Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-13
Alleged Attempt of Frank Wanna
maker to Raise Funds.
IMPERSONAFES GEORGE C. DURHAM
Letter to- Proprietress of a Troy,
New York, Hotel.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION

Frank F. Wannamaker, the young man
who is in the District Jail on charges of
false pretenses, has caused considerable
trouble and expense, it is said, to people in
Troy. N. Y. 1t is alleged that he imper-
sonated George c. Durham, who is wanted
at Troy on criminal charges, and solicited
aid of Mrs. Ellen NJ. Bond, the owner of
the Troy House, and Miss Della Young,
who was housekeeper at the hotel.
1t is stated that in May of last year Mrs.
Bond, who had previously lived in Brook
lyn N. Y, took charge of the Troy House,
and George c. Durham was her manager.
She had such confidence in him that she
permitted him to deposit large sums of her
money in his own name. Two weeks ago,
1T is said, he disappeared with nearly $4,000
IN cash, and it ds charged he also carried
off $I00 worth of jeweiry.
:, BEFORE leaving Troy Durham told friends
ne expected to go to Europe and Mrs. Bond
thought he had sailed across the ocean. A
ceived letter telling him his father who
was in England, was dying.
Last week Mrs. Bond received what pur-
ported to be letter from her former man
ager. although it was not in his hand
writing It read:
My Dear Ellen: I am here in tail and 1
40 not know whom to appeal to but you for
assistance. If you care for me come and
help me out of the scrape. Send me some
money. for am broke. The police here say
t they Will VIII, send me away. You won't let
them, will you?"
Miss Young the housekeeper also re-
celved letter.
Conclude to Render Aid.
While neither of the missives was in the
young mans handwriting, the recipients
We're satisfied they were at least inspired
by Durham. They compared notes and
concluded they would help him out of his
trouble. The Troy police had become pos
sessed of the information and they COM
nl,nicated with the police here. When Mrs
Bond concluded to withdraw any complaint
she had made she sent for her attorney and
instructed him to hurry to Washington, see
Durham and aid him as best he could Miss
Young was also sent here, and upon her
arrival she called at the jail, where she saw
Wannamaker. Then Mrs. Bonds attorney
called and he was accompanied to the
prison by Detective Horne. He had come
mere under instructions to assist George
Z. Durham but when he left the prisoner
he remarked to the detective: Give him
ten years" He had come all the way here
to find that the man was not Durham.
In addition to sending the housekeeper
and attorney here. Mrs. Bond telegraphed
the jail officials for description of the
man, and it's stated his description tallies
with that of Durham. A telegram was sent
from here to Mrs. Bond by Miss Young in
forming nerf tndt the prisoner was not Dur
lam. It is the belief of the detectives that
Wannamaker had become acquainted with
the facts in the Troy Hotel case by reading
newspaper accounts, and wrote Mrs. Bond
expecting she would help him without send
ing here to have him identified.
Durham May BE Here.
1t is also thought to be possible that Dur
ham is in Jail here under another name,
and that he had Wannamaker send the
letters to see how they would be received
Wannanaker has been in the District Jail
since November. and an Indictment for al
legged false pretenses is pending against
him. At the time of his arrest he was
stopping at a hotel with woman named
Hattie Lewis, whom he introduced as his
wife. 1t is charged that he robbed her
They were together at the time of the
death of Vice President Hobart, and the
man had the woman telegraph a message
OF coincidence to Mrs. Hobart. So far as
the Troy people are concerned the Wanna
maker incident is closed