Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-22

Last Friday morning, as we were quite
dressed young man walked into the office
and requested and was furnished with a COPY
or the paper. The next day we received a
new subscribers and sigped George Marshall,
which we presumed to be- from our friend
Captain George X. n. and complied with,
sukpecttng nothing at ell wrong until we
were Informed that an agent was canvassing
the lower part of the county for our paper
and collecting bills due the offioe. Having
authorized no agent to do this, we perceived
that we were being swindled, that the letter
received was forgery, and therefore called
upon Sneriff HUT t. secure the arrest of the
swindler. That efficient officer at once laid
his plans, and they were 40 successful that
on Tuesday afternoon Mr.. Benson Townshend
reached our office with tue :; .-onef in charge,
where he was Immediately reco ynized as
our visitor of Friday. An examination
before Esquire Harris developed the fact
that he had obtained access to our books
ago)-taken accounts therefrom, which,
representing himself as our nephew and
agent, he had collected, signing our name to
committed him to jail In default of $500
bail to answer the charges OF forgery and
swindling. When he came to town last
hotel. registering as W. E. Scott, Washing
ton, d. c., and upon b 8 person were several
visiting cards bearing the same name. He
memoranda books, and one of the receipts
was nlled out as follows: January 10,
Received OF Mrs. Joseph elliott, two
but not sigued; most of the receipts were
torn out. the stubbs only remaining.
In one or the memoranda books is long list
Guiding with that OF an. f. Poland paid
q, hnd an advertisement of a farm for sale,
which is described as containing ITO acres,
situated In the 10th district, about y miles
from Phoenix, on the Northern Central Rail-
road-apNly TO William Turnbaugh, or to
Conrad, near Hereford. which we conclude
was obtained lOr friend Ruby's paper, as his
name is mentioned in the book. THIS book
also is badly mutilaSed, but the third is in
good condition and has several long lists OF
Der of these as residents of Anacostia aud
that portion ofour county adjoining the Dis
triet in that vicinity, and 1t seems from his
hewbole Washington press, as they ilclude
Mrs. Farr. Sinr, 30. George Farr, Herald,
e1.25. Squire Williams, CuTudl six months,
80 30. Letitia Beard, CIrOatcls 81. Phelps
Gdzctte, S1.50. A. III. JOles, Republican, 81 rs.
On another leaf are names of all the post Of
fees in Charles county arranged alphabet
cally from Aliens Fresh to White Plains,
and further on lists OF our subscribers AZ
Groom, B, North Keys, Nottingham and
Cheltenham, and the word paid affixed to
many OF the names shows that he had been
eRinently successful. There is also list OF
names OF the GGzette's and our own subs brib-
ers In Piscataway and around Fort Wash
lngtOn, from many OF whom he appears to
have collected money. He had a number OF
letters in his possession, eOme to orr sub
scribers, informing them that he would call
upon them shortly for their bills and signed
in our name. He confesses to have collected
$50 for us, but his book shows much larger
amount, which, with what he collected for
the other papers, must have made his en-
plOyment quite profitable.
For the benefit OF the public we give the
following description of the party. He is
aged about % years; nearly six feet high,
and weighs 100 pounds; light hair, 70 whis-
kers, ford complexion, and receding fore
head, writes good business hand and coz
verses well. From an expression in one OF
his letters il Is suspected that he is recently
out of prison, ana that he has relatives, n
sister, in Cleveland. Ohio. Upon some OF
his visiting cards is the following address: