The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-02-12
BOGUS MONEY ORDERS.
How An Augusta Merchant Was
Worked by a Slick Rascal

The Augusta Herald says negro
operating under the names of George
Moore and Paul Austin, and supplied
with a number Of postofiice money or
der blanks or checks. made payable at
the Augusta postofllce, worked q clev-
er fiim-flam game on G. III. Schneider
on Saturday night, Jan. 80, securing a
SO bill of goods and forty dollars in
change, but later, in his attempt to
work the same game upon I. Silver,
lost his goods in Ills haste to get away
from the place when he saw that Mr..
Silver had grown suspicious.
Under the name of George Moore
the negro entered Mr.. Schneiders
store and ordered $40 worth of goods,
which clerk put up for him, and in
payment for the same the negro pres
ented the postoflice money order is
sued at the Savannah postottlce and
signed by Postmaster Blount for $40.
Together with the order he presented
letter, which, he said, was from his
father, who lived at Savannah, and the
letter stateH that the father had sent
Herewith tile money order for the
sum named. Relieving the order to be
genuine, Mr. Schneider accepted it,
and gave the negro the goods and $50
change.
With the money and the goods the
negro then went to Mr.. Silver's store,
and made purchase. In payment for
the same he presented money order
for $40, made out to Paul Austin,
stating to Mr.. Silver that Austin was
his name. This order was also issued
at the Savannah postofiice, but ex-
amining the order, Mr.. Silver noticed
that there were two different speci-
mems of handwriting on the order and
that the words Augusta, Ga, )" were
written in lead pencil, whereas the
other was in ink. 1t was also evident
that the amount of the order had been
raised to forty dollars from some
smaller amount.
Telling the negro that he would not
accept the order in payment for the
goods, and also stating that he was
OF the opinion iilut the negro was Try
ing to work flim-flam game, the ne
of Paul Austin, dropped the bundle
of goods he had secured from Schneid-
er's place and bolted through the door,
losing himself in the crowd that
thronged the streets. Mr. Schneider
was not aware that he had been
worked" until Monday morning
when he presented the order at the
postoffice for payment and was told by
the postoffice authorities that he evil
IDENTIFY accepted worthless piece of
paper in exchange for his money and
goods. Upon close examination it was
then discovered that the amount speci-
fed OH the order had been changed, as
had also the words: Augusta, Ga"
Shortly after Mr.. Schneider left the
postoilice Mr.. Silver appeared with
the order that he had secured from
the negro, and the two checks were
taken in charge by Postmaster Smythe.
The matter has been reported to
Deputy United States Marshal Stall
maker, who is working up the case
and hopes to land the nearo. 1t is
not known how the negro came into
possession Of the money orders. with
Postmaster Blount's signature attach
ed unless he halls from Savannah and
secured them at the postoffice there,
making them payable to whatever
names he cared to operate under, and
afterwards altering them to his liking