The morning times., 1895-08-09

| The peculiar business methods OF Luther
w. Speare, president OF the New Alexan-
dria Improvement Company, and grand
chief promoter of the paper-made city OF
that name, laid out on the marshy banks
of the Potomac below Alexandria proper,
have at last brought him within the clutches
| of the law
The penalty for the offense with which
he is charged is Imprisonment in the peni-
| tentiary for term of not less than one
! year, aud it seems very Iiekly that he may
have some trouble in clearing himself
| Francis Hall, respectable colored
man, former proprietor of a restaurant at
! No. 923 Eleventh street north west, appeared
before Warrant Clerk Washbrn in the
| police court yes terday aftern Don, aud
swore out warrant charging Speare with
obtaining money under false preteTzses.
The amount OF money alleged to have
been secured 10y Speare on his misrepresen-
tatious is 500, and the circumstances
alleged in the document are as follows:
TERMS OF THE CONTRACT.
About six months ago Hall was in
duced TO purchase two lots in New Alex
andria from speare, the terms of the con-
| tract stating, ii is said, that houFe was
! 10 be built by the president of the Improve
| ment Company on one OF them. AS soon as
the cellar of the house was dug Speare
| was to be paid $500.
The house was then to be carried up
without further expenditure on the part OF
| the purchaser until it was ready to be
/ pastered, when another 500 was to be
| paid. The cellar was dug, according TO
| terms, and the $500 was paid TO Speare.
He then went on with the building in a
| very enthusiastic manner, it is faid, and
| several weeks ago went to Hall AID in
| formed him that the house was sufficiently
| advanced toward completion To meet the
| requirements OF the contract and warrant
| the payment Of that other 500.
Hall accepted Speares statement, and
paid the money over. Shortly afterward
he visited the thriving % city on the
marsh and was painfully surprised 10 see
| that the house he had fondly expected to
! behold almost ready for occupancy was
rooficss, the cellar filled with water, and
damp, cherries atmosphere or gloom
lowering over all, that made him snudder.
This discovery naturally moved Mr.. Hall
| to wrath, and when he returned to this city
| aud got breath ofpureairhe communica ted
/ the facts in the case to Lawyer Cricher.
Acting upon the advice Of his counsel he
| proceeded to the police court yesterday aud
| swore out the warrant for Speare. The
| warrant was sent out from the police court
| yesterday evening and will probab bly, be
served to-day.
Hall, with his family, lives at No. 1919
L street northwest, and the money he ex-
pended on the alleged dmisrepreSentations OF
Speare, represents the savings of several
years, when he was engaged in the business
Of keeping restaurant.
MOURN FOR THE MONEY.
He had no employment a present, a nd was
looking forward to the completion of the
building in New Alexandria, where he
Z hopedto be able to tart store ofsone kind,
aud resume business.
''If We had that money now" said Mrs.
I Hall last uight, we might at least live
on IT. That would be better than thro wing
itaway as has beendone. My hus ba nd O WINS
no other property than that in New Alex
audria, and were afraid he doesn't own
that now. From all accounts it looks very
much that way"
New Alexandria and the improvement
company seems to be getting in a very
bad way, financially and structurally.
ASS told in last Saturdays Morning Times
a wholesale discharge OF the employees OF
the hotel conducted by Speare took place
last week, and it was said that the hotel
itsself would have to be closed in a very
short time.
A similar case to that of Hall has been
placed in the hands of Messrs. Ralston &
Siddons, By one of the purchasers of lots
in New Alexandria, and it is thought
probable that there viii be more to follow
as soon as these have been made public.