Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-18
FREDERICK.

One of the most daring swindles that has
been attempted in this county for long
time was perpetrated upon a number of
farmers on Thursday last. The scheme
was an entirely new and novel one, and for
that reason met with unusual success Its
perpetrator was man OF about thirty-fve
years of age. who registered at the Carlin
House here on Wednesday as J.. e. Brown
OF Baltimore. The first place he called was
at the Western Union telegraph office. where
he inquired the rate to Chicago and took
with him he left a number of teegraphic
sending blanks. He asked to have the mes
senger boy, harry Bradshaw, sent to him
at the hotel at pm, as he would have
lot of teiegr6ms to send. Instead of that
when the boy called he offered to give him
s. for a dozen receiving blanks and envel-
opes of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, which he proposed that the boy
should steal. Bradshaw refused to do this
and reported the matter to the manager of
the office. On Wednesday night the swim
dler called on the Rev. NJ. L. Maysiller, the
United Brethren pastor here. and gave the
name of W. White. MELVILLE, Pa. He told
all about MELVILLE and it's churches and so
inSratiated himself in the favor of Mr..
Maysilier, who had formerly lived in New
VILE, that he was invited to take supper
and stay all night, which he did. The next
day he hired n horse and buggy from II. G.
Zacharias. and. taking a colored boy with
him, drove out in the country. He was
gone until late Thursday night, and the
colored boy says he stopped at q number
of farm houses ard was paid a good deal
of money. Friday morning ne left this city
suddenly. having failed to pay his board or
the team hire. After he had gone Oliver
X. Coblentz OF near Middletown telephoned
to the Western Union telegraph office here
to know about message that had been de-
livered for him at the home of his sister.
Mrs. Albert Dean, the day before. MIR.
Coblentz was informed that no message
b,A we'd ha~a for nd IN n.
leaked out that the fellows scheme was to
deliver bogus messages at the houses of
farmers on which there were exorbitant
delivery charges. collect the money, and
drive on. The message for Mr.. CoblentZ
was taken to his house when no one was
at home except the housekeeper and a
hired man. They would not receive ii, and
it was then taken to Mrs. Dean. She was
told it an important message for her
brother, MIR. Coblentz and the charge was
$50. She gave the man s., all the change
she had, and. taking that, he told her to
leave the balance at the telegraph office in
Frederick. The message was from the
mayor of Helena, Mont, and stated that
Mr. Coblentz should come at once: a
man had been found dead there and on his
person a valuable letter addressed to Mr..
Coblentz. When Mr.. Coblentz received the
message he was deeply mystified. he
knows no one in Helena, and, suspectinS
swindle, made inquiry at the telegraph Of
flee, only to lind that his surmiscs were COR
rect. 1t is thought that the stranger OBJ
tanned a large sum of money in this way in
the county. He has a dark coarse mus
tache and dark hair. forid complexion,
wears brown coat, is about five feet six
inches tall and is quick and nervous in his
movements.
In the circuit court for Frederick county,
December term. Saturday, Judge John A.
Lynch dismissed all the witnesses on the
trial docket till January =, 1894. and Will
then take up the criminal docket which has
on it number of interesting cases.