The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-30
ruouslsp MERCHANTS

Manly Two THOUSAND MERcHANIs
v..,..nA RooUs INSURANCE. PATROL
Us A,prsr AND ARRAfaNMENT.--
= :. a.. novel case of swindling, by which
90. .wo thousand merchants OF TINS
u 'n va been defrauded out of various
casy . n nf money, was brought before Justice
LEAN at the Tombs, yesterday afternoon
I,sn,,, the evidence before the court u ap-
900 "a that man named William Marun,
On or about September 4, 1858, commences
oa,,;rr ON the merchants of this city with
. nansr nurnortipg TO be o subscription list
cor az. avowed purpose OF raising afund
for the aid of the sick and destitute MEM
hs ~. ~ the Insurance Patrol, at the same
time representing that he was authorized
10 receive subscriptions for such fund, and
that he wss member Of the Insurance
Patrol himself. The honesty Of Martin
was not brought In question, and the mat
ter being favorably received, almost every
merchant applied to subscribed from five
to fifteen dollars. Martin, as the sub
scription list shows, had called at least
eight times at the store Of Mr.. II. B. Clafiin,
on each of which he received ten dollars !;
and doubtless many other merchants have
received repeated calls from Martin Tor,
according to appearances, he was disin.
clined to shun any gentleman who would
be at all likely to add dollar to his sub
scription list. Every hotel, banking house,
shipping office, &C., in the city, had been
visited at least once or twice year by
Martin, and solicited, alike with the mer-
chants, to aid the sick and INDECENT mem
bers of the Insurance Patrol. On the Z9tn
of December last, Martin called upon MT:
Walter ii. Lewis, IS Leonard street, ana
presenting his list, had five dollars more
added to 1t. Subsequently Mr.. Lewis
learned that Martin was swindler, but
did net see him again until yesterday,
when he re,ippeared in the store and asked
Mr. Lewis for further aid. Instead Of re-
ceivinp IL. however, in the manner he an
ticipatod. Martin was waited upon by
officer Green, of the Fifth precinct, and
taken to the Tombs. On searching the
prisoner, the subscription list, containing
the names of at least 1000 merchants and
other business men of this city, with the
sums subscribed by each, making in
the aggregate not less than $4,000,
was found upon his person. That the &C
cused should have been nearly nine years
engaged in this species of swindling, and
not detected till now, seems remarkable,
but is nevertheless true. Mr.. Lewis made
a complaint against Martin, charging him
with obtaining money under false pre-
fences, and Justice Hogan committed him
to the Tombs for trial in default Of bail, it
appearing from Alfred Carson, Superin-
.tendent Of the Insurance Patrol, that Mar
tin is not member of the patrol, and, to
the best of his belief, never has been. The
accused is native of this city, boatman
by occupation, and had nothing to say in
relation to the charge preferred against
him. 1t is understood that Martin has
squandered most of the money thus fraudu-
lently obtained in purchasing lottery poll
cies, realizing absolutely nothing on his
investments. His subscription list is be-
lieved to be nearly one hundred feet in
length, and the first part of it was so
matted together that it could not be un-
folded without tearing.-Ne,o York He
raid, 9th.