The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-11
THE SWINDLERS TRIED
IN THE POLICE COURT FOR PASS
ING TORTHLESs Cheers.
zimmerman's True Name 10 Probably A.
NJ. Hsli-He Was Once Newspaper
Mantle Evidence.


zimmerman and Marion we're charged
with forging and employing as true
check FOR $3.50. supporting 10 be signed
hv one II. V. II. Hanson, with intent to
defraud A. X. Schaap; also check for
nfty dollars purporting to be signed by
Hanson. with intent to defraud +. NJ.
Parker. Jr.. and a. J. Zimmerman. charg-
% with obtaining under false pretenses
$50 from the State Newspaper Com
pauy.
The charge against Zmmerna an alone
VAS the first examined The statement
o. Mr.. George Crutohhel1 business mana
ser OF the State newspaper. was identical
With the account which has already
been Published in The Times and showed
that Zimmerman was undoubtedly a
crook" OF the smooth order
Mtssrs. +. NJ. Parker. Jr.. and A. X.
Schaap testified that both of the prisoners
visited their offices. and that thinner
did the talking for the firm"
Sergeant Tomlinson then took the stand.
and stated that. while he knew nothing
except from hearsay he could bring ex-
pert testimony 10 show that the names
u A. J. Zimmerman and r. V. VI. Han
som were written by the same person.
The counsel for the defense objected
% this. on the ground that there had been
700 many mistakes made from so-called
expert testimony. and a question would
arise as TO whether or not the testimony
secured was expert.
After hearing the testimony. Judge
Crutchfiold decided that he could do moth
inc with the charge Of forgery. hut sent
h1,h men 10 che IN stings court for lar
ceny lie also required of them 500 Sc
Csrity for twelve months for being
suspicious characters i'm default Of which
both men Were committed TO lail.
Thcv were uni Sually cool prisoners, and
turing the proceedings chatted togo Their
800 sociable way. as If utterly Indifferent
us On the result Of the trial. As soon as
'lo decision was made Zimmerman coolly
appropriated a cigarette and passed the
box around. engs girg i'm conversation with
several gentlemen standing near.
IL Will be remembered that a day or
two before his arrest, Zimmerman, who
IS the most intelligent member of the
frm." paid a flying visit to the editorial
rooms Of The Times. He is man Of
rentlemanly bearing. ard is an unusually
interesting conversationalist. In a short
lime he succeeded in making himself par
ticularly agreeable, and offered to write
"a humorous story for the paper. The
story was written. but the city editor
ieemiug Il unworthy Of publication at the
time. rejected the manuscript. which was
forwards discovered among the waste
papers. II was not ovcr-burdened with
humor. but may. perhaps. throw some
light on the mans history. since ii par
tally coinc'des with the authors recent
experience In this city.
Here is the story:
They stood before the Police Justice.
charged with stealing some small articles
q jewelIy.
Why did you take these thiDgs?" asked
the stern judge.
1t is a long story" replied the more
dinihed Of the two.
only few years ago l graduated from
college and was offered a responsible posi-
ton with one Of the largest firms in our
town.
In few years I had advanced to the
position Of confidential secretary to the
head OF the firm
Fast companions and a natural inclin-
alton to go the pace that kills led me into
debt even though / was receiving large
salary. and one day in fit Of despon-
dency left my position TO come here
where thought might improve my con
dltion.
Fate was against me, OF course and ]
soon found myself penniless and with 10
chance OF getting anything to eat
In this condition I naturally fell in with
low class OF companions, and whsn one
Of them suggested my stealing these
things l saw a chance Of at least one
square meal. so took them.
Considering all these facts, / hope Your
Honor VIII be easy with me and give me
a light sentence"
Hum" grunted the judge; then turn
ing TO the other offender. land You Pat
rick?"
IN take the same. Your Honor" he
rei'ied.
In conversation with Zimmerman YES
terday / mentioned the matter Of his
contribution. and remarked that the sub
stance of the story was nouceably SINH
lar TO his own case so far as / could
learn. He replied smiingly, that there
was no connection between the two. and
that frequently he had been taken in with
worthless checks for small sums, but
made no account Of the matter. IF this
thing had happened in most cities" said
he, that would have been the end of
II. but I'm this one-horse town one can't
expect any better"
Yesterday morning a physician from
Boston went 10 the police court and iden-
tilted Zimmerman as Bert NJ. Hall, who
recently treated a number of people in
Boston very shabby" According to the
Doctors statement Zimmerman's right
name is A. NJ. Hall who has been con-
nected with the Chicago Times and the
New York World. Boston journal re-
Gently published the record of the man
Hall. who IS. according to the newspaper
account noted crook He went to
Boston with letters Of Introduction, and
was received at one of the clubs I'm the
Hub. where he was entertained. and soon
succeeded In making number of friends
and operated on an extended scale with
bogus checks. The description OF the
man Hall Is identical with that Of Zim-
herman. and there seems TO be little
doubt that they are one and the same
person.
A check given I'm Lexington. Va. and
returned protested was signed "E. NJ.
Hall" and a bank deposit book in the
same name was found in Zimmermans
satchel.
II IS believed that the man IS OF good
parcntage and originally hailed from Co
lumbus. o.. where his parents now reside.
Az an events. he is a sharp one. Marion
IS apparently tool. picked up to assist
in executing the schemes as planned by
the other man.
u was quite "come down" 10 be trans
ferred from the Exchange and Ballard
% the Hotel de jug" and the guests
showed unmistakable signs Of displeasure
az the change.
4NNTTEESARY