Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-01
A WANDERING JEW.
The Scheme by Which HaIlowell Fam
lily Increased their Wealth.
Special to the Kennebee Journal. ]


HALLowELL, Oct. 81.
Everybody in Hallowell will distinctly re-
member Jacob Wezler, the Jewish pack
peddler who for the past twenty years made
bulated into every part of the state with his
! sack full of Yankee notions and cheap jew
elry. Those who knew Wetzler and his nu-
merous little Lewis will be somewhat sur
prised to learn that he has just been the prin
cipal parsonage in case, the decision of
which is of the utmost importance TO railroad
and steamboat companies all over the Union.
At this time the interests of the
Maine Central railroad were represented
by L. C. Cornish, Esq.,, of Augusta.
During the past few days the workings of an
old and systenatized conspiracy by which
transportation companies in this state have
been deliberately swindled out of large sums
of money, have been revealed.
In 1877 Jacob Wetzler apparently a poor
but honest German, sued the Boston & Ken
nebec Steamboat Co. for the value of l9
packages of merchandise which had been
shipped on the Star of the East from Boston to
Hallowell four years previous Baker & Baker
appeared for Wetzler, and Lorenzo Clay of
lut SlSduDOdt ". uC jury
of the Superior Court found that actual loss
or damage of household goods had occurred
and awarded Wetzler S3l2. On tech
nicality new trial was granted at which the
plaintiff received a still larger verdict. After
this the Wetzlers did not dabble in law till
the year 1885, when suit was brought by
Catherine, wife of Jacob Wetzler, against
the Maine Central, to recover damages for
lost trunk. Mrs. Wetzler, claimed that when
she was moving her household goods from
Waterville she had a trunk checked on the
night Pullman for Hallowell, and that on
presenting the check it was missing aud had
not been found. The company were very
suspicious and tried hard TO break down Mrs.
Wetzlers testimony, but as the check was
produced in court and she and her numerous
children all swore to the same facts, the jury
brought in verdict of $500, which was
paid. The next case in which the Wetzlers
were participants was brought in Franklin
county by Solomon Wetzler, brother of
Jacob, who had for some time lived in |
Halowell. Solomon claimed that with
his brother he had bought a large line |
of goods from Russian peddler |
who wished to go back to his own country. |
He and Jacob then started through Franklin |
county to sell them and stopped at hotel !
kept by Henry L. Day of New Sharon, leav-
ing their cart in the barn. The next day the |
greater part of the goo Is to the extent of 500,
had disappeared and Solomon Immediately |
sued Day for that amount. Day wholly de-
MED the story. The case was tried in
March, 1888, and the jury disagreed. AT
the September term a verdict was found for
the defendant. This was the first time that
the family had been defeated but this did
h, So
In July, Henry Cohen, SON
in law of the man Wetzler
claimed that trunk which he had shipped
from Hallowell on the Star, and for which
he held check, had been lost. The steam
boat company, however, remembered their
former experience with the family and care
fully investigated the matter. 1t seems that
Wetzler shipped two trunks from Hallowell
on the date mentioned, and at seven o'clock
ON the morning of the boats arrival. Cohen
sent his little boy with check who received
one of the trunks from deck hand. At o.
80 Cohen appeared himself with two checks,
and demanded his two trunks. OF course
only one trunk could be produced and Co.
hen with much bluster, announced his in
tention of sueing the company. The extra
check numbered G9s was found by reference
to the books of the steamer to have last been
used on trunk delivered in Hallowell Oct.
30, 1886, at which time some of the Wetzlers
no doubt stole it. The trial of Cohen occu-
pied three days and was finished last Tues,
lay when the jury brought in a verdict of
guilty of endeav0ring to obtain money under
false pretences. The four different cases
have evidently all been a part of
a deep laid conspiracy. Each has been
brought under different name, and at each
the Wetzlers have all testified to the same
story. IL seems probable that the gang is
now broken up as Cohen will probably be
for a term of years, and the
character of the Wetzlers has been so well
ventilated that they will never dare to at
tempt any more frauds of this sort. Many
curious stories are told of Wetzler and his
family His reputation has always been
lnsavory, and several prominent citizens of
testified in regard to it both at this
rial and the one in Pennington. Only two
years ago his little shanty, insured for three
lines its value, burned mysteriously. He
eft Hallowell for Boston last spring. 1t
seems likely that he will be allowed to remain
1t large although an indictment for conspira-
~ could easily be obtained against both
himself and his wife.