Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-31
An Old Acquaintance
OF TIE AUGUSTA COUNTY FARMERS
COMES TO LIGHT-MONSIEUR f. DE
COMM IN JAIL. AT RICHMOND.

OF Tile AUGUSTA COUNTY FAhMElI
COMES TO LIGHT-MONsIEUR f. DE
COMM IN JAIL AT RICHMOND.
Perhaps there are few people whom the
Augusta county and Staunton people re
member better than the person whom
the clever reporter Of the Richmond Times
calls to mind in the sketch below, which is
Photographic in reproducing the same old
Monsieur De Comm of other days here. He
was in Staunton some ten years ago and
after teaching at school in the county
filled up his leisure during the summer va
cation by furnishing the farmers who desir.
ed it, with analyses Of the soil Of their farms
with a view to the better selection OF ferti
lizer to suit it. He also sold fertilizer.
The charge against him in Richmond, is
feloniously forging and employing as true
a check on the City Bank OF Richmond fol
1915, signing the name of T. Moore there.
to. De Comm gave the check to a Mrs.
Bradley for board, receiving $2.75 in
change. AS yet no one has been able to
find who L. Moore is. The paper was taken
to several banks and all refused payment.
The Richmond Times says:
The ease of F. de Comm, who is charged
with forgery, came up before Justice Crutch-
field yesterday morning. and in default OF
bail i'll the sum Of $500..the accused was sent
to jail to await the action of the grand jury in
September.
A Times reporter visited the Jail yesterday
afternoon and learned the following story
from Mr.. de Comm.
'For the past seven or eight months I have
been in Richmond, and have been a book
agent l have been in the habit of visiting
the rooms of the Young Mems Christian Asso-
citation, and have there formed the acquaint-
ance OF General Peyton Wise and Mr. W. B.
Robins, with whom have frequently played
chess.
81 had a room at Mrs. Wilson's. at No. 1904
Ross street, and took my meals at Miss Sue
Bradley's No. 1906 Ross Street.
son one Saturday went to the Turf EX-
change and was given check for 1915 by a
and delivered set of books At the exchange
l saw a Western Union telegraph operator
and asked him if | could get the check cashed
He informed me that the banks were closed,
it being after three o'clock. I then went home,
and as | owed Miss Bradley So gave her
the check, after endorsing it, and received
from her $2.75 in change. l then left for
Norfolk, and after visit of one week l
returned and was arrested by Sergeant Tom
linson.
L Hay = Uctu pIOlCSSOi VI UIOuGIu languages
and natural science at Mt. Pleasant Academy,
Sing Sing, N. Y; Chester Military Academy,
Chester, Pa; st. James College, Maryland,
and the Augusta Military Academy near
Staunton, Va.
II was born in Balfour, France, am forty
six years of age, and came to this country in
1873. | have been a reporter on the New
York Herald, and have written book on
New Theory Of the Tides and another on
Aerial Navigation
In ut I'd 11ox,4 cd
to receiving the check as stated by de Comm,
and also that she had sent it to the City Bank,
and was informed that no such man as ''T
Moore" had any account with them.
Sergeant Iomlinson testified that he had
been to the Turf Exchange and no man named
Moore had ever been there, and that de Comm
had never delivered any books to any one
there. The check was made payable to f. de
Comm, and signed by I. Moore, and was in
dorsed by de Comm. The check was present
ed in court, and the handwriting in all three
OF the names was very similar.
MI. de Comm stated that he lived for sever
al years at Staunton and was engaged in the
fertilizer business, but subsequently failed.
He was highly excited at the prospect of stay
ing in jail until September, and swore that he
would kill himself rather than submit to such
protracted imprisonment. He is confident
that he will obtain bail, and asked the repor-
ter to tell members of the Young Mems Chris
tan Association where he was, and that he
needed their assistance and friendship now:
''Do youever drink anything?" asked the
reporter. EYES," he REPLIED 1 do some
times ''Were you drunk when you gave
Miss Bradley that check?" 81 cannot re-
m EN- Der whether / was OF not" he replied.
s'Did you do anything at the Turf Exchange
besides deliver books?" 'sWell, yes,'' he
said, 81 sometimes bought tickets on the
races" GLOW much have you lost in Rich
mond that way?' about three hundred
dollars, he answered
The reporter then turned to leave, and de
Comm reminded him to be sure to see his at
torney, Mr.. J. Samuel Parrish, and also to let
the Young Mems Christian Association know
OF his trouble. They will know, he added
that if l had forged a check l would never
have voluntarily returned to Richmond.
He was very nervous and seemed terribly
excited, and as he talked he pulled one cigar
cite after another in rapid succession.