Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-12-30
H8MMOND'S RECORD
The Notorious Swindler Has
Been Working in Auckland.
MARRlEs WIFE NO. 9 AND RoHs HER

He Ii Well Known in This Country-Has
Posed as q Clergyman Of Various De-
Dominations-His Great Delight Vlotim-
hing Conflding women-The Mysterious
Deaths of Some of His Wives.
Boston, Dec. 30.-The Grew" William
Hammond, known throughout the Uni
ted States and especially New England as
a confidence man, bigamist, swindler and
almost every kind of a criminal in the cat
egory, has been up to his old tricks in
Auckland, New Zealand, according to adj
vices received by the police of this city,
who were applied to for information by
the Auckland authorities.
Before he was exposed, however, he sue
ceeded in marrying "a wealthy widow
there, and after Sc curing So, 900 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 victim
lied women are living.
He has acted as Methodist, Unitarian,
Free Will Baptist and Presbyterian min
lister, as n physician and lawyer, and had
joined and been expelled from many Sc
cret societies. Yet, with all his misdeeds,
he has been arrested but twice and each
time escaped punishment by some play
at his trials.
He appeared in Yuka, 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. His alleged wife and
sister died within a week of each other.
He collected some $4,000 on policies on
their lives and soon afterward skipped
| the town, leaving number of creditors
| behind.
In South Poultney, N. Y, he acted as q
Catholic priest, and is said to have appro-
| priated sum of church money when he
| left town suddenly.
In Allentown, Pa, he is remembered as
Presbyterian minister and al conscience
less liar and proaigate." In Lgonier
| Ind, he appeared as a physician, but the
| town growing to warm for him he went
| to Wolf Lake, Ind. When he left there
| the citizens expressed their qualification
| by firing cannon. At Indian Lake, Ind.
| a house that he lived in was burned, and
| he secured 81, 800 Insurance on the furni-
| ture. There another alleged wife died,
| and 81 900 life insurance came to him.
Late in 1885 he appeared as preacher
in Bedford Mass, and after six months
| service was driven out of the town. He
L
| Madison, N. H., and later appeared Al
Franklin Falls, the same State. He wa:
/ a Freewill Baptist minister there anC
made love to a widow, Mrs. DR.. w. H
Brockway, who had money. just aftel
their marriage he got 81, 900 deposited in
a savings bank in her name and also Sc
cured 81 200 bond she held. Then he
dosed her with morphine and immediate
| ly left town.
A neighbor found Mrs. Brockway in {
| stupor and saved her life. The 81, 00l
was in form of draft on Boston. Ham
| mond was arrested in Boston and takel
to Franklin Falls, but when his wifi
| found that her money was safe she wa
| persuaded to drop the complaint.
| A few months later he was arrested TO
| perjury in Montreal and the police founC
| in his room a full kit of burglar tools.
In the summer of 1887 he was lawye
in Macon, Fla, and married wife No. s
He turned up in Savannah, Ga, wher
| representing himself as Mason and Odd
Fellow, he sold a piece of land whicl
/ did not exist to a Mr.. jackson for S., 900
In December, 1887, he was arrested il
Fulton county, Ill, the day before he wa
to marry again, and was charged will
fleeing farmer of 81, ZOO. The none
was returned and Hammond got off witt
an eight months sentence.
| After his discharge he was heard from
| in two or three Western towns and cities
but in 1889 he again disappeared and ha
| Just been heard from again.