The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-28
Man With MANY Names
Convicted Of Using the United States
Nails to Defraud People.
MRS. RINSLAND FORTUNATE
District Attorney Entered Noile proseqni
in Her Case -Joscph COnrod Convicted
OF Impersonating Dead Soldier.
Eccentric Doctor John Corr.

w. -. DefnlnS, etc, etc, WIS trleu pe'
fore Judge Burlington yesterday after
noon in the United States district cour,
for using the United States mails tC
defraud people. The accused Is a
young man about 81 years of age and
possesses c. 'lege education and Il his
tory that is enveloped in a haze oi
romance and mystery. His real name
he has not divulged. but 1t is under
stood that he is a son of well-to-do peo'
Pile residing at Syracuse, n. Y, al
though his counsel told Judge Butllng
ton yesterday that the prisoners
mother is a widow in INDECENT circum
stance and that 1t was for the purpose
of supplying her with the necessaries
of life that the son became law
breaker.
The accused operated for time in the
western part of this state under the
name Of w. j. Sanford His plan was
to place a want advertisement In the
newspapers stating that he was anX
ious to secure young woman to hc'
as a manager of an agency he wisheC
to establish. To replies received
through the mails he would say tha
the manager would not be required tt
do any canvassing, but simply have
to act as distributing agent to thost
who were to solicit orders for thu
Schulter letter file, of which Sanford
claimed to be the general agent. Be
fore employing the applicant he re
quired them to deposit with him fe'
of $l2 as security and for the paymen
of stationery for the agency. BY tina
scheme Sanford worked young womei
residing in Altoona, Pittsburg, Wheel
ing, w. Va, and other places.
lie Had no Counsel
When Sanford was arraigned yester
day he had no attorney and court di
rected F. e. Alden, a special examine
of pensions. who is also an attorney, I,
look after the interests of the accused
Though it was but the second case tha
Mr.. Alden has tried since being ad
mitted to the bar, he conducted Il ver.
spirited defence. Among the witnesSe
called on the part of the government
were Miss Mary Wills, of Wheeling, w
Va; Miss Margaret Ryan, and Mis-
Jennie Conard. of Altoona. and Mrs
Hulda Pitchard, all of whom had beei
induced to give up hard-earned cash t,
Sanford.
No testimony was offered on the par
of the defense. Attorney Alden sal
that his client had a statement of hi
case prepared which he would like t
read to the jury. District Attorne
Hall objected, however, to his doing s
unless Sanford was sworn and allowe
himself to be cross-eXamined. He di
not choose to do SO and the case wa
given to the jury. \ verdict of guilt
was returned, and Sanford was sen
fenced to pay a fine of 500 and spen
thirteen months in the Western PEN
tentiary at Pittsburg.
The Rinsland Case.
District Attorney Hall announced
the court that he was prepared to ente
nolle prosequi in the case agains
Mrs. Maggie Rinsland, of this city, VIII
was charged with sending obscene lei
ters through the mails to her sister-ir
law at Carbondale. Mrs. Rinsland wa
called before the court and Judge Bui
fington said that 1t was with some r.
luctance that h, 'ad allowed the noll
prOseQui to be enCered. 1t was not bC
cause of inability on the part of tn
government to make out a case tha
the action had been taken, but froi
considerations as to her family that
the district attorney seemed sufficien
Mrs. Rinsland was then dismissed wit
the injunction not to be guilty of IL
decent letter writing again.
Terdicts of not guilty We're returne
in the case against John and Abel Mey
ers, charged with burglarizing the pos
Office at Roaring Springs, Blair count.
George w. Moore, of Clifford, Susqu'
hanna county, pleaded guilty to forl
ing names to pension papers, and wa
| sentenced to pay fine of So, costs an
| spend six months in the Lackawann
county Jail.
Joseph Conrad. of Northumberland
county. was convicted of making falls
afIidavits for the purpose Of obtainin
a pension. He was successful In secu1
ing the pension and for a time drew
a month from Uncle Sam. Conrad
almost 70 years of age and Is bent an
UeCTtpll. ne Hdu tDlISI1 VI the san
name who served in the war as a men
Der of Company c, one Hundred an
| Thirty-first regiment of Pennsylvani
Volunteers Joseph Conrad. the wa
rier, died of smallpox in 1864 and abot
| two years ago 1t flashed across II
mind of his living namesake that thei
was no good reason why he should NJ
draw Il pension for the man who wa
dead. as Uncle Sam would never kno
the difference.
Made a Poor " itness.
The prisoner went on the stand I'm h
| own behalf 'ut made a very poor wi
ness. Tie became much confused an
practically convicted himself. His a
torney, -. o. COughlin, saw that d
fense was then impossible and d
clined to address the jury. A vcrdi
of guilty was returned.
| John Corr, an old man who says he
a "Botonic and Electic Doctor" WI
convicted of sending an obscene lett,
through the malls to the Bradford A
gus. one Of the leading papers of Il
northern tier. The defendant Is an e
centric old fellow and created muC
amusement during the trial of Il
case. He was found guilty, but Judl
Burlington suspended sentence.
TRIED IN COMMON pJEAG