Sutor decided to go over with Harney and put down a bet. He did. He bat HBh to borrow $4,000 to make up the $5,000 needed. Dut it was a Bure thing, Darney said, and Bar- BV nuy certainly knew. Of courso Mr. 8 u tor's "suro thing thing" fell in tho stretch or the Jockey fell oft and "bled" and scared every- BB ono away as usual. BBb Mr. Sutor thought It over at homo and do- BftB elded to get busy. Dy the tlino lie had so do- BBb elded all tho "millionaires" had fled from BBb Council Dluffs, Uarnoy with them. Dut the BBV government wns in It now. Darney had writ- BBB ten a letter helping Sutor to borrow tho $4,006 BBB and so had used the malls to defraud. The fed- H cral officers got busy nt onco. Decoy. letters were sent out by tho postal inspector In Conn- BBV ell Dluffs, J. S. Swcnson, nnd tho syndicate, bo adroit in fooling others, swallowed the bait BBsl BBB In the closing days there came Inspector BBBJ Swcnson. In a few hours ho had enlisted Shcr- .BBB iff D. L. Roberts, Deputy J. J, Hawkins, Du-rand Du-rand Whlpplo, tho six-foot son nnd law partner ot W. G, Whlpplo, United States district at- BBB tornoy. Warrants were issued. Rovolvora were BBB examined and tested. Tho trap wns ready. BH What warning tho syndicate had may nover bu known, but it Is truo that when tho officers ap- BBB pronched tho mansion tho syndicate wna Just getting ready to leave, Tho leaders woro in tho touring car with their valises. Thoy knew H Instantly that they wero ln for it. They sprang iBBB from tho car. BBB "Hands up quick!" was Inspector Swen- .BAVJ son's crisp demand and up went two pairs of handH. Ono man's wore elevated only to bis waist, Whlpplo didn't like that. Ho searched tho leader, but finding no wohpons was about .BBB to step back when a thought camo to htm, that may have saved Ills life. Ho seized hla hands flBB and pushed them up high. Then ho lifted the- man's vest, and thcro ln tho trousers band, 'H was a revolver. It had been within a few BBBJ Inches of his fingers all tho time. jBBBJ Tho syndlcnto books wero very carefully kopt. A large envelope labeled and bearing flYfll tho namo ot tho victim, tho mimbors ot the Vfll streets and tho amount was kopt for each ease. BBBJ Thcro woro 100 or, more ot these envelopes. Each contained tho minutes of every meeting BVB with tho "Mlko," bhowed who wan present and how tho mouoy was handled and also tho orlgi- BVH ual agreements signed by tho "Mlko" nnd the ,BBV 'Byndtcato members. Tills was necessary, not- BBBJ withstanding Its danger In case of' arrest, be- flVfll cause of tho extensive operations conducted. In such affairs thero could bo no arguments or Ola- flBB VswBbVbb |