The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-01
GOT AWAY WITH THOUSANDS.
THE GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED
PHILLIP AND HASTINGS.

They Carried on an Advertising Blu
reau and Failed to Square Up
With Their Patrons-AIso Found
Many Victims With "A Diamond
scheme where Diamonds Were
Sold Cheap-Onc Man in the TOmbs
and the other I'm Europe.
New York, Feb 2S.-The grand jury to-
day indicted Samuel Phillip and George
Hastings of the advertising firm of George
Hastings & Co, on the charge of obtaining
advertising contracts under false pre-
lenses. -.
The amount involved is said to be more
than $4,000, and the victims number hum
dreds, and are In all parts of the country.
Record Goff issued a bench warrant to-
day for the arrest of the two men. Phil
lip was taken into custody but it was
learned that Hastings is in Europe, and
had been last seen at Monte Carlo.
Former Assistant District Attorney Yer
non M. Davis said George Hastings was,
in 1898, reputable citizen with an excel
lent credit with local merchants. In that
year he made a contract with the French
firm which manufacturers a proprietary
medicine. to handle their American con-
tracts for advertising purposes. BY his
contract with the concern the firm re-
ferred ALI solicitors for advertising con
tracts TO Hastings & Co.
Mnde Them Wait for Money.
Taking advantage of his already WELL
established reputation, he represented that
he had to wait six months for his money
from the French house, and IN this way
almost every paper in the United States
gave him credit for from three to six
months. sThe first lot of contracts was
paid for promptly as they fell due and a
second lot was taken readily by the pa,
Pers and journals and others. learning OF
the credit of George Hastings & Co, also
agreed TO print the medicine advertise
ment.
On Dec. II of last year Hastings sailed
for Europe. The contracts began to fall
due after his departure. The creditors
communicated with the French firm and
they reported having paid Hastings in full
for all the advertising.
Phillip was then sought, and he claim
ed TO have been vicumzed himself. Mr.,
Davis says, however. that Phillip con-
fided In b. H. Goldso.l, diamond mer-
chant of this city, that he was in all o.
Hastings secrets and had shared the
profits. Mr.. Goldsoll so testified before
the grand iuR and the Indictments were
the result
Had Other Schemes ON Foot.
According to Mr. DAVIS, Hastings and
Phillip did not limit their operations to the
patent medicine mentioned They formed a
diamond" company. Hastings. Phillip and
two young women were partners. They
leased a large Broadway store and adver-
tised the stone which was warranted to be
the equal in every respect of the best Afri-
can diamond. The New York papers print.
ed the advertisements OF this concern by
the page and nearly every paper in the
United States also took contracts.
At first the stones were offered for a dol.
lar each. The first crop of customers was
very large and money was poured into the
diamond" company by the bushel. The
next offer was your choice" for fifty
cents, and after the investors began tC
grow scarcer the diamonds" were sold fol
Is cents each. Even at this figure the pro
fits were very large.
The contracts for the diamond" adver.
tisipg were let almost simultaneously with
those for the patent medicine and began tC
fan due at the same time, with the same
result that creditors are still seeking theil
money.