The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-26

cancelled by him. These postmasters
would, with Barrett's aid, falsify their
quarterly returns and report their can
cellations at say s10O or 5000, when in
reality perhaps only S. or S6 worth
were actually cancelled. They would
then .draw large commissions, and IN
this way the Government has been
beaten out of thousands of dollars.
Besides this the stamps left on hand,
which had been reported as cancelled,
would be turned over, to Barrett who
would dispose of them and divide the
spoils. Bringing a lot of postage
stamps to Barrett was characterized by
the postmasters as "bringing a 'possum
to town."
The department was aware that Bar
rett was selling stamps at less than
cost, but could not locate the source of
his supply until Fred Peers shrewd
detective work began to throw some
light on the subject. It was a case OF
diamond cut diamond" but the post
office inspector proved to be Barrett's
peer and therefore the cunning jurlst
now languishes in Jail. Inspector
Peer, who is now operating In South
Carolina, is we'll known throughout
the United States. He was formerly
employed in the postoffce at Clncln-
natl, o. Peer has the air of clergy
man and is as bashful as girl. but is
keener and has more nerve than half
a dozen ordinary Hawkshaws.
The band of swindlers mentioned
above, of which Barrett appears to
have been the bright, shining star,
have been working their fraudulent
schemes for number of years and the
many firms that have been victimized
have been mentioned in a former issue
of The State.
The gang was versatile in its tastes
and ordered through the mails with
out hope or intention of paying for it
merchandise of all descriptions, from
saw mills and steam engines down to
furniture, typewriters, safes, dishes,
edibles, soaps and law books. They
seemed to have an especial weakness
for pianos, organs and safes and in
more than one little log hut out in the
backwoods can be found fine office
safes and grand mahogany pianos,
ranging in price from $3.50 TO $500.
This band of robbers fourished. They
managed to get themselves rated IN
Bradstreet's or Dun's.
The scheme to defraud business
houses was this: Using conspicuous
letter heads with United States postof-
fee printed thereon. one of the con-
spirators would order goods on the in
stalment plan and upon their arrival
would mortgage them to another of
the gang. In order to give the transac-
ton semblance of being bona tide and
legal, Barrett would see that money
which he furnished was actually
passed in the presence of an innocent
witness when the mortgage was given.
The money, however, would be re-
turned to Barrett as soon as the mort
gage was recorded in the clerks Office.
When the owners would endeavor to
recover their goods they would find
them sold to some supposed innocent
purchaser and under the laws OF the
State of South Carolina they would
have to whistle for their money. 1t
was smooth sailing on a summer sea
for the swindlers and everything
seemed lovely Gill they struck a snag,
a tagging, probing snag in the person
of Postofice Inspector Peer. The plans
of Barrett and his regularly organized
band of robbers have been fully ventl-
lated in the United States Court room.
Many witnesses were examined and
the evidence adduced was of the most
damaging and convincing character
and showed scheme almost uneXcell-
ed in the history of fraud in its bold
ness and artistic rascaity.
At Spartanburg, Barrett had lot of
law books in his cell in the Jail, which
he converted into sort of law office.
He also had a typewriter in his eel.
on which he was typewriting all of
the evidence in the various cases
against him. But Inspector Peer traced
it up by its number through the Ham
mond Typewriter Company of New
York city, and discovered that it was
also ATTAINED by the fraudulent use of
the mails. J. Il. Nunally, the South
ern agent of the Hanmand Typewriter
Company at Atlanta, Ga, was sent for
and he at once identified the machine
and fine cabinet desk that went with
it as the same property he had been
defrauded out of over two years ago.
He claimed his goods and took them
away from Barrett by regular process
of law, Carson & Eyins acting as his
attorneys.
Attempts have been made by the
Barrett gang to victimize number of
firms all over the United States which
are the Robt, Mitchell Furniture Com
pany, Dodd, Werner & Co., Mosler,
Bahman & Co., and the Herring Hall
Marvin Safe Company. A Herring
Hall safe, which has never been paid
for, was in Barrett's Office when he
was arrested, Certain circulars which
have been sent to various merchants
ordering goods, give a very curious in
sight into some of the methods of Bar
rett's gang and show the ingenuity of
Barrett who originated them. They
are we'll printed on good paper and
dated at the United States postoffice at
Walker, S. G. They direct that the
goods ordered be put in packages not
heavier than four pounds, technical
ly sealed" and mailed with only two
cent stamp thereon. This would leave
S1.26 to be collected at the Office of
destination on each pakage and A. F.
Mcdowell, who was postmaster at
Walkers, as he explained in the circu-
lar, got the transportion of the pack
age practically for nothing, as he