Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1907-01-04
I, ". clayton
VICIIM|ZED

William P. Gaumer. of Catawissa
township, Columbia county, was ar
raigned before Justice of the Peace Il.
W. Young, of Gearhart township
Northumberland county, Saturday al
ternoon, charged with passing fraud
ulent check on T. w. Clayton, the
South Danville merchant. He was held
for court and in default of 5000 bail
was committed to Jail at Sunbury.
The case as brought out by the evid'
ence is a remarkable one revealing an
ingenious attempt on the part OF the
defendant to escape penalty by fasten-
ing the guilt upon an innocent man.
On December 18th, Gaumer, who
was a stranger to 7. w. Clayton, pre-
sented himself at the store of the lat
ter and purchased goods to the amount
of eleven dollars. In payment he pre-
sented check for $50 25 signed by j.
]. Cherington, drawn on the Cata-
wissa National bank and made pay
able to a man named Wright. AS
Graumer was not known to Mr. Clay
ton the latter without question accept
ed the fact that he was the man
Wright in whose favor the check was
drawn; he let him have the goods and
accepted the check, paying him the
balance-some nineteen dollars-in
cash.
In due process Mr.. Clayton deposited
the check with other assets in the
Danville National bank. Later the
check in the regular course of business
was sent to Catawissa for collection.
The check, it appears, turned up at the
First National bank OF Catawissa; but
as it was drawn ON the Oatawissa Ma
tionaI bank it was forwarded to that
institution, where the discovery was
made that the check was bogus.
The Danville National bank was ap
prised of the fact and Cashier Young
man in turn broke the news to Mr..
Clayton that the check was worth
less, which of course ment that he had
been swindled. Mr.. Clayton, in mer-
chandise and cash, was out the whole
amount of the check, $780,. %. 1t was
more money than he cared to lose and
he at once decided to get after the sly
stranger, who had so successfully work
ed his way into his confidence.
Accordingly last week he went up
to Catawissa and had no difficulty in
locating the man Wright by whom the
bogus check purported to be payable.
Meeting the man face to face. how
ever, Mr.. Clayton was surprised to
discover that he was not the person
who had bought the goods at his store
and presented the worthless check He
saw that he was apparently the victim
of a deep-laid scheme and hardly
knowing what to do next he returned
home.
AS the matter became noised about
the attaches of the Pennsylvania STA
tion at South Danville recalled that
the man from Catawiss who on Dec
ember II purchased goods at Mr.. Clay
toms had shipped them to Catawissa
by express and that the name used in
marking the box was not Wright but
William p. Gaumer. Others about
South Danville, who knew Gaumer,
recalled his visit to South Danville on
that day and also the fact that he
transacted business at Mr.. Clayton's
store.
On the strength of this discovery on
FRIDAY evening Mr.. Clayton swore
out a warrant before Justice Young
charging William P. Gaumer with
false pretense and intent to cheat
and defraud." On Saturday morning
Mr.. Clayton took the warrant to Cata-
wissa and placed it in the hands of
Constable H. A. Harman, of that place,
who served it on Gaumer,
The arrested man, in charge of Con-
stable Harman and accompanied by
Mr.. Clayton, arrived in South Danville
about the middle of the afternoon and
was Immediately taken before the
justice. He pleaded not guilty. Among
the witnesses were T. w. Clayton, W.
R. CLARK, CLARK Fowler, Harvey Lowe,
and J. ]. Cherington, whose name
was used on the fraudulent check. The
testimony adduced went to show that
the defendant was the man who OBJ
tanned goods and money ON check,
which was bogus. A prlma facie case
being made out bail was fixed at
5000. which the defendant was unable
to procure. There was no other alter
native for him but to go to Jail,
After the hearing Constable Harman
delivered the defendant over into the
hands of Elias Woodruff, constable for
Gaerhart township, by whom he was
taken to Sunbury on the A :31 train.
Gaumer has wife and several chill
dren and at Catawissa is we'll known
as a resident on the south side.