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Show CONFIDENCE I IN CAUGHT Cleverest Swindler in the World Is Trapped by Government Officers Chicago, SepL 12. S. A. Potior, alias George W. Post, said by federal officials to be one of the best known gold brick and green goods confidence men In tho world, wns arrested today by C. F. DeWoody, division superintendent superin-tendent of the department of Justice, on a charge of operating a confidence game. Potter and two companions, for whom federal officials aro Bearohing. aro said to havo netted $1, 500,000 In tho past few years by tho operation of their schemes. Potter offered a cash bond of ?50, 000 for his release, but the federal au thorltles declared that nothing less than a cash bond of $150,000 would bo accepted. A year ago It Is said that Potter and Edward otarklolf offered a $130,-000 $130,-000 bond In the United States court at, Philadelphia. Potter was arrested at home on the South Side where he was said to have lived for several months. By sending out literature offering to sell paper hills printed from forms alleged to havo been stolen from the United States mint at Philadelphia, at a discount of fifty per cent, they swindled credulous Investors out of largo sums, according to Supt. DeWoody. De-Woody. Tho band of swindlers also operated In "salted" gold mines, according to federal officials. PoUei mado fits headquarters in cither Cliicago br some other large city; his companions went to London, Berlin and other foreign for-eign cities to interest wealthy men In the gold mines swindle. The men are sala to have operatod In nearly every largo city In the world during tho last ten years. After leaving Philadelphia in 1010, the alleged swindlers flooded Wisconsin Wiscon-sin with "green goods" lltorature, which was shipped from Chicago to New Orleans, where It was mailed. Potter ana Starkjoff are under Indictment In-dictment In Chicago' for Illegally ub-Ing ub-Ing the malls fo defraud ajid for operating op-erating a confidence game AnJndlct-ment AnJndlct-ment also Is pending against thoin In the federal court In New York. Supt DeWoody sa(d "Pqtter Is the cleverest confidence man In the world In my opinion. Ho and his companions have obtained ?1,-500,000 ?1,-500,000 in a fo- yoara by means of the "green goods," salted gold mines and gold brick swindles. A certain percentage of their earnings was put aside for uro In getting the members out qf trouble In case of an arrest and, as a result, they always havo a large amount of cash for Immediate use ' After the. arrest, Supt DeWoody remained in tbe luxuriously furnished apartment occupied by Potter and his wife for several hours In tho hope of capturing Potter's companions. Tho telephone rang onco, but when Supt. DeWoody answored, the man at the other end of tho line became suspicious suspici-ous and hung up tho receiver Potter and Starkloff have operatod In nearly every largo city in the world under numerous aliases, according accord-ing to Mr. DeWoody. |