Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1884 — A GOLD BRICK. [ARTICLE]

A GOLD BRICK.

The Part It Played ia a Clever Swindling Operation at Baltimore. ( A Wholesale Swindling Game Played by a Sharper in St. PaoL Swindled Ont of 15,600. [Baltimore Telegram.]

Marcello Triaca, a well-to-do Italian restaurateur of this city, has iust been victimized out of $5,600 by one of the cleverest swindling games ever practiced in Baltimore. The rogues have escaped, and detectives have started West after them, thinking they have gone in that direction. Triaca about two months ago became acquainted with a stout Italian who came here from California. Two weeks ago he left Baltimore to return to California. Last Monday he came back, said he was going to bring his family , here, and got Triaca to go with him to a bank, where he deposited $1,500. Now comes .the curious part of the swindle. Triaca and his friend went out to look for a house. While on their travels they met another Italian, who carried a well-filled satchel, which, when -opened, seemed to be full of money. The man appeared to be demented, and became very communicative, in a crazy, disjointed style of talking. He told them that he had come from Colorado, where he and a brother had been making heaps of money for years. The brother was dead, and had left all his money to the crank, who had it all, amounting to about $40,000, in hiß satchel. He was on his way to Chicago, where lie had a 6ister living. He tossed his money about, handling the bars of gold and packages of S2O gold pieces very carelessly. The big Italian whispered to Triaca it would only be a friendly act to take this crazy fellow-countryman home and keep him from losing or being robbed of all that wealth. The suggestion was acted upon. The big' man suggested that it would inspire confidence in them on the crank’s part if they showed him they had plenty of money, and he would the more easily allow his money to be taken care of. Acting on this hint, Triaca went to several banks in which he Jaad amounts and drew out in all $5,600, the big Italian also drawing out his $1,500 deposit. Then the crank said he must go at once to Chicago. They started for Claries Street Depot to see him off. But his money was an incumbrance, he said, and if his new-found friends would only take it, put the money with theirs, and keep it for him he would be much obliged. Upon this the big Italia* handed the crank his roll of bills, Triaca following suit, and the crank stuffed the money in his satchel as carelessly as if it were old papers. He handed the satchel, bursting with all this money, to his friend* but in a moment took it back and got S2OO in notes, saying that would serve him till his return from Chicago. Triaca hurried away to put the Batchel in a place of safety. At home he opened it, to find nothing but worthless paper and bars of iron a foot long rolled tightly in paper, at the ends of which the sly cheat had put one or two S2O goldpieces. He had by some sleight-of-hand taken every dollar of tho money out, either when he pretended to 6tuff Tnaca’s in the satchel or when he got out the S2OO for traveling expenses.

Swindling by the Wholesale, [St. Panl Dispatch.] This city was never confidenced as it was yesterday and to-day. About noon Tuesday a smooth-looking man, about 25 or 26 years of age, entered the jewelry store of C. C. Berg, at Third and Cedar streets, and presented a card purporting to belong to the firm of John James & Co., iron and brass founders and machinists, LaCrosse, Wis. He gave his name as Wilber H. Jones, and at once bought .some diamonds, amounting in all to about $225. In payment for these he presented a check on the LaCrosse firm, and was given $75 in change. About 2p. m. the same man went into the jewelry establishment of Myers & Finch, on Bridge Square, and bought a bill of goods, giving in payment another check. Myers & Finch lost $1,055. He made a call on Glenny & Gilman later, and purchased S2OO worth of goods, tendering a check for S4OO, in return for which Mr. Gilman gave a check for S2OO. The man had been in correspondence with several parties, notably Myers & Finch, for some time, and had written hio communications on the engraved letter-heads of the firm, with his own name at the top, between those of the members of the firm. Dyer & Howard are out $250. The Case Livingston was victimized out of SIOO. Ransom & Horton, hatters, were also downed. Duncan & Barry lost two suits of clothes. Palmer, the tailor, got caught for three suits of clothes. Emil Gerst lost $3,000 worth of diamonds. Ed Brown, & Third street jeweler, lost some djamonds, an d described the operator as being five feet ten inches in height, of dark complexion, bristly black moustache, with a peculiar motion of the jaw. It is impossible to ascertain who have been bitten. To do so one would have to take Wabasha street and Third street on both sides for their entire length. The swindler’s operations almost caused a panic.