The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-08
HAMMOND'S HOUSE.
The Cleveland Street Scandal
Revived.
An Affidavit Concerning the Notorious Place
Made by Young AmeS.
Several Members Of the English AriStoCraCy
Who We're Regular Visitors
10 the Place.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

SEATTLE, Jan. Herbert John Ames,
aged 10 years, who was an inmate of Charles
R. Hammond's notorious Cleveland street
house, in London, and who escaped with
Hammond to this country, to-day made a
statement concerning the notorious place,
and swore to its truth before James A. Hill
yer, notary public, in the presence of sew
eral witnesses. Hammond is under SEN
tence of two years in the penitentisry for
grand larceny, and the boy. who has here
tofore been afraid to tell his story because
OF Hammond's threats Of personal violence,
now tells it voluntarily.
Young Ames was secretary for Hammond
and says he wrote many letters last year to
English noblemen demanding hush money.
His sworn statement is in part as follows:
I'm June. 1883. Thomas Conway, boy 10
years of age, told me of the existence of the
house kept by Hammond, on Cleveland
street, London, and induced me to 60 there
money was plenty 1 remained there until
June. 1889. at which time the discovery of
the nature of the house compelled Hammond
and myself to leave London.
THE house, was told by Hammond, had
been running between three and four years,
and during the year l was there about
twenty men visited the house regularly
Many of these were introduced into the
house under false names, and the names of
some were never known, either to Ham
mond or myself. Seven of the men | be-
came personally acquainted with, and their
names were: The Earl of Euston, residing
at II Grosyenor place, London; Lord Arthur
Somerset, residing at Hyde Park Barracks;
Robert Jeryoice. a Queens Officer at Win
chester Barracks; Dr. Maitland of Harvard,
a suburb of London; Percy Stafford, cap
italst of London; Hugh Waglin. banker
Of 56 Sackwell street, London, and Captain
Barley of the army.
IAN the visitors to the house were from
the higher class. and they were always lib
eral with their money. When the expose
occurred, which caused the house to shut
down, Hammond took me with him and
went to Calais, and from there went to
Paris. In Paris we stayed three weeks with
Mrs. Hammonds sister, and then we went
10 Langley, France. At Langley, Ham,
mond was met by Arthur Newton, the law
yer, who was acting In the interests of the
visitors to the Cleveland-street house, and
he wanted us to 60 to America al once On
the following day two English detectives
went TO the french officers and had Ham,
mond expelled from the country. They told
him to leave by noontime.
In July, 1889. we left France and went
TO b lfast and then to HalanZy, where we
stayed three weeks. While in Halanzy,
Newton, the lawyer, sent word to Ham
mond to 90 to Antwerp, where he would
meet him and arrange the matter. We met
Newton at Brussels, and in a room in one of
the hotels there, Newton asked Hammond
what he would take to go to America. l
was in the room at the time, and Hammond
told him that he would have to have 95000 to
start with. The matter was finally COM
promised between them for ej00.
" We sailed under fictitious names on the
steamer Penland, for New York, and when
we arrived there man named Harris, who
had been sent by Newton to see that we
arrived all right, paid $4,000 over to Ham
mond. Hammond cannot write, and since
he has been here have done that work for
him. l have written letters for him de-
handing money from the Earl of Euston,
and l. I'd Somerset, and Robert JervOce
since we have been here, and within the
past month l wrote and registered letter to
JervOice demanding 800 for Ham mond,
NhO stated that he was in trouble.
whether or not Hammond ever received
any return | cannot positively state. While
Hammond was running the Haymarket
Saloon l once asked him for money He
was very pleasant and offered me some
whisky to drink, but l did not touch it as
there was substance in the bottom which
looked like poison"