The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-29
HE DEPARTED EARLY.
An Alleged Millionaire Who Wanted
to Buy oliver.


Oliver, Ga, April 2S.-A week
ago a well known vegetable com
mission merchant introduced to me gem
tleman whom l will call Mr. B. He was
said to be a millionaire from Philadel-
phia prospecting for lands. l received him
courteously and provided for his wants.
Mr.. B. told me that he was a consumptive
with plenty of money and desired a healthy
locality south, and that his case had been
| pronounced tuberculosis by DIR. William
Duncan Of Savannah, and that he and his
brother, Sam, left Philadelphia with a pair
of very hne horses, VHlaed at 81 ,50O which
were landed from the steamer in SaVan-
nah. In Savannah he purchased a car
riage in which he and his brother pur-
posed driving through the country in
search of desired spot for the culture of
grapes, and on their way, station or two
below Oliver they struck a rough piece of
road and ran into small ditch cut across
the road, breaking the king bolt of the
carriage and precipitating the party into
the road. The horses became frightened
and demolished the carriage. Mr. b. came
TO Oliver to remain till the carriage was
repaired.
on last Wednesday morning he told me
of his proposed plans, that he had in view
a place called Collins on the railroad, but
that DR.; Duncan had told him Of
the salubrious climate of oliver and
| that he could not do better than to place
| himself under my care as physician while
mere. l proposed to take him to see the
| ldnuS around OlNef, ana show him that
| for grape growing there is no better lands
! this side of California He accepted the
| invitation. He said money was no object
l assured him of mis- certainty of owning
! nearly two-thirds of Oliver, and after com
! ing to a very satisfactory agreement as TO
| the sale of my place went on In the sale
Of nearly all the lands. Of my neighbors.
| Mr.. b. being assured of the possibility of
| buying all the lands he wanted referred to
the matter of coed titles. This l assured
him would be all right. He remarked that
| he would not think of buVing until the
| titles were all looked into by his attorney,
| Mr.. Ravenel of Savannah.
Everything then went on smoothly.
| Then the question of a $4,000 hotel came
up, when l told him it could never pay
unless he could influence northern board
| ers, TO which, in reply, he said he had
| adelph.a to fill such a house summer and
| winter. Friday, after dinner, about half
| an hour before the eastern train was due,
! he called me TO his room to ask II l had
| have gold for. / replied yes. He said he
| wanted to send a registered letter to Sa-
vannah loaned him $50, placing It on a
| table near letter. which he seemed about
| completing, with the remark: Il will give
| you the gold in a few minutes" / walked
| out of the room, thinking over his promise
! to deposit 800 in gold with me for his
| board. The thought struck me that il was
| convenient for him to get a money order
| for the amount he wished to send. l re-
turned to his room with this information
| stating he would not need my bills. He
/ said, in reply: "Oh, all, / thought you pre-
! ferred the gold" l then for the first
| time suspected something wrong with the
/ millionaire, and I think he perceived il,
/ for the next morning Saturday he left
| my house, after a very az breakfast,
! without the knowledge of .iiiy one on my
premises, not, however, bcIS re he had in
| duced me to spend a little change with
| one of our merchants for underwear.
understand since that he bo.rded the
north bound train that morning.
A. b. Ianier