Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-08-11
HAS A BAD RECORD.
Facts Concerning Rev.
Mr.. Hammond.
HE Is A GENERAL lMPOSTER
Represented Himself to Be q Doctor or
o Preacher as Occasion Served.

BosToy. Aug. ll-P-obsbly no crook ~
better known 10 ia. police of AL the large
cities Of this country ,hnn liev William
Hammond who hss pnsod US preacher,
pbysician, priest. converted Roman Cath
ollie. and figured as "a desd beat. biGamish
cor fldencc man and thief In n hundred
different aces.
Fog some lit,le. time he has not been
heard from. mud IL wis supposed that be
had disappeared from the face os tho
Garth. Yesterday, however. brounht word
that lac has turned up la Melbourne, Aus
tral'a. The following letter was received
by Chief Inspector Coulter from gentle
man prominent in religious circles in that
far-avay land;
an Anxious Inquiry
MLLpoupsr. July 0, 1879.
DEAR sIR-We Lave received extracts from
Tho Police News, Sept. ~ 1887, and Juno 0.
1850. referring t Dx. William Hammond. who,
In tLcse reports, 10 designated as o tigamist
preacher. doctor, dead beat. and even soem 70
imply theft. We have during tho last two or
tbreo years had vtadt from doctoE and
preacher Of that name In Melbourne 10 con-
nectcd himself With the body with which
am associated, Getting a. secretary for the as-
sociated churches.
Ils came here FROM England ond gave oat
that ho was q oppeeyted Roman Catholic, and
also brought with bin hie wife, whom ho hal
left hero With her and preached Ia connection
with churcboe tn New Zoaland for few
months. About tho cnd Of 1859 ho went 20 Now
Haven, u. & A. where ho said bo practioed as
doctor. On Feb. ", lHO, HIS vito, Ellen,
dioi. Iu u letter sent to 10 bo said she bad
died os an internal tumor, followed by the
grip.
Tho only tltimetion Of hor doath NO had
vps from himself Soven or eight months at
terward he came back 20 Australia Gnd ut
Melbourne marrcd Now Zealand young
lady with property. which he ~ once con-
verted into money. lie then went 10 Homo
lulu, Ia tho middle of 1901 vtth bis new wife,
and stared tAero until s9k6 tf the local
papers began to seproduoe ih1hc.r papers tho
articles already alluded 70.
When ho left thoro be won't 20 Japan.
may say bore that the wife he brought from
Malta wss fcputed to 10 we'll OF. and sho wns
loved and respected here by all her friends.
We had no roalsop TO suspect the mans sim
cority wbde DO ras hero, further than that
BIO was OF a re sss and speculative, ncrvous
disposition. u &c were Assured by some
who had passs Through Honolulu that they
bad good rcas 20 believe that be Is the self
eame persop who u rcfosFcd to IN these ox-
trao.s. incloso copy Of them. We ore worry
anxiOus 10 know whotheT ho Is really the per-
son referred to- also send you by the post
know. and who may turn up at any timo 10 ua
Please look upon THE W private In the
meantime. and obltsc inc With an carly reply.
Yours faithfully, - 49,,
The chief inspector declined TO give out
tho name Of the writer Of this ietteE
Tho tinostion.
Whoa the photograph Of Hammond AZ
rived 10 was delivered to Clerk Barry, who
OF onoo began to loob through the rogue's
gallery 10 search of its fac-simile slhe
likeness was that OF q well preserved man
Of about middle ago. slightly bald, and
wearing foil beard aud moustache. lie
had y pleasant expression and looked very
muc5 hee clergyman When photo
graph irr la tho gallery was reached
Clerk Barry stopped. for there was faco
neSs photograph in his hand. which had
been taken at Cape Colony.
II was taken from its place IN the gal
lery, and gu It's back was this description,
William Hammond. confidence maSr'40
years, D feet IL inches, 100 pounds, light
complexion, light hair and blue eyes; az
rested April 1, 1880, us a fugitive from fus-
tce; wanted In franklin Falls, n g.
The identity of Rev. William Hammond
OF Australia was established beyond
doubt A letter stating the facts will be
sent at once by Chief Coulter TO the
writer at Melbourna
HIS Record
II would take good sized volume 70 mar
rate all the swindling operations in which
Hammond has figured. In June, 1857,
while preaching at franklin Falls, N. H.,
he married Mrs Dr. Drockway OF that
place, and was detected In scheme to ap-
propriate all his wife's property aud then
desert her, by Boston Inspectors lie has
preached In Bedford. MISS. at Allentown.
Pa, South Putney. ~ Y, Wolf Lake,
Indian Village and Ligonier. Ind. In oil
of which places he left records OF crooked
nesa
rn Boston aiso, and many other places,
Hammond has been prominent In the
Methodist Presbyterian. Unitarian,
Dunkard and Fece Will Baptist churches
lie has also teen in the Roman Catholic
church.
More wjckedness
IN addi;ien to his connection with
churches, Hammond has also Joined the
Odd Follows. knights Of Pytbias, Patrons
Of Husbandry and Sons a Temperance,
ard has been expelled from each for mis-
conduct after figuring in various ofIicea
In Macon, Ca, Hammond turned up IA
the sumner Of 1887, and representing him
self ns q widowel with property, succeeded
in getting into good society. lie married
an estimable young lady In the place
Shortly after fncts regarding hts past his
tory came TO light. and he was also In
dicted for selling liquor without license
he obtained baii and skipped the country
His bopds were scfnulted and his victim
ized bondsmen were very angry. lie has
hot been in this country since, it Is said
VSeet RacerA