Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-01
ALLEGED SWINDLER CAUGHT
Man of Several Aliases With Place In
- Criminal Records.
wa<aAffaisned Before United state.
~
Ffauaulently Using the Mails.

H. Berhha rdt, alias Crause. alias Krause.
said ~ TIE police to be a noted swindler
and convict, was placed under arrest by
post ofiice inspectors this morning in this
city and taken before United States Com
missioner Samuel c. Mills, under a charge
of violating section $3.50 of the Revised
Statutes Of the United States by sending
letters through the mail with intent to
defraud.
Ihe case was postponed until late this
afternoon In order to give. the defendant
an opportunity to secure counsel. Then
ailer a preliminary hearing Commissioner
Mills held Bernhard to await the action
OF the grand jury, bond being fixed at $780,
Assistant District Attorney Sims repre-
sented the government, while Attorney
Beall appeared for the defendant Accord
ing to the testimony the alleged scheme of
Bernhardt has been to write to large mer-
chanaise firms in other cities and order
quantities of goods to be sent to him to an
address in this city, he claiming to be a
dealer. He would receive the goods and
dispose of them, but fail to pay for them
SO 1t Is charged.
discriminating Letters.
Letters. written by Bernhard, who sign
ed them Charles A. Krause," to the
SharpieiSh Coffee Co. of Boston, Mass, and
nrms In other cities, were offered in evil
dence In separate instances. he claimed
In the letters to be dealer in fine shoes,
a dealer In fine groceries only, and a mer-
chant tailor, with novelties in cloth. 1t
was testified that some of the cloth claimed
TO nave been secured in the manner indi
Gated was pawned here.
Although the defendant did not take the
stand. 1t Is understood he denies all the
charges made against him.
According to Inspector Mattingly, Bern
hardt has made Washington the headquar-
ters Tor hts opera -4ons for some time past.
A great many complaints have been
made to the detective bureau. and al
though Bernhard has been under the sur
VIGILANCE of Inspector Mattingly's men
they were aware Of no law under whic h
they could successfully prosecute him. SO
the matter was called to the attention OF
the chief of the post office inspectors. The
latter carefully Investigated the operations
or Bernhardt and today, confident that
they had accumulated sufficient proof to
Enthusiastically secure conviction, placed
the man under arrest.
His Record in Print.
A Photograph. description and record CT
Bernhardt is included in the work on
professional Criminals of America" Of
which Thomas By1nes formerly chief of
police of New York. is the author. Bern
hardt Is given the number 354. The entry
is as follows:
III. Bernhardt. alias Crauss. alias
krauss. swindler. Description: Fifty-three
years old in 1895; born in Poland; cigar
maker: married; slim build; height. five
feet ten inches eight, one hundred ana
twenty-six pounds; black hair; hazel eyes,
large nose: Thin face; dark complexion
left drp has been broken above the elbow
black teeth; wears dark mustache.
"Reeord-krauss, or Bernhardt is an old
professional bogus jewelry swindler. He
mas bsen In state prison number of times.
He WAS arrested in New York city on No
Vember y. 1888, charged with swindling a
party put of $40 by represent ting bogus jew
eiry to be genuine. Upon this complaint he
on on January Z. 1889, by Judge Glider
sleeve of the court of general sessions"