The daily gazette., 1883-11-02
.Re aINTee FRoM vRsreRoAY
THE wHANN CASE.
Facts That ConolusAvety Prove That ths
ssGsaxsfte'J wms not Gamalky of q Libel.


Facts That ConciusAvely Prove That the
ssGazstte" was not Gailty of q Libel.
On Tuesday last the GAZETTE announced
the failure ana suspicious disappearance OF
Thomas Whanu, Jr., phosphate manuiac-
tureT OF LandeRberQ. This announcement
caused the Esery Eesssisa to publish what
1t supposed WAS statement making the
GAxETTE's article libelous. Feeling that
an invest tgation OF the matter at LaDden-
berg might develop points hitherto unpub-
ilshed, representative OF this paper visited
that place to-day, aud learned facts that
not only warranted the statement frat made
IN the GAzETTE but further showed that he
is guilty of acts that, II committed by hum
bier people, would be called forgery.
For the past i've years he b 70 been doing
business on the the note principle, borrow
ing accommodation notes first from one,
then another, until he had the notes of al
most every responsible person around that
section oi the country
Matters kept going from bad to worse
until he got to raising notes. from small
amounts. On Tuesday week he suddenly
disappeared, and on Saturday night last be
arrived home by way of Newark. People
did not recognize him, however, as his had
his beard cut OF and hair trimmed, which
altered his appearance so much that hts
principal creditor aud the Sheriff passed
him on the road between Landenberg and
West Chester without recognition.
Mr.. Whann could not be found by the
GAzrTTE representative, and his works hav-
ing been closed by the Sheriff were idle.
No one appeared TO be- about the residence.
1t was afterwards learned that he was In
West Chester, where he was taken In the
custody of detective to answer to charge
OF false pretenses. He was, however, re-
leased on bail, the bank offlciFls of that city
going his security.
A.. 10 Haks
ties will amount TO S45,000. A Baltimore
firm, to whom he was indebted for stock,
have claim of Sl2 00U, and the other
amounts vary from $50 TO several thousand
dollars.
But the most disreputable and criminal
part Of the whole affair Is the fact that since
the crash, various persons are receiving notes,
purportiHg TO have beeL made by them Ia
favor of themas Whann, Jr., of which they
know absolutely nothing. In the shorI
space of SO minutes allowed the representa-
tive Of the GAZETTE, he was able TO get the
following data rs to the raised notes
Cornelius Monaghan, stone mason, has
been in the habit OF loaniDg his note for va
rious amouhts to Whann tor the past five
years. He said to the reporter; "About
year ago ] learned that he was not on th'
best of Iootng, aud then told the clerk hi
sent 10 me that would not give my not
any more. He was very anxious to have II
SO continued on till about six weeks ago
when, after considerable persuasion, gav
him my note for $40, with the understanding
that he should not come to me agaiu.
learned yesterday that that note would fal
due In Two weeks and had been raised I
SIS. My brother ndrew We Whann hi
note some time ago for so, and 1t no.
comes back S220. John, another brother {
niue, also CAV. his note to Whann tor S4t
and was greatly surprised to find that 1t ha
swelled 10 $l4u
Washington Ewing was also motif ed /
the bank fiirials OF w st Chester, that thr
were live notes of his falling due aggrega
ing 5000 These Mr.. Ewing Thinks he gay
and has secured himself hy having JUDI
ment entered against Whann.
EliwOod Gilmore, who gave an aceopt
datiun note OF $25 has been notified that ii
note is due but instead of SIS 1t is Si9I
having undergone the change in amour
under the careful manipulation of Wha III
Frank GJttier, of Avondale, has bee
notified that his note for $3.50 is due at Il
West G., ester bank with the signature
Thomas Whann, Jr. Mr.. Gotlier know
nothing whatever about the note and is po
itive that he never gave Whann note Il
that amount.
James W. Merritt, of andenberg, Ii
also been informed that his three NOT
are due, amounting to S3t
OF these Mr.. Merritt only ga
ODe auu Inab ne signed Dlanks W
afterwards was told by Whann that it b
for $50. note for Sll5 W raised fro
SIS, which Merritt gave Whann for son
manure. Last week Merritt paid the s
note and now iRds his old no
coming back raised TO exact
500. A noie due tomorrow for $105 NJ
Merritt Is unable to account for ami swea
positively that he never gave a note +
ally such amount.
Everything about the failure has the ia J
crooked aspect aud will warrant anyone
the assertion that in his d.alinGs, Thorn
Whann, Jr has been most thoroughly al
honest.
ALL THE FACTS THEY WANT.
One man said iu conversation with /
GAZETTE representative, "You can give t
Epery EVf'tijtg all the facts they want by II
trip Tor you will fnd that by Whanf
roguery In forging checks aud alter
notes he has gotten together about 81 OK
And from the fact that he shaved off
beard al otherwise altered his appearaI
it looks as if he had intended to skip, b
changed his mind for reasons best knov
TO himselt.n
THE 6AzETTE's ONLY ERROR.
From ,he above facts 1t will be seen til
the GAzETTE's only error was failure
atix DR." to Whann's name. When t
was not coupled with the fa
that the young mans fatf
WAS of the same nam as himself and /
GAZETTE has not he sliuh'tst hesitaney
slating that the el, er Whann does not