Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1919 — VICTIM OF $10,000 SWINDLE [ARTICLE]

VICTIM OF $10,000 SWINDLE

JOHN KOSTER SAID TO HAVE BEEN VICTIM OF FAKE PRIZE FIGHT Marion Jacks, of Monon, a proprietor of a soft drink establishment, is being held in the Marion county jail to await trial, and is said to be one of the promoters of an alleged fake prize fight which was pulled off in Logansport March 30, 1918, and in which John Koster, aged 60, a prominent Francesville merchant lost *IO,OOO. Jacks was arrested at Goodland late Monday night and taken to Logansport where he was held in $lO,000 bond on a charge of grand larceny. About ths .same time U. S. Marshal Charles E. Wicker, of Indianapolis arrived there and placed Jaclb under arrest on a charge of using the mails to defraud. Koster went there and indentified Jasks as one of the men who was in the city at the time the fake fight was given. Koster, who was formerly a member of the county commissioners in Pulsaki county, says he went to Logansport in March, 1918, at the instigation of the promoters who dined and feted him at the Barnett hotel several days before the alleged fake fight occurred. On the morning of March 29th Koster went to the First National bank there where he had previously arranged to place a deposit and wrote a check for SIO,OOO making it payable to himself. After securing the money in cash he returned to tW Barnett hotel, it is claimed and there wagered it on the prize fight which was to be given. The money was placed in the hands of a stake holder and the parties went to a building within a block of the police headquarters where the fight was held. Entering this room Koster found two men stripped for action in a ring. After sparring around for a time one of the fighters was hit a blow that sent him to the floor where he lay motionless. His seconds rushed to his side and tried to revive him, but without avail. Then one of the seconds stepped back and dramatically cried: “For God’s sake, the man is dead. Get our of here before the police arrive.” Then there was a mad scrable for the door by the spectators to get away. Koster went immediately to the interurban station and took a car to Lafayette, where it is claimed he was to meet the man with whom he had wagered and his stakeholder and where it was promised that his money would be paid back to him. Since that time he has, assisted by local and federal officials been on the still hunt for the men. . Jacks, according to the authorities at Logonsport, admits bis guilt. He pointed out the building in Third street in that city, owned by Mart Elliot, city treasurer, as the place where the fake fight was staged. Seated on a chair in the office of attorney A. G. Jenkins, council for Koster, Jacks talked of his part in the affair: According to Koster the victim of the fight says he was induced to come to this city by Jacks, whom he had known for some time. It was' fibsrt represented to Koster that he was to be given an opportunity to purchase some western land at a remarkably low figure. His $lO,000 would purchase land that could be turned at once for $50,000 to $60,000. Koster arranged to raise the sum. He* was then told that the man who had the land for sale was about to withdraw his offer and was going to Chicago. To hold v him here until the deal could be consummated the fake fight was arranged. The Western land owner was represented as a sport and interested in contests, Koster wagering SIO,OOO and placing the uioney in the hand of a stakeholder. Koster says in the afternoon he was accompanied to an upper room in Third street. Seats were arranged about the room an d the “squared” circle at one end of the room, and they then witnessed the fight. The next day an examination Of the building disclosed a dead chicken in an .adjoining room. It is the supposition that the chicken was bled to secure the blood which the “dead” man used to make his fake appear real. After Jacks was taken to Logansport he was arrainged in the Cass circuit court on the charge of grand larceny. He waived preliminary hearing and was bound over to the action of the grand jury under a SIO,OOO bond. Yesterday morning he was taken before United States Commissioners Paul Souder. He waived preliminary hearing- before the commissioner and was bound over to the action of the Federal grand jury under a SIO,OO bond on the charge of using the mails to defraud. Immediately afterward he was taken in charge by Deputy United States Marshal Charles E. Wicker, of Indianapolis and is now lodged in the Marion county jail to await trial.