Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-04
As Very Man Wanted for a Serious
Crime in That Place.
Also Answers Description of Notorious
and Much Wanted Crook.
Known In All Parts OF the World for His
Numerous Crimes.

HallOWell, NOV. o.-tSpeClal ).-HeOpie
here are all talking over one of the greatest
sensations that has ever occurred in this
city, A party calling himself DR.. VIM.
Hammond, came to Hallowell, July 2Sth
last He took rooms at Mr.. kilgore's
boarding house, on Water street, put out
his sign, Or. Hammond, physician and
surgeon, and at once began the practice of
medicine. Business was somewhat slow
for the first week, but all that time the
doctor was not idle, but was busy making
acquaintance and informing the good
folks what good he could do,and narrating
the wonderful cures which he had made
and the strange and interesting things he
had seen in his travels covering almost
every inhabitable part of the globe. He
was here for his health, he said, his home
was in Central America, where he owned
a large coffee plantation, valued at over
800, 900, but sickness had obliged
him to seek the climate of the North, for a
few months; he should return home In
March, 1896, at the latest. Two tons of
books, part of his large library, and
SO, 600 worth of curiosities collected by
him in his travels. were on the way, and
he hoped all would avail themselves of his
invitation to come in and see them.
The doctor fast won friends and paying
patients as well. He WAS bright, very
talkativc, and a very good conversation
alist 1t was really very interesting to
listen to his narratives of happenings in
some of the countries which he has visited
Possibly the tales might have been even
more interesting had he not omitted
several exciting personal adventures which
have since been learned. His exact birth
place was not known, but he ap-
peared to have been born in Aus
tralia, in the northern part of Russia,
In Asia, Africa, Japan China, in Central
and South America in Sitka, Alaska,
Canada and nearly every state in our
Union, from Dakota to Florida and Cali
fornia to Maine.
Business commenced to come, his rooms
We're crowded with patients during office
hours, and at other times the doctor was
busting around making calls and per
forming what were, seemingly, wonderful
operations, particularly upon the eyes
His first accommodations were proving
too small, and he shortly changed and took
u bulub Vi GDOllo llttUIuU DlDCh, anu
boarded at Bricks Exchange
Business kept on increasing and the
doctor was obliged to advertise for an as
sistant. He received a hundred applica-
tiops, but none were accepted, although
one physician, DR.. Hudson, came from
New York, but returned the same day
The doctor was apparently an earnest
Christian attending one of our leading
churches regularly, and entertaining the
members present with his religious
eloquencc and prayers. Several times he
was called upon to lead the meetings
which he did, with credit to himself
And still business grew; a hundred
patients a day was not an unusual occur
renee. His name was in everyone's mouth
How grateful Hallowell should be that
so great physician, and withal so good a
man, should locate here how he will be
missed when he returns home"
Let 1t be said right here that Hallowell
was not alone in the benefits which this
good man was bestowing. Augusta, Gar
diner, and in fact all the surrounding
country, were busy hunting up ills to be
cured by DR.. Hammond.
The doctors elegant mansion in Central
America must have untitled him for
living and sleeping in stuffy little office
like his present one. This fact led doubt
ers to search for his photograph In cele-
brated collection of some 1000 rogues.
Here was found what appeared to be
an excellent photograph of the doctor,
labeled as follows:
REV. DIR. VIM. Hammond, thief, con-
fidence man, bigamist, adulterer, abor-
Zionist and all-round crook and skin
comes to the surface in Florida
Then followed a long sketch of his al
legged doings in Macon, that state from
which it appeared that while there he had
passed as minister of the gospel. was as
signed pastorate and preached for three
months, during which time he married a
respectable lady, obtained her bank book
and drew the $4,000 which 1t was good for,
and has not since been seem
From Florida he went to Franklin
Falls, n. H., a large manufacturing town
of 5000 inhabitants Here he again estab-
lished himself as reverend gentleman of
the Free Will Baptist denomination
While here he married Mrs. Brockway,