The age-herald., 1901-02-27
SILK SALESMAN
 IN LAWS TOLLS Charged With SvInd|ing Local
 Tailoring Firms HE GAVE SHORT MEASURE
Customers Found They Had Rough More Spool Than Thread Claims He is an Elk and
 is Not Guilty

An itnerant silk salesman giving his names as A D. Williams, is a prisoner at police headquarters with two charges of swindling docketed against him, as the result of his dealings in this city.
 The man was arrested at the Union passenger station. shortly before 10 o'clock last night by Night Captain Weir of the police department, on complaint made by Hyman Cohen and Snyder & Sons, well known tailors, who claimed to have been victimized.
 The man called upon number of tailors yesterday and represented himself as a salesman for a silk thread house. manufacturers and dealers in a grade of thread used in the tailoring trade. This silk comes on spools, and is considered staple. selling at about sS pound. Will Hams states that he was compelled to take back d quantity of it in Atlanta, and that in order to get rid of 1t, ne would make a concession in the price, offering it at $4.50. Among his customers were Snyder & Son to the extent of s2O and MT Cohen of the Four Dollar Pants Company to the extent of $l6
 Late in the evening MT. Cohen became suspicious of his purchase, and decided to cut one of the spools open This he did, and found that there was more wood than thread, the spool being much fuller than the kind generally used. Knowing that MT. Snyder had bought some of the goods. Mr. Cohen reported the fact to that firm, and further investigation developed the fact that spool marked "s0V, which designates the number of yards, measured only about $50 yards, or less than one-half the number it was supposed to contain.
 The facts were at once reported to the police, and Captain Weir in company with the two tailors, went to the pas senger station, believing that the man would probably leave on one of the night trains He was described to the officers as a smooth-faced individual, wearing glasses and while the officers were look ing for him at the station, he was met by MT. Snyder and MT. Cohen, who were also out on the lookout As soon as these gentlemen "explained' their case, Will Hams pulled out a roll of bills and re- funded them their money. About this time Captain Weir came up, and 1t was explained that the money had been re- turned, but the officer placed the sales- man under arrest, and took him to po- lice headquarters. The receipt given to Snyder and Son was signed Wilson" and the one given to MT. Cohen "Wil- Hams, but he contended that his name was Williams, and that he was not guilty of swndling.
 He claimed to be an Elk, and wore a pin of that order. He spoke of Judge B. M Allen, who was the Grand Exalted Ru- Ter of the order, and Ia ter sent for him. and employed him as his attorney. When seen by an Age-Herald reporter he re- fused to make any statement, saying that his case was in the hands of his attor- ney.
 The police believe that quantity of the thread was disposed of in the city, and that other firms have been vlctimized. The thread is neatly packed in paper boxes. and on one end of each spool is a label, in the centre of which is an Elk's head around which are the following words: Imperial Machine Twist. Pure dye. One Ounce" The grade on some of the spools is designated as .0o'' and on others as A
 Captain Weir states that the man told him that he came here from Montgomery and he believes that the tailors in that city have also been taken in.