The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-20
AN OLD CROOK IN The TOLLS.
HAMMOND, ALIAS HILL, UNDER AR
REST IN NEW ORLEANS.

Had n scheme 10 Establish a Private
Hospital in savannah and Per-
suaded n Young Woman 10 Leave
MiIIimantic, Conn. 10 Invest Her
Savings in II and Take Charge of
the Nurse Depnrtment-Was shnd-
owed by the Police While Here and
Did Not stay LonE-The same Man
who svvIndIed Several People Here
in 1SS0.
The police are interested in a case which
the New Orleans authorities now have in
hand. DR.. Hammond. a celebrated crook
and all around swindler. is under arrest
there for being up 10 his old tricks.
The New Orleans police do not appear
10 have a clear case against Hammond.
The arrest is Of interest TO Savannah be-
cause Hammond was arrested here by
Detective Wetherh0rn IN 1885 for swim
ding parties here and in Florida 10y the
sale Of land which he did not own. and
also because he very narrowly escaped
arrest here about three weeks ago. That
is. Chief McDermott is satisfied that the
man he had under surveillance here last
month as DR.. Hil is the same man whom
the New Orleans police have arrested as
Dr. Hammond.
Hammond is said to be a notorious
crook, usually pretending TO be a doctor
and minister, and some times claiming TO
be a lawyer. He also has a fondness for
inveigling young women. A little over a
month ago Chief MeDermott received a
letter from Chief Hinhouse Of Whitman
sic, Conn. stating that young woman
Of that place, Ella r. Davoll. would sail
from New York for Savannah by the next
days steamer. The letter stated that
some time before tho young woman had
met an old man about IS years of age,
claiming to be a preacher and giving his
name as DR.. b. A. Hill Of Savannah, who
persuaded her to go south with him on
the pretense that he was about to open
up private hospital in Savannah.
Hill worked the evangelist racket, and
met the young woman at church. The let
ter stated that she was a professional
nurse, and had saved up about 500 by hard
work. She had fallen in with Hnl's
scheme, had agreed to put her money into
" ana was 10 take charge Of the nurses
Chief Hillhouse stated that he was I'M
able TO make any specific charge against
Hill, but knew that he had once been ar
ANNtlA AOA blbdllgs II was ntlltkNQ lnHL ne
had lured the young woman away from
home Tor no good purpose he said She
seemed infatuated with him and her pa
rents had been unable to prevent her from
gong. Ihey were anxious that a watch
should be kept on the party in Savannah,
ana the young woman protected in case
OF danger. The letter stated that Miss
DayOn would be accompanied by another
woman, who claimed to be Hurs wife. al
though she had been working as a waiter
N 5-cent soup house in WillimRntic
I'M was 10 so 10 Savannah by rail and
meet the two women here.
The plan as stated in the letter was car
ried out. Hill met the women at the steam
ef here. The city detectives also met the
steamer and spotted Hill by his photo
graph, which had been sent to Chief Nc
nermott. They noticed that he wore false
whiskers. He met the women as they came
on the steamer, and placed them in a
hack. The detectives followed in another
hack and saw the party land at boarding
house, on Jones street, which they made
their headquarters during their stay in
A close watch was kept on the party
while here, but nothing was done which
would warrant their arrest. Chief Nc
DeFmott corresponded with Chief Hill
house by NAH and telegraph, but the lat
ter was unable to furnish him any charge
requiring Hills arrest After remaining
mere several days the party left for Flor
1daf being bound, II was understood, for
Pensacola, but it is believed that they
stopped at Thomasville.
About a week ago Chief McDermott
received a letter from Chief Caster Of
New Orleans notifying him of the arrest
there Of Or. Hammond, the preacher
doctor crook. Chief Caster seemed to
think that Hammond was wanted in sa-
vannah. He inclosed a picture OF him
taken from a recent issue of the Police
Gazette, The resemblance of this picture
10 the photographer Hin sent him from
Wllimantie and the close similarity Of
the characters of the two men convinced
Chief McDelmott that Hammond and
HILL were one and the same men. He re-
piled TO Chief Caster that Hammond was
not wanted here but gave him some ac-
count OF Hill, From Information which
he received yesterday from New Orleans.
Chief McDermott is satisfied that Hill.
alias Hammond, has come 70 grief IN that
city.
Detective Wetherhorn had entirely for
gotten, about arresting Hammond in Sa-
Nannah IN 1855, but recalled the fact to
mind when spoken to on the subject. He
could not recall the details Of the case
just then, but said that he remembered
arresting Hammond for some land swim
die and that he was afterwards taken back
TO Florida where he escaupd from ian