Judge Bennett, Silver City merchant and victim of babbit metal scam
In Silver City, Judge Bennett ran a mercantile business and advertised that he would purchase gold and silver bullion, retort, and amalgam [1]. “Arrastra” Johnson offered him babbit metal as silver retort; Bennett, paying about $1 per ounce for clean retort, insisted the metal be cleaned first [1][2]. Johnson demurred, claiming a partner would not allow tampering, and agreed to 75 cents per ounce for the nearly worthless metal [1][2]. Bennett paid him, and the bullion was shipped to New York, where it was found to be worthless [1][2]. Johnson left chuckling at having “worked the judge” [1].
Sources
- Capt… (1888)Capt. A. J. Hulburt remarked to N. Bell, both of whom are among the oldest timers there, “That was a pretty sharp trick, that ‘Arrastra’ Johnson worked on Judge Bennett years ago in Silver City.” “Yes, it was…
- “You see that limb,” said Mr… (1888) ↗ · detailsk off his babbit metail as silver retort, and ap- proaching the judge, offered it to him. It did not look exactly right, and the judge, who was paying about $1 per ounce for good clean re- tort, informed …