The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-12
USE OF MAILS TO DEFRAUD.
j. It. HAMMOND LOCKED UP IN JAIL
ON THAT CHARGE.

With Him in These Frauds-Reti-
cent rs To the Details and Profits
of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. All
over the Country Have Been Vie
tImized mud the Profits Are Esti-
mated nt Several Thousand Dol
lars at Least.
A well-conceivcd and welll executed
scheme 70 defraud various wholesale
houses throughout the country by the use
of the United States mails was brought
to light yesterday morning in the Office
of Commissioner J. r. Lewis. J. T. Ham
mond. merchant and turpeutine opera
tor of Glenwood, Montgomery county, was
remanded to jail 10 await the action Of
the federal grand jury.
The charge upon which he had been ar
rested al his home in the country, near
Glenwood, by Deputy United States Mar
shall White was obtaining a bale of Co
hassett plaids from the firm of Steiner,
Lobman & Frank of Montgomery, Ala,
through the use of the mails aud with in
tent 90 defraud. But this particular
charge is but one of a number, running
probably well up into the hundreds. that
are either already in the hands of the Off
GERS or virtually within their reach and
ready to be brought out. The evidence is
close at hand, and it Is expected that the
publication of the proceedings at the pre-
limnary trial of Hammond will result in
many other instances, where Hammond
was interested, being brought to light.
When Hammond was arrested by Mar
shall White, there were found on his per
son about a dozen letters ftom various of
the victimized individuals, firms and cor
porations, that through artful means and
deceitful practices had been compelled to
yield up their goods and products. with
out reward or the hope thereof. The vic
Tins may have had some hore when they
first entered upon that state, but if they
ever had 1t has now VANISHED. The bus ness
that Hammond was supposed 10 have been
conducting resolves itself into a virtually
empty building and a pile of ornately
printed letter heads and envelopes There
Is little or nothing else to show for the
many consignments that have been made
In the past year, and the quiet that broods
over the scene of these ingenious exploits
is broken only by The occasional howl of
one who has just discovered that he is,
and has been an easy mark.
II Is surprising TO go over the papers in
the case, and be brought to a realizing
sense of the exceeding gulhblity of the
human kind and especially of that hard
headed portion of the race who are en-
gagged daily in large business transactions
and ought to know better. All of the many
orders were in the name of Hammond
and as, according TO his own story, he
neither has anything nor has ever had
anything, it can not be that his standing
in business coud have been the subject OF
favorable report ty any mercantile agency.
Nevertheless, some Of the largest corpora
lions in the country have calmly accepted
his orders for goods and shipped them TO
him, as they thought upon 30 or co DAYS
terms, but in actual reality for eternity,
with three added days of grace.
Hammond unfolded the scheme. or some
OF It, 90 the listening ears OF the commits
sioner yesterday morning. He related how
the thing was worked and asserted thai
In the operations he was innocent Of any
intentional wrongdoing He seemed
inclined to tell large part of
what he knew but did not impress those
who heard his testimony with its absolute
ana entire truthfulness and sincerity
Ihere was something lacking. the exist
ence of which he once or twice BETRAYED
out winch the questions of the commits
sloner did not serve to bring out
According to Hammonds story. the
goods were ordered and shipped to Glen
wood, when, for the purpose of GLIDING
further suspicion, they were carried
through the country or reshipped to some
neighooring town Hammond said that
this plan had been in constant operation
for about eleven months. and that the
victims of the conspiracy We're scattered
all over the country. He claimed to be
not entirely familiar with the financial ex-
tent of the Illegal business and could NOT
compute the extent of the fraudulent
pronts. BY those who are in possession
OF the Facts. however, these profits are
DHlft o. to
dollars at least, and possibly 90 very much
more.
At the conclusion of the hearing Ham
mond was committed to Jail by the com
missioner, in default of a bond in the
sum OF $500, which he was unable 10
give HIS commitment was on the charge
OF using the mails with intent to defraud
but ft Is understood that other and more
serious charges may be brought against
him.
The scheme, as has been said. was
Drought first TO light through the sale of
pale of plaids by the firm of Steiner.
Lobman & Frank and The firms subse
quent inability TO collect its money or hear
from the party 10 whom the goods had
been sold. The matter was reported bv
them to Mr. Paul L. Williams. postoffice
inspector in charge of this division with
headquarters at Chattanooga Mr.. VIII
Hams at once instituted a strict and me-
mum y ny ms own GN1rtl0nS
and through those Of his deputy and field
inspectors. with the result that one OF
those concerned in the commission of the
CRIME Is already in Jail and the arrest of
others is momentarily expected
IL IS believed that there existed ia Glen
wood and the surrounding country an or
ganized band of evil-doers, with whom the
fraudulent use of the mails was but one
OF many criminal practices. Against Ham
mond himself there are now pending three
indictments in the state courts for the
SAFE or liquor without a incense. and
many OF the bills that have been made bv
MN and in his name are for beer and
whisky 1t IS evident from the frequency
OF such sales that the blind tiger was a
thriving one, and as its income was al
clear profit il ought to have been a pros
porous business concern and 10 have de-
clared frequent large dividends.
There Is now in Chatham jail a man who
IS under sentence of death for tie fnurtfer.
OF Postmaster Thompson of Glenwood
This is Walter T. Channell formerly STA