The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-19
THE AMOUNT
Each Order Called for S30-Had
Been Raised From 30 Cents-Or-
ders Were Issued From Florence
>. c., Ofice-The SwindIe Was
Worked by Two NegrOes-Ffve
Merchants Visited, but Only Two
Got Caught-Swindlers Have Been
Operating i'm This State for Several
Months.

Some weeks ago an article appear
ed in this paper warning the mer-
chants to beware of a crowd of ne
groes who were making a tour Of the
Iarg- towns in the state and passing
raised money orders. This scheme
had been worked in Charlotte and
Greensboro previous to that time.
On Friday afternoon the swindlers
appeared in Wilmington and succeed
ed in passing raised money orders on
both A. Shrier and r. F. Hamme. The
negroes waited until the postofice had
closed before they started out.
About $50 in the Afternoon two ne
groea entered the store of The A
David Company. They were dressed
in overalls n explained that they
were employed at the railroad yards.
One of them selected a pair of pants.
but said he could not take them unless
a money order he had was cashed.
He handed the order to Mr.. Stein, who
remarked that 1T was a large amount.
The negro explained that he was from
South Carolina INC the money had
been sent to him by his father. After
hesitating a few minute Mr.. Stein
informed the negro that he could not
"a the order.
1t seems that they then went to
tine jewelry store of Victor E. Zoeller
and Company, where one of them Sc
iected a $3.50 watch and offered a
money Order calling for $50 in pay-
ment. Mir. Zoeller said he would go
to the p~ostoffice and see II he could
get the money order cashed. HI
negroes waited at the store until Mr..
Zoeller's return.
Mr.. ZOeller carried the money or
der to MI. w. G.. Elliott, Jr., assistant
postmaster, but Mr. Elliott said thar
the order looked like it had been tam
pered with. The order was carried
back to the store and the negro was
told hat he could not get the watch.
as the postmaster would not cash the
order.
The negroes then went to the cloth
ing store of A. Shrier, where they
bought a pair of trousers and two
shirts In payment the clerk was
n d a one order for $50, the
order being issued from the Florence,
S. c., office. The purchase
ed to $5.25, n the negroes were Civ
en- the remainder in cash.
From a. Shrier's the swindlers
went to X. F. Hamme's, the halter,
selected a IS suit of clothes and gave
q money order calling for $50 in pay
nent- The order was caShed, the
negroes receiving $25 in cash.
Neither Mr.. Hamme or Mr.. Shrier
knew of the order being worthless
until yesterday morning. Both orders
were carried to the office about the
same time and both were pronounced
fraudulent.
A glance at the orders yesterday
showed plainly where acid had been
used in removing the figures and the
name of the town where the order
was made payable n the amount
which was written out. 1t was i'm
possible to make out the name of the
tbwn tina the order was made paya-
BILE at, but the erased figures were
more distinct. The order looked like
it had originally been raTn for 80
rents Where the fifureS denotine
the original amount had been was two
cross marks. The order passed or
A Shrier was signed by John wesley
and that of r. F. Hamme by Alex
Webb.
The negroes both played the role
OF being very ignorant. One Of them
showed a letter, which he claimed
was from his father in Florence and
In. which his alleged father stated
that he was sorry to hear that his sol
been ill and that he enclosed him
told 1t one place that they were EN-
pIoyed at the Seaboard Air Line yard:
and one gave mis- address as being
All North Seventh street.
One negro is described as being tai
and heavily built. and n other a,
being OF medium height and rather
slender. The police have no clue
whatever as to who the parties are
Not only haye negroes been working
this scheme in North Carolina, bu
they have also been operating in Soutf
Carolina, Virginia and Ohio. an;
postofice inspectors have been en-
d~eavoring for months to get up witt
them. but thus far only two have beer
caught. They were operating in Ohio