The Portland daily press., 1881-02-07
SWAN
TRACKED AS FAR AS TOLEDO. OHIO.
Some Further Details of His Swindling
Operations.
Special Despatch to the Press

Ncpecldl DeSpaUcn TO Cne PreSS.)
AUGUSTA, Feb. 6.-There is positive evil
dence that the absconding Swan was in To-
ledo, Ohio, as late as Friday last, and from
that city sent package by mail bearing no
date. to relative at Mechanic Falls. What
the package contained is not known.
Swan avoided Boston in his flight,
going no nearer that city than Methuen, where
he stopped on Monday night at the house of a
Mr.. Dean. Had he proceeded to Boston he
would have undoubtedly been arrested as a
description of him had been telegra raphed and
police force was in waiting for him.
just as soon as Post Office Inspector Bige-
low of this city received information that
Swan was in Toledo he telegraphed imme-
diately description of him to the department
and the matter was placed in the hands of a
deputy government inspector in that city
Since Swans sudden departure additional
facts have been developed showing the extent
of his fraudulent scheme and the number of his
victims. He appears to have confined his
operations to Vermont, New Hampshire, Mas
sachusetts and Connecticut. Maine was left
out in the cold for reasons best known to him
self. The supposition is that he left it severely
alone for the reason because he thought he
would lay himself amenable to our statutes if
he practiced his fraud in Maine, but that he
could do it outside of the state with impunity,
forgetting, or ignorant, that there was
United States law specially adapted to meet
his case. This supposition seems to be reas-
enable from the fact that he returned to par
ties in Weld, Holden, Danforth and South
Brownfield (the only places he received regis
tered letters in Maine) the one dollar sent him
with the following note, which was dated at
Mechanic Falls:
"As we have sent to several parties in
your town and you not being the first to &C.
cept, we enclose $1.00 and return it.
Hastily yours,
EASTERN MANuFAcTuRING COMPANY"
This note is in Swans handwriting, and he
sends back the money to escape being holde
for the fraud.
Vermont and New Hampshire seem to have
been his chosen fields, both States being we'll
peppered with his circulars and the responses
large. On the back of each circular sent to
his victims was the following:
Dear Sir-You have been so favorably recon-
mended to us, we hope you will accept our
offer. Where we have introduced our shelter
and sharpener we have received large orders.
EASTERN MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
1t is not yet ascertained from what office the
shelters and sharpeners were mailed. None
passed over the Grand Trunk road and none
were sent from Mechanic Falls, but his an
swers all came to that Office. Nearly 1000 let.
ters with $1.00 inclosed in each, "a money Or
ders and A registered letters containing re-
mittances of $10O each were received by Swan
at Mechanic Falls previous to his flight.
Most of his dupes were farmers, the larger
number of whom are in moderate circum-
stances. A letter from postmaster to Inspec-
tor Bigelow says:
The man who sent the registered letter is
near friend of mine, some fifty years of
age; has an invalid wife and large family to
support. Desired to obtain an agency in order
that he might have something to do for the
winter months, and probably sent his last dol
lar to obtain these things, and has been TINS
wretchedly swindled.
Swan left all his bills growing out of his
transactions unpaid. He owes for 10000 en-
velopes, bought in Portland, and also his print
ing bill in your city. 1t is believed that he
had an accomplice, and inspector Bigelow lis
trying to find him out.
When Swan was here he boarded at the
Cony House. He had no baggage with him
only valise, being always in light marching
order He paid his bills weekly.