The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-01
CONVICTED
At SCRANTON.
Two TOwnsmen Found Guilty on the
Postal Charges.
THEY HAVE ASKED FOR A NEW TRIAL
Harry Yarowski and Charles Rubinsd
Convicted Of Using the United States
Mails For Fraudulent Purposes
Great swindling Scheme
was Charged.

Harry Yarowsky and Charles Rubinski, Of
town, were yesterday convicted before Judge
Burlington in the United States District Court
at Scranton, Of fraudulent use Of the mails
United States District Attorney Samuel
Griffith, Of Pittsburg, prosecuted the case
upon evidence cleaned by Post-ofice In
spector Hugh J. German after several months
Of work in several towns in this county and
Columbia and Luzerne counties.
A telegram received from Scranton this
morning stated that the convicted men will
ask for a new trial.
The indictment charges that the defend
ants leased a store room at Bloomsbury, Pa,
and used the mails to obtain goods which
they never paid for and did not intend to
pay for. The defendants did business under
the name Of John H, Schmidt.
Then William +. Mattison, of Cornish &
Co.. Washington, N j., from whom a piano
was secured, was called. He testified that
the piano was worth S245. 1t has not been
paid for. Mr.. Cameron, of Kay Bros, the
next witness, testified that his house had sent
the defendants S34705 worth of law books
for which payment was not received.
Inspector German says the defendants
have been in the business for the last FIVE OF
six years and have defrauded merchants Of
Philadelphia, Chicago, New York Boston
and other places Of thousands Of dollars
worth of goods. Their plan Of operation, he
says was a deep laid scheme to cover up
their tracks and make it difficult to discover
them or the goods received by them. They
would establish store under an assumed
name, get credit, paying for them, then
using the houses from which they bought for
reference. They would report to the COM
mercial agencies as being worth from So 600
to So, 700 clear of Indebtedness. The goods
they ordered they would remove to some out
of the way place and dispose Of later When
things got too interesting they would make
preparations for a Sheriff s sale by removing
under cover of night as many goods as pos
sible. Then they would leave and it was
almost impossible to find the person under
whose name they had conducted business.
In Catawissa the firm was known as Conrad
Herring; at Lykens, Pa, Bernard Wilson; at
Berwick, Pa, Harry Miller at Blooms
burg John H. Schmidt; at Nanticoke,
Charles Sherman, and at Danville, as
Bernard Wagner. According to Inspector
German the first complaint against them was
made in May, 1896, at which time they were
operating in Danville under the name of
Bernard Wagner. John f. Colket of Will
amsport, brought about the investigation.
Houses with which he had been connected
he says, were swindled out of several ma
chimes, and he discovered that they had been.
shipped to Charles Sherman at Nanti-
coke on trial to use in the store of Bernard
Wagner. Inspector German was then assigned
to the case by Gen. Warren p Edgerton and
the inspector claims to have collected great
mass of evidence against the men. He dis
covered that no goods were brought
from the station to the store at Dan
vile. Inspector German and Mr. Colket
decided to shadow the next load Of goods
which left the store After a few days,
on June 10, it was discovered that a load
of goods had accumulated at two sta
tions in Danyille and South nanyille,
and that the firm wagon had appeared
in town with three of the gang. At 2
o clock operations commenced. The
men loaded goods at the Reading depot. drove
to the Pennsylvania depot and filled out the
load. Harry Yarowsky then started towards
Catawissa. Two others had left by train
Inspector German and post-oflice clerk Of
Bloomsbury followed in buggy and Mr..
Colket on a bicycle. The route was through
Catawissa and southeast to the mountains
About o'clock the wagon halted at lager
beer saloon between two mountains, climbed
to the top and gotta view of the wagon, which
they kept in sight after it resumed its
journey. When darkness came German and
Colket closed in ON them and travelled with
them and got further evidence, which they
used in the case.