Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-30
gew Yarea @ailg g1prnng gourual and Gpnrier
A CONSCIOUSNESS ROGUE.
Latest Exploits OF 'sRev.o william
Hammond-Career of a Notorious
CSTv

Latest Exploits OF "Rev.S william
Hammond OF a Notorious
Criminal.
BosT5N, Dec 2g.-"Rev." William Ham
rnond, known throughout the United
States, and especially New England, as q
confidence man, bigamist, swindler, and
almost every kind of criminal in the
category. has been up to his old tricks in
Auckland, New Zealand, according to ad-
vices received by the police of this city,
who were applied to for information by the
Auckland authorities. Before he was ex-,
posed, however,. he succeeded in marrying
d wealthy widow there and after securing
$1,000 of her money deserted her, leaving
for Japan where he is now supposed to be.
This marriage makes his ninth, so far as
known, and at least five of the victimized
women are living. He has acted as a
Methodist, Unitarian, Free VIII Baptist
and Presbyterian minister, as physician
and lawyer, and had Joined and been ex-
PEELED from many secret societies. Yet,
with all his misdeeds, he has been ar
rested but twice and each time escaped
punishment by some startling theatrical
play at his trials. He appeared in Yreka,
Cal some years ago and had with him two
women, one of whom he called his wife
and the other his sister. He preached in
the Methodist church and his apparent
piety won for him high regard. Complaints
began to arise, however, of his attentions
to women of his congregation, and while
the citizens were preparing. to investigate
than hio oil 20 nd ioko cd rxyi%I
in week of each other. He collected
some 81, 600 on policies on their lives and
shortly afterward skipped the town, lesv-
ing a number of creditors. At South
Poultney, N. Y, he acted as a Catholic
priest and is said to have appropriated
sum of church money when he left town
suddenly. In Allentown, Pa, he is re-
membered as Presbyterian minister and
q conscisnceless rogue and prohigste.
In Lgonier, Ind, he appeared as
a physician, but the town grow
ing too warm for him he went to
Wolf Lake, Ind; when he left there the
citizens expressed their gratitude by firing
a cannon. At Indian Lake. Ind. house
that he lived in was burned and he &C.
cured 81, 500 insurance on the furniture.
Here another alleged wife died and 81 900
came to him. Late in 1885 he appeared as
q PHOdCAOI III bCQ1O1uy uA0S6.S nuO hlk0I Ella
months service was driven out of the
town. He was a Unitarian there. He
then went to Madison, N. h, and later
state. He was Free Will Baptist minis
ter there and made love to widow, Mrs.
DR.. FL. W. Brockway, who had money.
She finally consented to marry Hammond.
Just after the marriage he got $4,000 de-
posted in a savings bank in her name and
also secured a 81 900 bond she held. Then
Mrs. Brockwsy Gays he dosed her with
morphine and left town. A neighbor
found Mrs. Brockwsy in a stupor and
saved her life The $4,000 was in the form
Of draft on Boston, payment of which
was stopped by telegraph.
Hammond was arrested in Boston and
taken to Franklin Falls, but when his wife
found that her money was safe she was
Hammond quit Franklin Falls, and pick
Ing up woman whom he called his wife
came TO the surface next in Montreal. He
procured employment for time in the
Etna Life Insurance agency in Montreal,
bat was discharged. He had obtained his
situation on forged letters of recommend
alton. A few months later he was arrested
for perjury, and the police found in his
rooms full kit of burglars tools and in
for which he had tickets, set
of safe-breaking appliances, including a
brace and diamond drills. In the summer
of 1887 he was q lawyer in Macon, Fla,
and married wife No. s. He was arrested
for selling liquor without license, but
jumped his bail and deserted his wife. He
turned up in Savannah, Ga where, repre-
senting himself SO q Mason and Odd Eel
low, he sold piece of land which did not
exist to Mr.. jackson for $1,000.