Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-26
CITY AND SUBURBAN.
MARE wlxplra Arwoax nERE

the cits.
A swlndlcr who went by the rsme o.
"Jobn N. Johnston, Jr.. Of Danville, va,
eecesd several Of our merchants on
Friday. and made q siinilsr attempt upon
Thomas Nowlan 4 Co.. jewellers. which
failing. ssuscd hin 10 make rapid exit
from the city.
TmE TRAIN LAID.
Three weeks ago Johnston appeared her,
IL the Office Of A. Iioep & Co.. autograph
err, and from them ordered about $35 wortl
~ printing heads, checks, and bust
pe<s<afds.
Johnston Is r nan of excellent sddres.
Il tweniy-sigh, or thirty years Of age. abou
hvc feet nine inches high. plump and In
elin,pg 10 s,ouiness, light complexion, red
dish mcustaebe. and hits OF sidc-whskcr,
pear the ear OF the same color. At lIocn',
there was no suspicion entertained that h,
WIS not the man he represented himself &
DC. and bis order was tlken 20 be filed IL
two weeks.
TIE LITHo0garH WORK.
Saturday. October 18th, the printing wa
VOUt-uttt tIittkts tttitf~Ifdu~s abN Uh0f7
pess-cards. Upon them were the names Of
John W. Holland. Christopher Holland.
aud John u. Johnston. Jr.. ~ composing
the FIRM 81 J. w. & G. G.. Holland q Co.,
Of Dsnyillc.
THE JUNIOR"
Johnston said that he was not son oil
The wef.known and wealthy y. N. John
sion. Of DanvIlle. but 10 prevent errors
L.. rnhn L. hut
he cniv said this after Mr. Abernethy.
Of Mr.. Iiocr's establishment, remarked o.
him that he "knew Mr.. j. NJ. Johnston
well.r Later on. to one whom he was
preparing 10 swindlc, Johnston sad he lcas
con ofMr. J. NJ. Johnston. OF Dsnviilc.
TUE EXCHANGE.
Johnston ordered that the package DC
cent 10 hun az che Exchange. From what
he had said about his connection with the
tobsteo trade, his samples. &C.. &C., Mr..
Hoen's clerk thought he referred to the
Tobacco Exchange, and 10 that place he
ssnt the bundle. lie was not TO be found
there, but was subsequently reached at the
Exchange Hotel. where he stayed the 18th
and 18th, and attracted some attention by
his fastidious airs. He paid for the litho.
snp!iing after be got the work.
VISIT TO NowLAN's.
Monday ias, johnson stopped in at New
Ian 4 Co.'s. and askeG 70 see some silver
plate. He looked II goods that would cost
about $500 and left Its card Zone OF those
printed ut iIoen'sl, but t6fde no purchase.
Wednesday he wrote front .DdnrtHe ask
ing Rowan a. Go. that the silvs. he hau
locked at might be laid aside for him.
Thursday he got 10 Richmond, ano en-
route pretended 10 have lost on the trah.
his pocket-book with several thousand dol
lars q checks and money in 1t, and to have
given 800 10 boy t'Riehsrd Munson.
Of Burkeville' y who found II and returned
II % him.
NLwsyIPlR boDGk--cALrs ron TnE SILVER.
Mr.. Johnston was "kind" enough TO
step in and give the Dispatch the item
Of his alleged loss on the train, and
It was published Friday morning, The re-
porter having first aseertained that Mr.. >.
ii. Johnston. Of Danville. was well.
known. bona 6de, and wealthy parsonage,
and this was said 10 be his sob.
Friday, about 12 or / o'clock. John
stou presented himself at Nowlans and
.sbought' about goo worth OF silver
Pulling out his great fat pOeket-book. he
ItUltlNNu ~ hls NuNlt tIdi was tbt
book he had lost on the train, and which
was referred 10 in The paper. a slip from
which he produced. Then he handed Mr..
New IAN his check for $500, and asked for
Mr.. Nowian's cheek in change-s300.
Mr.. Nowlan said he would step TO the State
Bank and see about the check.
SEARCH FOR TRUTH REWARDED.
Al the State Bank Mr.. Nowlan learned
that the Hollands Of Danville were good,
but the cashier didn't know the firms sig
nature. &C., but recommended him to go 10
Major James ID. Patton, formerly Of Dan
Vile.
lie went 10 Major Patton's, but that gem
tleman was out. Mr.. Thomas Biniord. his
representative. doubted II the firm name
was eorTcci--"J. W. q &. q. Holland Il
Co." The signature he said was forged.
He went out and saw some Dauville men
ut the Tobacco Exchange who agreed with
him that The check was bogus.
ThercupOn Mr.. Nowlan returned to his
Store 10 find that Johnston. ito whom the
cheek was payable, and who had endorsed
II on the back ~. NJ. Johnston. Jr., y had
called once and was gone.
He called about five minutes after Mr..
NowlaB had left the house, asked II Mr..
kowlan had returned. and being answered
{" No" went off.
II Is thought that he fed the city forth
with; but be bad previously worked his
game On George Gibson, Jr,, china-dealer,
for sII5. and on West. Johnston 4 Co.,
booksellers and stationers, for about SS5.
These sums he got in money.
His checks were drawn in the name OF j.
W. Il G. &. Holland d. Go. IN favor OF him
self, j. ". Johnston, Jr.. an alleged men,
her Of the firm. The ID Co.. Is surplus
age, and there is no j. NJ. Johnston, DR., a
member Of the 6rm or known in Danville.
us BIGGEST JOB SPOILED.
Johnston's biggc>t scheme was TO
~ indie Mr.. J {. Williams, broker, OF
$1,000 In Richmond city 8 per cent. bonds.
Upon his first visit here tprobably) John
ston called in TO see Mr.. Williams to talk
about making IN behalf OF his (Jobnston's)
brother an investment Of about $4,000 OF
trust funds. He told MIR. Williams that
Dir. Cheek, OF Johnston Il Cheek. ~. NJ.
Johnston and W. +. Cheek.) OF Danyille,
had suggested TO him 20 see Mr.. Williams.
This was all natural enough. Mr.. vii.
lisms thought, as he knew Mr.. Cheek and
Mr.. Cheek knew him in q business way.
On this occasion, however. Johnston mere
~ talked over the matter Of investments.
lie seid that be was going 10 Old Point,
and would return this way. lie did return
(probahly on the i7ih or 18th and had
further talk about the matter. and said he
would see MIR. Cheek in Danville. Wed.
nesdsy last q telegram came to Mr.. Williams
from Dsnyiile, signed W. +. Check, asking
Nr. Williams 10 quote Richmond SIS. Mr..
williams did so by wIre--quotiug 1921.
Another telegram came. signed Check.
asking II he wouldn't take l3i; Mr.. VIII
nams replied by wire again that he had
given the market price, and then the Dan
Vile man signing w. +. Check responded
that MIR. Johnston "would come up to
Richmond and see about the purchase.
In regard TO this purchase, Johnston,
under his own signature, wrote Mr.. Will
lisns from Danville quite long letter,
and made an appointment 10 meet Mr.. Will
Ilams nj the iatttr's Office. In the mean
time Mr.. Williams had written and mailed
q letter TO Mr.. Geek on the subject OF his
kilograms. and had gotten telegram from
Mr.. Cheek that he had never wired Will
liams about Richmond SIS. This. OF course,
opened Mr.. Williams's eyes. When john
ston came 10 his office on fiiday and began
talking about buying $4,000 OF Richmond
IS. Mr.. Williams, TO be quite candid. read
him bis correspondence with Mr.. Cheek.
At the same time he watched JohnstOn's
face closely. Johnston showed no embar-
rassment or excitement. He said in eSpla-
nation that not Mr.. Cheek. but some one
In the bank, not Informed. had sent that
last telegram; that MIR. Cheek was not in
Danyille. for nc had come here on the train
NTH him flohnsfapN u0waxar bs so,d