Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-28
Music at East Lake. 5-ao-tf
A FAKlR CAUGHT
And Where the Chicago Associated Press Gets Its Cuban News Ascertained-
 Talked Once Too Often.

| Gainesville. Fla, June 27-Four pistol shots, fired in rapid succession, in the direction of the depot. at 10 o'clock last night drew a large crowd toward that place and on the vacant lot near the Park house Frank Anderfer was lying in the road in an unconscious condition. In his right had he held a revolver tightly clasped, four chambers of which had been discharged.
 No signs of wound could be found anywhere on Anderfer, and it was thought he had been sand-bagged. He was re- moved to his room at the Osborne house and physicians were called. All efforts to revive him, however, have proved futile, and today he was still unconscious, though his pulse and breathing are regu- lar.
 Anderfer is the man who has been re- ceiving the letters from Major Ham in | Cuba, and great many claim these let terS are at the bottom of the affair. It is stated by Andefers friends that he has been shadowed by unknown parties for the past two or three weeks and they be- lieve that these parties are agents of the Spanish government. Every four or five days Anderfer has received a letter pur porting to have come from the insurgent camp and always telling of insurgent success. Several papers in the large cit ies have used the letters and the Chicago Associated Press has been a regular GUS tOmer It was apparent the letters were fakes Although they did not come through the postoffice, about every five days Anderfer would announce the re- ceipt of a letter from Maj" r. P. Ham, who was alleged to be an officer in Go meZ'S army operating in the interior of Cuba. Tonight Anderfer regained con sciousness and told in substance the fol- lowing story
 Anderfer left his boarding house about 9:S0 o'clock saying he was going to get a letter from Cuba. He says he had se- cured this letter and was returning home across the vacant lot when a negro and white man came suddenly up behind him. The negro grabbed him by his coat col lar and, placing his knee against his back, jerked him down and was in the act of cutting his throat when the white man stopped him, saying he could do the work without leaving any signs and at the same time scratched him across the hands with some small instrument, leav- ing a light scratch, following this with a blow upon the head with a sand bag. He claims that when assaulted he had In his possession a letter from Cuba con- taining important news. When found he had no such letter and says that the only object of his assailants was to secure tha letter.
 pr. McKinsley says there is no doubt but that the man was assaulted But the question the people here are asking is where had Anderfer been at that hour and in that neighbohood to get letter. No one can answer and large number believe the Ham letters are a fake.
 The afternoon Ledger of this date sums up the case editorially as follows: "It now begins to appear to the authorities that the Major Ham letters alleged to have been written from Cuba to one R. F. Anderfef of this city constitute very ingenious fake, devised by Anderfer either for advertising himself or for aIx xtf1c m nf hn ma How these letters manage to escape Spanish espionage, if they are authentic and reach their destination here prompt ly and with great regularity in five days after they are dated, is as mysterious as the conduct of Anderfer when he was found here Tuesday night, lying uncon- scious in vacant lot and grasping revolver from which four shots had just been fired. The curious would like to see one of the original letters which are alleged to have been written in Greek cypher. scrntnize the post mark and have it explained why the let ters are not received through the Gaines vile poStoffice."
 Warrants were issued for Anderfer and three of his companions tonight charg- ing them with robbing the safe in the depot here few nights ago, but the men were discharged for lack of evidence.
 The supposition is that Anderfer fixed up the assault story and played being in a trance in order to make the gullible Chicago Associated Press depend on him for its Cuban news, which was done to order at Gainesville, hundreds of miles from the seat of war. But his scheme has failed miserably and resulted in ex- posing the fake which he has been work ing on the Chicago concern.
 Anderfer came here about seven months ago with party of tramps and never seemed to have any funds till the Cuban revolution began and the Chicago Associated Press began to contribute to his support by purchasing it's Cuban news from him. 2
 The city editor of the Gainesville pa- | per aided Anderfer in disposing of the 1 letters, and this editor told the Florida agent of the Southern Associated Press some weeks ago that the Cuban letters were fakes, but that the Chicago Asso- ciated Press wanted them and so they s were prepared.
 Music at East Lake five nights a week for dances by Montana Bros Italian band.