The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-01-05
A HUMAN EEL.
William Hammond Seems to Have a
Monopoly on Devilment.

Boston, Dec 3I.-William Ham,
| mona, known in the United States,
and New England, as confidence
man, bigamist, swindler and almost
| every Kind of criminal, has been up
TO his old tricks in Auckland, New
Zealand. Before he was exposed.
| however, he succeed in marrying a
wealthy widow there, and after secur-
ing So,oOO OF her money deserted her.
| leaving for Japan, where he is now
supposed to be. This marriage makes
MS ninth, as far as known, and at
least five of the victimized women are
living.
He has acted as Methodist. Unitari-
an, Free-Will Baptist and Presbyte-
ran ministers, as physician and law
yer, and has been expelled from many
secret societies, yet he has been arrest
ed but twice and each time escaped
punishment by some startling theatri-
cal play at his trials.
lie appeared in Yuka, Cal. some
years ago, and had with him two wO-
men, one of whom he called his wife
and the other his sister. He preached
IN the Methodist church, and his ap-
parent piety won for him high regard.
Complaints began to arise, howeve~.
OF ms attentions to other women of
his congregation, and while the citi-
zens were preparing to investigate
him his alleged wife and sister died
within week of each other. He col
lected some $4,000 on policies on their
lives and shortly afterward skipped
ors.
He was transformed at Poultnev.
n. Y, to Catholic priest, and in
Allentown, Pa, to Presbyterian min
lister: in Ligonier, Ind, to doctor.
At Indian Lake, Ind, house that
he lived in was burned and he secured
81 800 insurance on the furniture
Here another alleged wife died aud
ii, 900 life insurance came to him.
Late in 1885 he appeared as preach
er in Bedford, Mass, and after six
months service was driven out of the
town. He was Unitarian there. He
then went to Madison, n. H., and
later appeared at Franklin Falls. in
the same State. He was d Free Will
Baptist miniter there and made love
to widow, Mrs. DR.. H. w. Brockway.
who has money. She finally consent
ed to marry him. Just after the mar
riage he got $1,000 deposited in a saw
ings bank in her name, and also secur-
ed 81 900 bond she beld. Then. Mrs.
Brockway says, he dosed her with
morphine and left town. A neighbor
found Mrs. Brockway in stupor and
saved her life. The $1,000 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
Hrtf1ft f1fftffIilfn esESS11l 9ded. TO drnn
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, but was discharged. He had
obtained situation on forged letters
of recommendation. A few months
later he was arrested for perjury and
the police found in his room a full kit
of burglars tools and in a pawnshOp,
for which he had tickets, a set of safe
breaking appliances, including brace
and diamond drills.
In the summer of 1887 he was law
yer in Macon, Fla, and married wife
number eight. He was arrested for
| selling liquor without license, but
| jumped his bail and deserted his wife.
| He turned up in Savannah, Ga, where,
representing himself as a Mason and
an Odd Fellow, he sold a piece of land
which did not exist to Mr.. Jackson.
| In December, 1887, he was arrested
in Fulton county, ILL.,, the day before
| he was to be married again, and was
charged with fleeing farmer out OF
| 81 900. The money was returned and
| Hammond got off with an eight
| months sentence. After his discharge
he was heard from in two or three
| Western towns and cities, but in 1SS!
he again disappeared and has just
been heard from again.