The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-23
A WELL LAID SCHEME.
THE CONTINENTAL BREWING CON-
PANY AGENCY CLOSED.

and Leaves Plenty Of Small Bills in
Savannah Unpaid - The Alleged
Beer Agent Cuts q Wide swath
While Re Has Chance.
The Continental Brewing Company OF
Philadelphia has been victimizsd by man,
giving the name OF C. F. Graham, who has
mulcted the company for over 81 900, and
there are quite a number Of people in Sa-
vsnnah, principally painters, plumbers and
carpenters, who have been caught for the
labor given to Graham in fitting up the
building at Whitaker and Bryan streets.
which Graham proposed to occupy as head
quarters for the agency Of the brewing
company.
Graham was what may be termed high
roller, and while here took in all the subur-
ban resorts, and at Tybee he cut a very
wide swath as king of the beach. he
dressed loud, and had plenty of money.
After week spent in Savannah, in which
he managed to get rid Of 3l5 kegs of beer,
and pocket the money, he left last Thurs
day night, having first caShed several small
drafts ranging from sl5 to S75, which he
had drawn, without authority, upon the
Continental Brewing Company, none OF
which, as may be surmised, were honored
by the company.
RAN HIS ROPE OUT.
Graham would no doubt have spent a
couple Of days longer in Savannah had it not
been for the precaution taken by Mr..
Powers Of the Pulaski house. Graham put
up at the Pulaski, and not satisfied with
the revenue he was getting from the sale of
the carload of beer he had disposed of,
sought to play the Pulaski house for ten
derfoot. He rendered draft on the
Continental Brewing Company for S65 and
wanted it cashed, which was refused.
Finally he came down to SIS. which Mr..
Powers advanced, but the latter immedi-
ately telegraphed the company to know if
the draft would be honored, and received
reply that it would not. Mr.. Powers con-
fronted Graham with the telegram from his
company, and Graham went down In his
pocket and returned the SIS, and from a
plethoric roll settled his board bill of $40.
He Immediately left town, and the last seen
of him, it is said, he was headed for Mexico.
CONFESSED HIS CRooKEDNEss.
Tuesday Of last week Graham wrote a
lengthy letter to the brewing company. in
which he confessed his crooked practices
aud asked them TO forego the issuing of a
warrant against him. His time of leaving
town was arranged, however, shrewdly 50
that he would not be here at the time his
letter was received by the company.
The letter was full of falsehoods Among
other things he said he had worked out the
Anheuser- Busch Company" while here, and
while admitting that be had done wrong
went on to say that he had made q foothold
for the Continental Brewing Company and
had left ample security for all he had done.
When he left Savannah Graham said be
was going to Philadelphia, but would return
to-day.
GRAHAM's BRIEF HISTORY.
Graham worked his scheme very shrewdly.
A few months ago an Englishman giving
his name as G. F. Graham applied to the
Continental Brewing Company of Phila-
delphia, representing himself as thoroughly
familiar with the beer business, and asking
for employment The company had none
TO give him, but finally consented to give
him a commission on all sales which, upon
investigation, they would approve. Among
other customers sales were made to
Patrick Kearins, saloonkeeper Of
Shamokin, Pa. Graham, it seems,
persuaded Kearins to come TO
Savannah, representing that he had found
an excellent location here, and had rented q
hotel bar and had established an agency for
the Continental Brewing Company of
Philadelphia Graham had the agency
painted In letters two feet deep on the
building at Whitaker and Bryan streets, but
when hearins came on and found that the
harnett house bar did not suit him, and did
not like the lay of the land, he went back.
ORDERED BEER BY THE CARLOAD.
Graham had ordered carload of beer,
SO Kegs, In hearins' name, unknown to
Aearins, and was exchanging the beer for
money as fast as possible If Kearins had
remained be would have been MAIDS the
victim, as Graham intended he should be. as
was disclosed by the letter he sent to the
house.
The brewing company did not understand
hnr oh. a 1. 4
until they received his letter, and then they
telegraphed to their travelling agent, Robert
hull, Jr., who was ct Norfolk, to come at
once to Savannah. He arrived here yester
day and found Graham's letter aud
instructions from the company to
investigate the matter. He was surprised
70 see the huge sign Of the Continental
flaming letters on the building which Ora
ham had rented, and especially SO, as Mr..
hill Is the only authorized representative to
establish agencies for the company, and he
was chagriued when he dropped into the
merchants Exchange to find that Charles
r. Graham, the Savannah caterer, was not
Tine Y. +. Graham he was looking for,
OUT OVER $1,000
Mr. Hill says that the loss to the brewing
company by the other Graham's fraudulent
practice will aggregate over $1,000. The
company, he says. shipped TO Kearins, on
the order of Graham, car load Of
beer. of 3l5 kegs, which will be
total loss, besides 100 Of the empty kegs he
has not yet been able to trace. Graham. he
says, sold beer 81 25 per barrel less than it
could be bought for at the brewery.
Mr.. Hill says that Graham's letter to the
house Is tissue of falsehoods, and as to
working out the Anheuser- Bus CHI Company.
MIR. Hill says there is nothing but pleasant
relations between the two brewing com
panies. which manufacture brands Of beer
which do not enter into competition. The
Anheuser-b Busch manufacture annually
100000 barrels of beer and the Continental
Brewing Company only IT'S, 00J SO that
Graham's boast was as ridiculous as it was
false.
Mr.. Hill will remain in Savannah to-day
and try to collect as many complies" as be
can find, but he has no hope of being able
to locate Graham, for he has already got
Haarlv xvaak1c for