The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-06
SCHEME TO SWINDLE
ALLEGATIoNS AGAINST ETo-
 wAH COUNTY MEN.
Alleged That Name of Substantial Merchant Was Assumed in Order to Obtain Merchan- disc on Credit-Bound
 Over.

zadsden. Sept. 5.-(Special.) .)-Robt Dun ~an and w O. Swindall were tried before United States Commissioner Eo"alu Pinkard Thursday afternoon on .ne charge of using the mails 10 oeirauu any were bound over to the federal grand i,,rv in the sum of $1 800 and $JOO respec- lively. Before beginning the trlal' war
 rants were issued for L. K. Prlce anu George Clements. who are supposed to dc business in Alabama City ana "no are alleged to have been implicated III the same swindling schemes with Dun can and Swindall. Price waived examl- nation and gave $500 bond.
 The evidence in the case was or d sen sational nature and according to 1t these ,nan and others undertook to conduct wholesale swindling game in this coun- ty. Young Swindall who claims to nave been used as a catspaW, confessed anu Ee claimed in the confession that Duncah' Price and Clements formed a plan py which. under the firm name Of Chadwlck & Co.,, he and they were to obtain goods in the market by theft It appears that at Snead, Blount County J. T. Cndu- sur,clx is a prosperout merchant and IS rated in commercial agencies to be en- titled to A credit of about $10,OOO It IS claimed that these men formed firm or Chadwick & Co.,, to do business at Snead in order to get the bnefit of the commer- rial rating accorded to J. T. Chadwick. That the scheme was worked satisfac- tory is evidenced by the fact that goods of many descriptions are now waiting Tor Chadwick & Co.,, in the depot at Boaz.
 w. O. Swindall is a rustic and resides vsith his parents at Etowahton, a few miles south of Gadsden. He is p years old. He is a cousin to Clements. In ms testimony he said that George Clements was keeping store in Alabama City and that R. L. Price was clerk in the estao- lishment One Saturday he received a postal from Clements asking him to come fo Alabama City to talk over important nusiness Accordingly on Monday he ar rived in Gadsden, where he was met by Clements. They went to Alabama City and met Price Swndall says that the two men told him that they wanted him as a clerk in their store at Sneads for e40 per month. On his demurrer that he knew nothing of mercantile business 1hey explained that he would have noth- ing to do; they would do the work. He accepted and was told that Bob Duncan xvouid go to Snead with him Swindali says that Clements carried him to At 4aila where they met Duncan and that he was introduced to the latter as MT. Chadwick" The three then went to the edge of town and after talking the mat ter over Duncan said he thought Chad %pic<e would do It ana II was agreed 10 hold a conference of the firm" at Gle snents,s house the next day.
 Acording to Swindall this conference was held and the plan partially unfolded fo him, When all was agreed, Price, Clements and Duncan sat down and be- gan to order goods. Swindall says that these orders were made out on stationary on which was printed Chadwick & Co. ' General Merchandise, Snead, Ala, Ex- press and Freight Office, Boaz, Ala" He says that after this matter of correspond ence was attended to he was given six teen letters with instructions to mai them on the Nashville, Chattanooga anc al Louis train and that he did this. H. NaId that Price gave him $5 for his per zonal expenses. Price also gave him s to nay express on some packages a Boaz, with instructions to bring then 4o him. After the organization Swindal eays that he and Bob Duncan started fo Roaz. On the way he was introduced as MT, Chadwick, who was going to d business at Snead for his uncle who livet in Tennessee." Swindall says that tn Tennessee uncle business was new to hin until then. Arriving at BoaZ they walk ed to Snead, but could not rent a stor house at that place. He and Duncan thei went to Whitesville where he succeeded n renting a building after cOnsiderabl deIay This part of the business ove he was informed that lot of goods ha' arrived at BoaZ for Chadwick Co. H. v,ent to Boaz to carry out the instruction of F4id9 As to- the express. At the ex