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Bunko Trial Cast of Characters.

 

The Underworld - The Law - Ordinary Citizens

The Underworld

Below is a list of persons who were involved in the Million-Dollar Bunco Trial of 1923, Colorado's longest and most expensive trial to that time.  It pitted Philip Van Cise, district attorney of Denver, against Lou Blonger and a gang of confidence men who had swindled summer tourists for many years without fear of arrest.

We are interested in hearing from anyone who has information about, or is seeking information on, any of the persons on this list. 

Here's how to contact us.

Photo

Name

Nicknames; Criminal Aliases; and Pseudonyms used by Van Cise in FTU

Other Information

THE UNDERWORLD

FIXER

Louis H. (Lou) Blonger

 

(A)(C), head of the bunco ring; paid off police and other officials so that his gang remained free from prosecution in Denver; died in prison Apr. 20, 1924

MANAGER

Adolph W. Duff

"Kid" Duff

(A)(C), in charge of day-to-day operations; hired and fired con men; rented and outfitted properties; committed suicide soon after release from prison (p. 347)

BOOKMAKERS

John Homer (Jackie) French

"Dapper Jackie"

(A) in Estes Park; reportedly involved with wife of Charles A. Stoneham, owner of New York Giants; tried to set up Van Cise in a compromising situation (p. 309-11); (C), died in Cincinnati in 1935 (p. 349)

George Leonard (Len) Reamey

J. K. Ross
Sprague C. Foster
A. B. Zachery
Les Randle (in FTU)

(A), bookmaker who worked on Norfleet in the final con; turned state's evidence, testified Mar. 8-9-12-13, 1923; remained straight (p. 350); became a successful businessman in his native Arkansas

Harry D. White

Sam Barnett
Harry Whitting
H. O. Lasker
Harry Whitney

(A), called the "crown prince of the bunco men" (DP Aug 27, 1922) and wanted in Florida for $60,000 swindle, sent to Florida for prosecution (p. 346+)

TAILER

George Belcher

"Tip"
George S. Dover

(C) provided "protection" for the cash-laden victim as he made his way to the fake exchange

SPIELERS

Arthur B. Cooper

"Artie"
P. J. Miller

(A)(C), identified by more witnesses than any defendant, spieler who worked on Norfleet in the final con

J. Roy Farrell

 

(A), sent to Califonia for prosecution, released on fake bond and escaped

George Walker

George Kelley
Leo Kelley

(A)(C)

STEERERS

John Allison

Charles E. Smith
"Denver Ed Smith"

(A)(C)

G. C. Bailey

Charles V. Wilson

(A)(C), from Toledo, Ohio

Thomas Beech

Riley W. Wilson
H. D. Rhoades
Frank Woodward
Louis Yancey
Charles Sootes
Charles Clark

(A)(C), from St. Louis

 

Thomas Joseph Brady

Tom Hogan

(A), jumped bond

Walter Byland

William Boland
Frank Thomas
"Sox"

(A)(C), offered to plead guilty Sept. 1, 1922. from Texas

Roy Coyne

Grover Gaffney (perhaps his real name)
T.J. Eric
"Slim Blacky"

(A), jumped bond, (S)

William Dougherty

Dockerty
"General Del"

(A)(C)

Leon Felix

R. C. Davis
Robert B. Davis

(A)(C), steerer who picked up Norfleet in the final con

John H. Foster

William Elmer Mead
"The Christ Kid"

(A)(C)

John J. Grady

"The Perfume Kid"
"Mole"

(A), asked for permission to leave jail to play baseball in the park (DP 8/30/22), jumped bond, arrested in Peoria March 30, 1923, (S)

 

Jack Hardaway

"Pappy"

(A)(C), injured in fight on eve of trial; Duff viewed him as a charity case (p. 231); afraid of being only man acquitted (p. 348); died happy in prison

 

Emory S. King

John D. Ray
Miller
Jackson

(A), jumped bond, (S), later send to prison (p. 346+)

Robert Knowles

Robert Nash
"Big Nose"

(A), jumped bond, (S)

 

William H. Loftus

Edward James Loftus
Sam Bradford

(S) — was he arrested or not?

Puss McCaskey

"Puss"
J. D. Barry

(A), turned loose by mistake when he claimed he was a Louisiana farmer looking for a dentist (p. 206-07)

Louis Mushnick

Joe Stone
"Thick Lips"

(A)(C)

Stephen J. Olson

"Red"

(A)(C)

Audley H. Potts

John Fox
Charles Zeller
Albert H. Martin
Albert A. Brown
Jack Hendricks
Martin Norris
John O. Norris (photo in DP 8/25/22)

(A)(C)

Jack Ryan

"Fat"

(A), from Minot, N.D.

Ralph S. Sadler

"Sissy"

(A), sent to Florida for prosecution
 

W. L. Straub

Edward P. Schultz

(A)(C), from Knoxville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky.

 

James R. Smith

"Sandy"
"Smithy the Bear"

(A), jumped bond

George Williams

Grow Sullivan
Grover Sullivan

(A)(C), from Santa Monica, Calif., declared insane at sentencing, sent to asylum (p. 346+)

George Henry Williams

"Bump"
Jim Campbell

(A)(C), in Denver only 2 days before his arrest

 

Ray Yeaman

Frank Yeaman
"The Blind Man"
(A)

OTHER CONS who escaped the raids

  James H. Allen C. H. Allen
Red Brue
(S)
 

G. L. Arnold

John Richards

arrested in Chicago; victim C.E. Henson could not identify him; charge dropped at end of trial

 

Robert F. Ballard

 "Dining Car Bob" (S)
  John J. Egleston William Hagin
John West
(S), from Worcester, Mass. (p. 29)
  George Ferry "Mile-a-Minute" (S)
Fred Gerlach Fred W. Goodrich
Fred Goodwin
"Diamond Frank"
(S), from Tacoma, Wash. (p. 29); the only member of the Blonger gang ever to serve time in the penitentiary prior to 1923 (p. 100)
 

H. C. Hathaway

 

alleged accomplice of French in swindling Kanavuts

  Martin Jacobson C. P. Anderson
Harry Martin
(S)
 

David J. Kingsley

George Kennedy (S)
  Charles McCord Chester Mathews (S)
  John McDonald "Palo Alto" (S)
  Joe Nelson "Slim" (S)
  Joe Perich   (S)

John Scott

L. H. Stanley arrested in St. Joseph, Mo. Jan 31, 1923; alleged accomplice of French in swindling Kanavuts; (S)

William Sturns

"The Painter Kid"

hunted by gang (DP 9/3/22), who believed he was the informant who sent letters to Van Cise (p. 58)

  C. C. Watkins Jim Watkins (S)

OFFICE STAFF

  Charlie James  

office man (p. 116)

WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS

 

Nola (Cora) Blonger

 

Blonger's estranged wife

 

Iola Readon 
(Blanche Readon)

Berna Rames (in FTU)
Blanche Bush 
Blanche Blonger

Blonger's mistress

Buda Godman

Helen Strong French's girlfriend, badger game artist; reportedly involved with Charles A. Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants (p. 167, 218)

FRIENDS

  "Red" Gallagher

 

well known in Denver sport circles, posted bond for Blonger (RMN 8/26/22)

DEFENSE ATTORNEYS

 

Horace N. Hawkins

 

 

 

W. A. Bryans

 

engaged in fistfight with Van Cise at preliminary hearing, attempted same with Samson as jury was sworn

 

Thomas Ward, Jr.

 

Lou Blonger's personal attorney; Sam Blonger's attorney as well; former U.S. District Attorney

 

Howard L. Honan

 

Lou Blonger's attorney at sentencing

 

John T. Bottom

 

 

 

Samuel D. Crump

 

called Van Cise a "tin soldier" during opening arguments

 

Philip Hornbein

 

French's attorney

 

Mike Waldron

 

frequent dissenter among the defense lawyers

  Charles T. Mahoney   appeared for John J. Grady (DP 9/11/22)
  Sol Larke   tried to pay off Freeman for Felix (p. 304)
  Charles Rink   paid off Tilton and Cobbs for French and Byland (p. 305-06)

NOTES:

FTU stands for Fighting the Underworld, by Philip Van Cise, 1936.  Page numbers refer to the book.  If you're interested in reading up on the case, you can find Fighting the Underworld in many libraries or in the used book section of Amazon.com.

DP stands for The Denver Post.  Dates indicate which issue.

(A) indicates the person was arrested in the raids conducted on August 24-25, 1922.
(C) indicates the person was convicted on March 28, 1923.
(S) indicates the person was sought by District Attorney Van Cise in new campaign announced April 18, 1923. 

 

Rule

 


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