The Evening critic., 1882-12-19


times and places he has claimed to bo
my brother.in.law. Both claims arc
equally false. He also publishes In said
from Western paper. He does not, however,
state that said paper published the statement
az ms ana rcbae,ea ae, y, on9 heN.
Some dispositions were recently taken at In
dianapolis concerning tho character and con.
while Of resideps ,s a Sf thnt city and the two
police captains OF that city were called upon
to testify as to his character, and In order that
give 1t in their own Language, and also that
of another person, who was formerly Pritch-
ards clerk. Those dispositions show the
true character OF Pritchard and tho kind OF
business that he was doing In that city. These
officers testified to having arrested him upon
charges OF forgery and swindling, several
times each; but you can read the deposltions
for yourselves. Here they are. omit tho
jurat, &C., In order to condenso them into as
small space as possible. All were properly
MY NJ name mo is Robert Campbell; my agc is
80; my occupation is captain OF tho city police
OF the city OF indianapolis, Ind; my residence
is Indianapolis, Ind; am acquainted with,
and have known, Benjamin Il. Pritcherd for
several years last past; know his reputation
In the community In which no has resided for
several years last past; know that his reputa.
tion is bad he has been arrested several times,
upon transactions connected with the western
Medical Works, notes, &c.; no Is known here
being connected with any legitimate business
venture, or transaction. since have not
known Of his being connected In any business,
business Of the said Western Medical Works
was No. d1 Kentucky avenue, indianapolis,
There was no evidence OF business, except
sign OF Western Medical Works outside and
chairs, tables and other worthless traps In.
side, nothing indicating business except tho
sign; they went among the farmers gen.
orally, getting them to sign notes which wore
represented to be simple contracts, but which
turned out to be promissory notes; Pritchard
has been arrested several times for obtaining
notes In that way; know this from having
arrested him on such charges myself, and
from having received letters from all over the
country charging tho said ID. i. Prltchard with
swlndllDg farmers and obtaining their notes
by fraudulent pretenses.
assigned and sworn toy,
"IioBEnT CAMPBELL"
will rext give the sworn statement takon at
the time Of the foregoing deposition OF Buel
j. Carvin, who was formerly Pritchard's sec
"My namo is Buei d. Caryln. Ny. age is 30
years. My residence Is Indianapolis, Ind.
nm acquainted with Benjamin L. Pritchard.
Have known him for several years. There was
such an Institution as the Western Medical
Works in indianapolis, Ind, at Al Kentucky
farmers signatures to promissory notes, with
power OF attorney attached to notes, on the
representation to them that they were signing
livery OF certain medicines. u. F. Prltchard
was the only man who had any money In 4 or
who who handled , the notes after they they
tary OF tho institutions, and had the
means OF knowing all about 1t and all
about other transactions, and have the means
OF knowing the general reputation of d. i.
Pritchard in the community In which he re.
sides and where he has resided for several
years past. His reputation is bad. Il is that
OF confidence man and swindler. The said
Prltchard has been arrested many times. Cap
tain splann arrested him for obtaining notes
near Terre Haute, Ind, Then he was arrested
and taken to Ohio. l was associated with
Pritchard not quito two years, but close to It,
ending in 1880. / could not Just state the
month, but 1t was in tho fall OF the year.
think Pritchard Is now In Washington city.
The last time saw him was two or three weeks
after he got out OF Jail from over In Ohio. Ho
went TO Washington since that time. ! did
not know the character OF u. L. Prltchard's
business the whole of the time was
with him. did, along the last. My duties as
secretary Of the said Medical Works was to
stand around and face the fellows as they came
In, and put up the medicines, and see that they
We're shipped to different parties wherever an
order came from. Twas the last secretary they
had. The concern did not 60 up Immediately,
after l left It, but Pritchard run It on the
sly. He had some agents out, on up until
after his agents Porter and ,s Turner were ar, M
any man any good, nor any hurt either;
It was not put up according to formala; 1t was
not yaIIqable Il was put up at pritch@rds Is
wash.boilers; for ague medicine we tilied the
boiler full OF water then we dissolved analine
in it-just enough to color 1t, then put IN a
ounce viol of cinchona; that composed
the ague medicine; sometimes Il was mado by
and and sometimes soes BY Prltchafd After I learning @
the true character OF the said business, quit
1t, as soon as could get my wages out OF 1t.
Next follows the deposition OF Captain
sp.lsSInn .sIn ma ia r,ro,rv sr,orr. NV o,o ,sss.
my occupation is captain of the city police OF
indianapolis, Ind; my residence is Indianapo'
lis Ind. am acquainted with i. L. Pritch-
ard; have known him for four or nve years.
He was engaged in what was known as the
Western Medical Works, OF Indianapolis,
which was fraud and swlndle generally.
The business was to get farmers to Sign con:
tracts for the sale OF medicine, but It turned
out, by manipulation, to be promissory notes.
/ have not known the said d. F. Pritchard
to be engaged in any Legitimate business
ness was al Kentucky avenue, indianapolis,
Ind. Tho only evidence OF business was the
sign outside, Western Medical Works and a
few chairs and tables inside, called there
frequently. The place was on the beat, and
passed there every day. lhaye known OF him
having been arrested for obtaining such fraud
ulent notes as spoke OF. have arrested him
on such charges myself.
"(sworn to and signed),
mako no charges against Pritchard but
such as can be proven 10 tho satisfaction OF any
jury or disinterested persons; and have the
facts In my possession 10 make balu PROOF. i
have been swindled out OF several thousand
dollars by his acts, he knowing at the time that
he was obtaining the money from me on forged
notes and by fraudulent pretenses. There IL
no chance for me to recover one dollar OF my
loss; but l can, and Will. defend my charac-
ter from his attacks, and show him up to the
world to be the forger and slanderer that he is.
The depositions, before alluded to set forth
In terms plainly and Enthusiastically tho vile
character OF the said d. f. Pritchard. He has
not only forged the names OF other people, but
he has FORCED my name as an tnd0rSer for him
upon two notes, on which he has obtained
money from other people.
This is the only case In which / have ever
been drawn Into dealing with forger and
swindler, and hope 1t may be the last. l
would havo not said this much; In fact, would
have said nothing, but allowed this case to
have taken Its place and It's turn in tho court,
abiding by that result. But his llbels upon
me through the press to the public, endeayor.
Ing by his forgeries upon tho press TO lead them
into the belief that tho clipped articles were
published In the newspapers, have led me to
| mako this statement. Tho Cleveland LedaeF,
which was mlsled into publishing his libellous
article, made tho following retraction, as did
| also the papers at Terre Hauto Ind. That Is
whore Captain SplRnn arrested MIN for obtain
| ing money or notes on false pretenses. Tho
| editor OF tho Cleveland LeddeP In his retrac-
| tion takes occasion to give Pritchard passing
| notice, from which make the following ex-
tract;
SIN tho weekly Leader OF September % was
an article purporting to bo an expose OF an
| alleged swindling pohsion claim agent firm In
Washington, by the name OF N. W. Fitzgerald
Co. This article was clipped from some
| other paper that is what the editor thought
| have explained how II was gotten up In the
| foregoing articlo.-N. W. F) and sent to the
| and It was inserted by one Of the editorial
stan In good faith, supp0sing he was