The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-11-13

Mr.. w. ]. Blanchard, of the Parson
Lumber Co., Oil Chamber of Com
merce, Chicago, arrived in the city
Friday noon to ascertain whether
he knew the man Harrison" whose
memory on some things he represents
to be blank. He came in response
to letters written by Harrison and
DR.. Andrews.
A meeting was arragned for in DR..
Andrews office, and took place the
middle of the afternoon. When Mr..
Blanchard came in, 'Harrison's'' face
lighted up and he seemed to be as
pleased as child. He at once recog-
nized Mr. Blanchard as the man whom
he had written to and as former
friend and business partner. Mr..
Blanchard recognized in Harrison"
man whom he had formerly known
as John HardcastleHal of Fruitdale,
Alabama. When asked whether the
new name was his, he said that he
supposed that it was. Only the
pleasantest recollections seemed to
come to Halls mind, and he chatter
ed and chuckled along with his for
mer friend.
Later in the afternoon, MI. Blanchard
lighted cigar and gave an account
of what he knew of Hall. There were
presentRevsDavis and Bridgeman, Drs
Andrews and Wood, Ed. Andrews and
reporters of the city dailies. Mr..
Blanchard went over so much of
Halls life as he was cognizant of, and
told most dramatic story, filled with
the most interesting details. 1t
showed Hall, if even the half that
was said is true, and there can, of
course, be no reason to doubt it, to
be one of the most remarkable cases
on the earth. He claimed him to be
swindler and embezzler, and at the
same time hard working man, frugal
to penuriousness, and possessed of no
evil habits. 1t also tended ito show
that if he is not mentally unbalanced,
his is unique example Of psychic
phenomena as we'll as criminal cum
ming.
We can best give Mr.. Blanchard's
story in his own words, as nearly as
we can reproduce them. The account
was interrupted by many inquiries
from his listeners:
81 first met Hall about year ago.
AS l afterwards learned, he walked
into Fruitdale, Alabama, penniless, as
he came into Mankato. He secured a
lease of 10000 acres of pine land, and
went to work to interest capital in his
project of starting a saw mill. He
got four well-to-do farmers interested,
and as guarantee of good faith ask
ed them to sign notes of S25 each and
deposit them with him. This they
did, and he then walked forty miles
to Mobile, got the notes discounted
at bank for $50, and then started
north to get machinery to start his
mill. While on the train he read an
advertisement of some saw mill ma
chinery for sale, which 1 had inserted
in newspaper. He came into Chi
cago and found me and made pro
position that we go into business to-
gether, he to stake his lease against
my machinery. He presented many
references of the best kind, some
from Episcopal church clergymen, L
saw some of these parties and found
that they had known Hall in years
past, but for six or seven years after
these references were given there was
gap. He claimed to have been in
business in North Carolina and at
Shenandoah, Va, during that time
his wife having died at the latter
place. He claimed to have purchased
tract of timber and to have been
swindled out of it. He also failed
in business at Dallas, Texas,
but that failure was straight. Despite
this gap 1 was favorably impressed
with the man and decided to risk it.
l am naturally suspicious, but no man
could fail to be impressed favOrably
with Hall.
'Well, the machinery was started
and force of men employed. l did
not visit Fruitdale, but Hall made
monthly reports to me. He sent every
month to me what purported to be