The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1885-05-01
NO. 81.
HOW TO GET RICH.
A Gigantic Swindle Unearthed * Ala
hams.
Thousands of Suckers" who wanted TO
Buy Counterfoit Money.

Thousands of Suckers" who wanted TO
Buy COunterfoit Money.
HUNTSVILLE, ALA, April 25.-The
history of the detection andcapture of
the Jackson county swindlers by
District Attorney Geo. III. Cruig aMd
Posto1lice Inspector w. c. Baird.
proves an interesting piece of detect
i've work, for which these officers de
serve especial credit. Last week Dis
trict Attorney Craig received a letter
from Silas Smith, postmaster at Lang
ston, Ala, stating that a man named
w. w. Fondrea near hat place en
Sand Mountain, was probably max
ing or selling counterfeit money, and
that he (Smith) had received letters
from Il distance asking about Fondren
and enclosing letters they had receiv-
ed from him offering to sell them
counterfeit greenbacks at SO per 100,
many of the victims stating that they
had sent their money but had recelv~
ed nothing in return: Postmaster
Smith vas Immediately summoned
before the grand jury by the district
attorney, and it WAS found that Fon-
ren was in receipt daily Of large
numbers of letters from all parts of
the United States and Camadl. NJ
witness had seen the counterfeit bills
and so no case could be made for.
counterteiting, but the grand jury.
under the advice of the district attor-
nev, returned an Indictment agaiAsS
Fondren for fraudulent use of tha,
mails. The brother, John B. FoRr>
lren, was not indicted, as tlerpcwns
no evidence against him at the tiaae4
On Wednesday last, InsPeetog w. G..
Baird reached Huntsyillee aaA after
consulting with the. distEiet attorney,
they set to work a5,oncc to capture
-he parties, A wa7gaut Of arrest was
forthwith issUedl BofrJ ohm B. Fondreu,.
and a capias for x Aiam w. Fonl-
rem under the inS5Gtment. Baird then
wrote Fondren letter enclosing u
ten-do lar bill, uponrwhich he, plReel
private mark, for 500 greenbackF,
md signed the mame,of "H b. Allen =
and had the post mark of Leesville,
Flor1do> stamped upon the envelope.
Baird, in company with Deputy Mar.
shal John ]. dinns, left Huntsville
md reached Langston after dark.
The lettet was deEvered to the post
master with Instructions to put it in
Fondren's mall. The next day Daird
went around the village Of Langston
as a cigar drummer, all the time keep
ing in sight Of the post Office until he
saw Fondren get his, mail. Then with
the marshal and guide they pro
ceeded to scale tho MOUNTAIN side un-
ill they reached the Fondren resi-
lence, which they found to be q double
log cabin with hall b9tween, which
had hcen enclosed with boards. The.
guide rushed to the window and the
marshal aud Baird to the door. John
3. Fondren jumped Through the win
dow and was caught by the guide.
while Wn, F0ndren rushed to the
door III the arms Of the Marshal. Baird
secured the mail and found the letter
he had written with the ten dollars
enclosed, and other letters with yari-
Gus sums, one from Clnada inclosing
So. There were over fifteen hundred
other letters found In the room, which
had all contained various sums, and It
is estimated that the parties haYe re-
allied several thousand dollars out of
their swindle. As soon as the ex-
element Of the arrest was over, VIII
Lam Fondren SAID to Baird: "Who are
you. anyhow" Baird replied, "MY
name is Alien, from Florida" Fon-
dren replied, "Come for your goods,
did you? Well, pard, l guess you've
caught me and I'll have to giveit up"
The prisoners were then handcufed
and carried to Langstone, whero they
remained all night, and were brought
to Huntsville yesterday and lodged in
jail. The parties look like ordinary
country farmers, but are remarkably
shrewd. One Of them is about nine.
teen and the other about twenty-one
years Of age. There are other parties
implicated in the swindle in several
adjoining states and their early arrest
is anticipated. They have been doing
a thriving business and the letters re-
ceived from some Of their victims arc
extremely amusing.
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