Evening journal., 1902-04-08
AGENT OF BOGUS
LOAN CAPTURED
Clever SWindIer DUped Many
WiImingtOnianS
CASE BAFFLED AUTHORITIES
Winter :. Pool in Jail for Obtaining
Money by Illegal Use Of
the Mails

A big scheme for swlndling people OF
their money has just been brought to
light. which, for a time. hanled the
police authorities OF this city and Bal
timore. After hard and dilgent work
and with the cooperation of each
other they have. however, brought the
criminal to justice.
Some five or six years ago oliver o.
Hoffman, Of No. as East Twelfth
street, this city, started a $40 invest
ment with the Washington Fidelity !
Building Loan and Investment Associ- !
alton. of which a certain Mr.. Mauley
was receiver. Mr.. Hoffman had paid
about 1920 into This concern, when itl
was absorbed by the Columbia Loan
and Investment Association, OF Balu-
more, Md. Mr. Mauley then came toI
this city and called on Mr.. Hoffman
and persuaded him to continue his
stock in the Columbia Building Loan
| and Investment Association. OF which
Mauley said he was president. Mr..
Hoffman consented 10 do This, and then
his Investment, which had been $40 in
the Washington Fidelity Building
Loan and Investment Association was
reduced to s. in the Columbia Building
Loan and Investment Association, Of
Baltimore
In this Hoffman invested $l20. Since
1896 he has been investing in this sup
posed firm and has paid out $40 in all
] All his money was sent to man by
the name of Winter S. Pool, who said
he was the head OF the whole concern.
II was sent to No SIG West Saratoga
street, Baltimore, and was received by
a woman there. who is supposed 10
; have kept il for Pool. The book al
ways was receipted and returned
promptly. Several things have occur
I red lately. however. which aroused
, Mr. Honman's suspicious. Pool, whC
S always seemed interested in the wei
S fare of the family. and who always ex
D pressed himself in complimentary
vein, asked Mr. Hoffman not TO sign
- his name on the back of the envelopes
: in which he sent him CPoOD letters
/ Mr.. Hoffman had done this I'm order
! to prevent the letter from goine
t astray Another suspicious feature
l was the fact that all the receipts, let
. ters or notes ever received from Pool
( by Mr. Hoffman always were written
=, ON common tablet paper and bore
o. neither the mark, seal nor stamp OF
any business firm.
e After a careful inquiry Mr.. Hoff'
D mans suspicious were confirmed, anc
he then notified the police of this city
n and Baltimore. They made a thorough
{ investigation Of the case, which result
o ed in the arrest of Pool. 1t is sup
o posed he will be charged with usinl
@ the United States mail for illegal pur
poses, and also for obtaining none,
under false pretenses. Mr.. Hoffman
has been summoned TO appear agains
him.
Several other persons of this cit
\, have been swindled in the same wa,
\ by Pool. Bishop Ruhlin the colore'
y preacher. lost nearly $500. Anothe
person OF this city, woman, VIII
wishes her name To be withheld los
$685.. In 1898 she asked Mr. Poo
about the Columbia Building Loan an
Investment Association ,andhewrote an
told her she was no longer a membe
of that firm. but her stock had bee
transferred to the United States Loa
e and Investment Association. She trie
i- 10 negotiate a loan for 800 in Jul
'e last i'm the United States Association
p but was told that the board of direC
le tors would not meet until July Il
at When she did not hear then she wrot
II again. and Pool told her that the d
ID rectors were all spending the summe
se in seaside resorts. and that they woul
it not meet until November, and h
De (POoD would then do all he could fe
IN her. No answer came in NoYemDe
OF and the woman wrote again in Decen
ir her and received a letter saying Oh
at directors could not meet till March
ne owing to the illness of the president
he the firm.
er These many excuses aroused n
ae suspicious. and the woman started
lv investigation and unmasked Pool
a fraud. It is not known how maj
an persons have been duped in this cit
"a or the number in other cities who ma
~, have been led to invest their money
- the same firm.
~ The total amount Of money receiv
~ by Pool is supposed 10 be very lara
as he has been operating his scher
ns for the last six or seven years