Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-10-09
ONE EARLE In NASTY BUSINESS.

Friday by Deputy United states Marshal
John Devine, charged with using the
mails for immoral purposes, and was
taken before u. S Commissioner Camp
bell and held in the sum of $500 for his
appearance Octo. 10, for preliminary ex-
animation, Capt B. B. Dovener, his at
torney, going his security.
The fore part of September Cochran
rented post office box 2O9 in the Wheel
ing Office. The amount and apparent
character of the mail received for the
box directed the attention of the clerks
in the office to the matter, and caused
some suspicion. The first real clue to the
character of the business transacted
through this box was had when busi-
ness man of Moundsville presented let
ter to Assistant Postmaster Metcalf,
which had been received by highly re-
spectacle young lady at that place. 1t
was written with typewriter, and was
without signature, and read as follows:
Do not become a mother against your will. No
danger TO life or health. Send one dollar paper
money. Fill out enclosed DldUk ana nldll III the
envelope addressed Tor return IN next mall ii you
desire will meet you and make myself known to
you and give you such information as you may
need. But don't fail to send the 81. Ii is but a
small sum for what you will learn and ought to
know. You could not afford TO miss this for thous-
ands. You may never get such information again
or know where 10 apply for il. Let no person see
any of these papers and keep this secret Burn this
Enclose was an envelope addressed in
typewriter to I" E. J. A Earle, Box 209,
Wheeling, W. Va.
A little later, Lodysville lady sent to
the postmaster at Wheeling similar let
ter received by her. Several days elapsed
when one evening a large number of
Earle's return envelopes were brought
in by carrier from one of the city boxes.
The pOstOffice authorities sent these un-
der cover to the postmasters of the towns
of Steubenville, Quaker City, Centerville,
East Richland, Baltimore, ETC., with the
request that they ask the parties to whom
they were addressed to open them in
their presence This was done, and the
contents of the letters, which were all in
substance similar to the above, were re-
turned to the Wheeling Office.
The next business was to catch the
offender, who was little cautious in
getting his mail, and resOrted to various
devices to secure it without being sus-
pected. Finally the box was fastened on
the inside so that it would not open,
when the holder of the keys presented
himself at the general delivery window
and called for mail in box 209, saying
the keys do not seem to work well in
the lock-" He was detained upon some
preteXt until the U. S. Commissioner was
brought, when he was requested to go to
his office in the building where warrant
was formally served The prisoner in
formed the officers that he was not Earle,
bat Thomas Cochran, eX-PrObate Judge,
and an attorney of st. Clairsville. He
said that he was acting for man named
Earle, whose headquarters were at New
Philadelphia, who requested him to rent
the box and receive the mail. After bail
was giveu Cochran was released, promis
ing that he would meet the officers at
Barton, Saturday, and accompany them
to New Philadelphia to search for Earle.
Failing to keep his appointment, the
Marshal came to this place on Sunday, and
re-arrested him, taking him back to
Wheeling, where his bondsman surren-
dered him, and the Commissioner in
creased the bond to s., 600, and the friends
of the prisoner secured the well known
clothiers, T. E. Hughes and Andy Ham
ilton, to go on the new bond.
The above are substantially the facts
so far as we have been able to ascertain
them. 1t is believed by those in position
to know, that the man Earle " is myth,
and that Mr.. Cochran used that name
hoping to evade responsibility for what
ever offense he committed. 1t is known
here that owing to unwise investments,
bad management and other causes, the
ex-Judge has frittered away much of the
quite lucrative income received from the
Probate Office, and that at times he has
been hard pressed for ready cash, and it
is possible that without any intent of vi
olating the law, he hit upon this plan of
raising funds to replenish his depleted
bank account. While the plan is not to
be be commended for moment, but
rather condemned as an outrage upon de-
cency.it is hoped that such circumstances
will develop as will relieve him from the
opprobrium which will necessarily follow
should he be convicted.