Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-20
UNDER GRAVE CHARGE
FALSE PRETENSES ALLEGED
AGAINST GEORGE HOLLAND.
Claimed to Be Senator Depew's Secre-
tary and Obtained Public Docu-
ments, Which He Sold.

George ]. Holland twenty-eight years old.
was arrested at his home, 112 9th street
northeast last night by Detectives Muller
and Cornwell and locked up to answer to
charges of false pretenses. He told the de-
tectives that he had worked about the Cap
itol last winter, and admitted that he had
represented himself as the secretary OF
Senator Depew In order to obtain govern
ment publications from persons in the pub
lie service. A warrant for his arrest was
issued several days ago, but the detectives
were unable to locate him until last night.
They were under the impression that he had
been In hiding, but he said he had been
working at the filtration plant and had not
been about the city much during recent
weeks.
Just how long Holland was engaged In
working the alleged swindle is not known.
He is the only one who is able to tell the
number of publications he has obtained
and the amount of money he realized. Maj.
Beach of the War Department thought
there was something wrong after Holland
had paid several visits there and had OBJ
tanned twelve copies of an electric manual
from the department. The result was an
investigation.
From Mr. J. H. Price who is clerk in
the employ of United States Senator kearns,
Holland obtained copies of the Jefferson
Bible. This is valuable publication, it is
stated, because there were not many of
them printed before the plates We're de-
stroyed These books We're traded by Hol-
land, it is said, for other publications.
Government Publications.
AS is we'll KNOWN the government issues
each year a number of valuable documents,
which find a ready market in the book
stores. For years, it is claimed, Holland
has been engaged in this traffic in govern
ment publications. and 1t is understood he
has made quite a sum of money by his
transactions. 1t is customary for senators
and their clerks to trade documents among
themselves For instance, a document is
issued which applies principally to the
western country and another relating to the
east. The western senators, to obtain a
larger supply for their constituents, readily
exchange their quota of documents relat-
ing to the eastern section for those of the
west, and no one is hurt in the transaction.
Hollands method, it is alleged, was to go
to the secretary of senator and represent
himself as the secretary of Senator Depew.
He would ask the loan of several docu-
ments, promising to return them the next
day. In a number of instances he succeed
ed, and the books so obtained were imme-
diately sold.
Some time ago he appealed to the secre-
tary of Senator Bailey of Texas for 100
yearbooks, issued by the Department of
Agriculture, upon the representation that
Senator Depew had sent him a list of 100
farmers In the state of New York to whom
he desired these books Immediately mailed.
At that time Senator Depew was in Europe
and Senator Bailey's secretary happened to
know ii. He casually asked Holland where
the senator was and Holland replied: why,
he is in New York" This was enough to
arouse suspicion. and he was told to get out
of the office. it was known at that time
that Senator Depew was in Europe. He
tried no further schemes to get documents
from the Texans quota
Demands Jury Trial.
Holland admitted that he had obtained
the dozen books from the War Department
and said he lost three of them. The Others
he said he sold to a secondhand dealer on
F street and they were recovered. Being
unable to give bond last night Holland was