Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-10-24
WEEKLY JOURNAL

LO CAL DEPART EMIT.

THE WIND '-LaSt evening q man VINO gave HE
name rs Isaac L. Case arrested in this city on
charge of obtaining money under false pretences,
and in def aut Of bail fixed at one thousand dollars
wascommitted to jill for further trial on the 9th
of next month. 1t appears that some two weeks
,co h. rented box at the post office for ''Ho chkss
& Seymour" nnt having mailed in one day up
wards of lt0 letters, the suspicious of Post master
Mccormick aroused. Last Saturday letters
commenced arriving quite numerousy for this firm
and during the week about thirty letters were re-
ceived. In the meantime, however, Mr.. Nc''ormck
received several letters Of inquiry concerning Messrs
Hoichkiss L Seymour, of which contained the
70 flowing cory Of letter received by the writer
Mu.catine, Oct. 9. 1857.
JAxEsQ. DUNNISG. ESQ.,,
Gosport, Ind.
DIR. SIR:
We write to inform you
that Mr.. James johnson, who lived near this ty,
died short time since. Before his death he sent Tor
us and executed some papers conveying to you !oo
acres of land in Clinton county, Ind, wnieh Win
sealed package in reference 20 his private aha'rs
he wished US send to you if he died. Please al,
rect how shall send them. You Will remit WV
fee.
Very respectfully yours,
HOTCHkISS i SEYMOUR.
Mr.. Dunu'ng incloscd So in his letter, instruct
ing the Postmas to deliver the money to M essrs.
Hotchkiss Seymour, if they were responsible men,
with directions to forward the package to his adj
dress. Here the plot was Enthusiastically divuiged'
and Mr. Mccormick at once took all the letters from
the box and placed them in a secure place
Two of them being registered letters he LEFT no
tiee in the box las is the custom for the parties 10
whom they were addressed to call and get them.
This notice taken out yesterday morning, I'M
observed by any one in the office, but Messrs. Hoteh-
kiss Seymour did not see f, to call.
Two three decoy letters were then put in the box,
one of which contained notice from Mr.. JOY, cx-
press agent, to the effect that package containing
i've dollars in money awaiting the order Of
Hotchkiss 4 Seymour At about six O'Clock these
were taken out also, and Mr.. Mccormick observing
the fact, called Fred. Brockage, of his assist
ants of whom tn. box had been rented to see wheh-
er the who had just opened the box was the one
who rented it.. Frei. at once recognized him
whereupon Mr.. Mccormick followed him and re-
ouested his presence in his Office few minutes on
important business. To this he readily complied,
and gave up the letters he had taken out, but upon
the postmaster informing him Of his suspicious he
denied any knowledge of Hotchkiss & Seymour, ex-
cep that the latter had requested him to 60 to the
post office to get his letters and then at the fer.
ry landing awaiting his return. He stated that he
had resided at Rock Island the past IS months, was
engaged in the daguerrean business, and mentioned
the following some of his acqusintances in that
city: Hines Clippenger, druggists; Wm l.. Lee
cashier R. I. Bank Carter & Hatch and Child X
Baker, He said he had arrived here from Rock Is
land on the morning train and was going to Burlins-
ton. We learned afterwards that he had purchased
ticket for the evening packet. He stated furthe-
that he had never Seen Mr.. Hotchkiss-that ne had
met Mr. Seymour at Rock Island and al his pace,
and that he was stopping at the same hotel as him
self 1.-THE Ogilvie) Mr.. Mccormick then prompt
" informed him that for the reputation of the
city and from a sense of his duty to the public h.
would hold him responsible for the trouble OCCASION
ed by Hotchkiss Il Seymour. At the suggestion of
Mr. Mccormick, the entire party present, consisting
of himself DR.. Chas. Drury, W. A. Drury, L. V.
skinkle and ourseif accompanied the accused to the
O1ilvie House, where h, opened his trunk for IN
spection. 1t contained besides variety of clothing
a half ream of writing paper and upwards o hun
dred envelopes, which the postmaster recognized as
the same kind as those which had been mailed in
such numbers as to first excite his suspicious. Mar
shal Unger and policeman Randolph were then sum-
moned, and the accused placed in their custody and
arraigncd before Justice Burgesser charge Of oh
tanning money under false pretences Mcssrs. Thay-
er Carskadden appeared for the prosecution and
Msssrs. Brannan Il Hcbb for the defence. mo. ION
WINS made by tns defence to continue the case en-
ty DAYS in ordSf to obtain roeo-.ary ~i.no.se,
After ssne little discussion, the trial set for
Mondas TsJv.. ~ at- 10 o'clock, A. NJ, and the
prisaer was bid to bond as above stated
Besides ~ DOS raster, other persons in the c.y
received letters Of inquiry concerning the firm of
Hotchkiss Seymour. Among them We're Mr. rnay-
er, County Judge Richard Cadle, Clerk District
Court; Rev. John Harris, and Henry O'Connor, E q.
IN some CT them the cards Of Hotchkiss & seymour
were enclosed. They were neatly printed, and de
siguatsd Messrs. H. l. s. as "A,torneys and Coua-
sellers at Law and Notares Public, at Muscat inc,
Iowa." referring "by permission" to the following
well known houses Minturn GrinneiI, city;
Woodward, Mount 4 Co. do. Chas II Mills L Co,
Boston; David Brown & Co, Phila.; Doan, King
l. Co., St. Louis; Henry Farnam, Chiccgo; E
Burkham Co. CHM; Hatch & Laugion, do. ; N
Holmes 4 Son, Pittsburgh.
All the letters thus far received for the firm are
fr,m different PARTS of Indiana. Tweoty-seven of
them ore supposed to contain money. 1t seems thai
the Hoosier regarded by this enterprising fl
nancier as easily humbugged.
I. L. Case, the prisoner, is small-sized man,
with heavy sandy whiskers and very meek or
shespish look. He had but little to say at any time
during his arrest. At one time he remarked to
Postmaster Mccormick that he feared Hotchkiss &
Seymour were playing game of fraud and using
him at's-paw! There is very strong suspicion
however, that he himself is at the bottom of the
whole affair, but We leave the question o. his guilt
to be decided by the legal 23d
CuRRENcY.-What is currency? This is
q difficult question to answer just now. Our bank
ers refuse issues on rearly all the banks except
those ofiIliinos and Wisconsin. The stock-secured
banks Of these States considered safe and seem
to be preferred to tho issues of the best ees, ern
banks. This demonstrates the advantage of having
home currency-money that we know something
about.
A RAINY SABBArH.-Yesterday we had
almost all day long one of those slow rains COM
mon to this latitude and this of the year.
1t was irregular producer Of mud and low spirits.
Church pews were almost all deserted. The fnc
lady with fine clothes staid at home, impatientiy
tapping the Wiz. low pane while looking at the @rea
~ scene without, or else endeavoring to "kill tim
BY listless reading or drowsy Longing. The "n'ct
young man." knowing that his "bright particular
STAR, would not be at church, concluded to stay at
home also, AMI - n,u; ged in an extra Havana ol
come ether equally exalting diversion. The crest
o. mankind probably devoted the day to Morpheus
There was certainly but little indueeuent 70 60 out
door.-Daiy, 10Th.
"VAULr1Ne AMpIT1oN.''-The ambition O,
boys as we'll as "chidren of larger growth some
times runs in queer channels. A friend says wher
he was lad it was the acme Of his aspirations t.
become stage-driver and raise tremendous nois
and dust as he ratified along with four horse coach
Yesterday two little chaps met at a muddy place il
~ a>lo vi AZ aarf how