The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-04
AFTER A CLEVER SWIMDLER.
bogus PRODUCE COMPANY TOOK IN
MANY DOLLARS.

Reward OF S25 offered by j. II.
Kemp, Who Is Searching for ID. j.
Murphy-The Savannah Produce
! Company the Concern Murphy
Claimed to Represent. But Nothing
Could BE Learned of It-A COnsign-
ment of Oranges From Florida
Sold and No Returns NInde-Said to
Be Cases Against Murphy Aggre-
eating $500.
The police are looking for D. ]. Murphy
not Denis j., who Is well known here, but
a man who is alleged to have been running
a fake commission business. \ reward of
$25 has beeFs offered for his apprehension.
as he is wanted badly for an operation in
which a Florida orange grower got the
worst end.
Murphy had been running something he
called the Savannah Produce Company,
sort of mythical concern, having no other
existence than in Murphy's astuteness, and
no place of business other than the South
ern Express Company's office, for sales
and deliveries were usually made direct
from there.
Nil ADENs 20 u NDLlSlbliiItAlL Oh lNtbtJ UOASS
Of oranges were received from Mr.. ]. NJ.
Markley at Largo, Fla. The fruit came
marked to the Savannah Produce Com
pany, and Murphy put in an appearance
and secured it. He sold it by turn of the
hand to Messrs. Decker & SheftaH. The
oranges brought 81 a box, it was learned
yesterday, when an investigation of Muir
phys career was begun.
On Jan. l Mr.. MarkIey received a tele-
gram stating that his consignment had
been sold to good advantage, and that he
would be written about the matter the
next day. Mr.. Markley waited for some
days and did not hear. Then he wrote his
nephew, Mr.. j. II. Kemp, who comes to
Savannah often, asking him to investigate.
Mr. Kemp got the letter and began work.
A search was made in the city directory,
but nothing was learned of any such man
as D. J. Murphy, except Denis j. Murphy
nor could anything of the Savannah Pro-
duce Company be ascertained from its
pages. Then Mr.. Kemp went to the eX-
press office, where he saw that Murphy
had receipted for the consignment on Dec
23 1t was learned that the oranges had
been sold to Messrs. Decker e. Sheftall
and Mr.. Kemp looked them up for in
formation. He was told that this firm did
not know Murphy very well, but Mr.
Sheftal offered TO afford him any help
he could in prosecuting the search for him
At the postoffice it was ascertained that
Murphy had been having his mail deiv-
cred at No. 121 Congress street, east. Mr.
Kemp went there, and was told that Muir
ply was not at home, that he was out
in the southern section at his store. This
information, together with a location of
the store, was given by lady who, Mr.
Kemp said, told him she was Murphys
sister-in-law. She seemed greatly agitated
by the questions that We're put her.
Leaving the house on Congress street.
Mr.. Kemp went out to find the store.
When he reached the location that had
been given him he was told that no one
there knew anything about Murphy. With
suspicious aroused more strongly than
ever, Mr.. Kemp got Mr.. Sheftall to iden-
tify Murphy If he could be found, and a
policeman to arrest him and returned TO
the house on Congress street. He had
suspicion that he was in hiding In this
house, and that he might be abe to find
him.
Mrs. Moody, the sister-in-law, or sister,
as she was also called, did not seem in
clned to allow a search to be made, but
The landlady was called and readily agreed
20 allow the officer to so through the
house when she was told that the cearch
could be prosecuted under a warrant, If
| her permission was not given without one.
| Then the officer and Mr.. Kemp went
through the house. Mr.. Kemp believes the
man was in the house when the search
began. He bases this belief upon a bath
room door having been found locked The
| officer was down stairs when Mr.. Kemp
| found this room locked. When he had
| cotton the officer and returned the door
| had been unlocked and the room was emp
| ty. MIR. Kemp believes that Murphy was
| in this room. Morning News reporter
| called at the house last night, and was
| told that lady was in the room at the
time tho gentleman had endeavored TO
! get In. The landlady also said the officer
| had been unnecessarily violent in the pros
| ecution of his search and that she intends
20 report him to the authorities for having
| broken in a door that she would readily
| have unlocked.
Disappointed in his search for his man,
| Mr.. Kemp notified the police that he Ivould
| pay the reward of $25 to any one epnre-
hending Murphy. He is very anxious to
see him caught His trickery is said to
| have gotten others into the same difficulty
Mr.. Marley has found himself in.
Although the Savannah Produce Com
! pany is not rated in Bradstreets or Dun's.
| II seemed 10 60 a pretty good business for
| a while. Everything was profit. too. II
| is said, and the record of consignments at
the express Office proves it, that something
like 500 was made by Murphy, if he made
! no returns for any of the stuff he sold. It
| is known that there is a Georgian up the
| country who Is gu. on syrup he sent the
| suppositious concern. A farmer from,
! Tennessee Is also trying TO trace Murphy
and shipment he made to the Savannah
| Troduce Company.
Murphy may also be wanted on a charge
| of using the mails for fraudulent purposes.
! The government would then be after him.
and the chances of his apprehension would
| be increased His having used the mails
for a concern that had no real existence
! is said to bring him within the pale of
! the law The man is described as about
! 5 feet inches in hight, with black hair
and blue eyes ana Weighing about 1870
| pounds.
1t was aseertained at No. 12t Congress
| street that Murphy had been tbara b,.