The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-19
TRIED 1T IN SAVANNAH, TOO.
The bogus Steamship Agent Catches
One or Two People Here.

Oht EtOpit
]. P. Gerard. as he signs himself. the
smart youth who posed in Charleston as a
travelling passenger agent Of the Ocean
Steamship Company. an account Of whose
operations was given in yesterdays Morn
ing News. was in Savannah last Friday
and made an attempt to do several people
in the same manner that he did them in
Charleston
His efforts here. however, do not seem
to have been so successful on account OF
the fact that he was right at the com
Dany's home port. and there was consid-
cradle danger Of his being caught
He entered into a contract in Charleston
with the Charleston Sun for some adver-
Using. but never showed up to get the
rates that he had asked for. In the mean
time he had been busy preparing check.
it seems, on which he got his board bill
and the balance in cash from the st.
Charles hotel The check was for S25, and
was drawn on the Southern Bank. 1t was
signed ]. p. Gerard, travelling passenger
agent of the Ocean Steamship Company,
and on the back was the forged indorse-
ment of F. ]. Stuart, business manager of
the Sun. Gerard seemed to catch onto
the fact that his movements were being
watched and he skipped out with a small
amount of ill-gotten gains
Agent Anderson of the Ocean Steamship
Company here was asked about Gerard
yesterday. He said the company had never
had any such man in its employ. The
Ocean Steamship Company has only one
travelling passenger agent, Mr.. w. E. Ar
mold, whose headquarters are at Jackson
vile. Fla. Not only the agents, but the
officers of the company, Mr.. Anderson
SAID, were not allowed to have open ac-
counts to check on such as Gerard pre-
tended to have at the Southern Bank.
Mr.. Anderson said all of the mans ac-
tons indicated clearly that he was a swim
der, and the company had nothing what
eevr to do with him. All the soliciting
agents are required to make UP regular
expense statements, which must be prop
erly approved and vouchered off to them.
Gerrards operations in Charleston
brought out the fact that he had similar
designs in Savannah, which he attempted
10 put into execution, but was foiled in
the attempt. When he came here he reg
lstered at the De Soto, and about the first
thing he did was TO give Messrs. Watson
q Powers a check for S25 on the Southern
Bank, signed as was that he passed in
Charleston, he posing as the travelling pas
senger agent of the Ocean Steamship
Company. Mr. Powers suspected some
thing wrong about the check, and before
letting him have any money on it decided
to see Mr.. Anderson. Mr.. Anderson, of
course, told him the company had no such
agent, and that he was an impostor. Mr..
Powers contemplated having the matter
placed in the hands of Detective Wether-
horn, but the bird had taken wings for
Charleston before he could get at him.
Gerard did manage to get In one effec-
tive piece of work here, however and
only one, so far as has yet come TO light.
He went to the Falk Clothing Company
and purchased a suit of clothes, present
ing in payment a $25 check on the Chat
ham Bank, signed in the same manner. He
got SIS suit of clothes and took the bal
ance in cash. Whether he got any one
else in the same manner is not known, but
he would have done so, no doubt, had the
opportunity afforded itself.
Gerard is supposed to have gone to At
lanta. He left his trunk and sachel behind
him in Charleston.