Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-09-17

was asked concerning the matter, he
said that he wished to give out as lit
tie as possible concerning the affair."
For some time 1t has been rumored that
a very prominent stock and bond deal
er Of the city would be placed under
arrest Postoffice Inspector Gregory
was seen in the city Friday and he
was in conversation with an officer OF
the law, with whom to see the inspec-
tor In communication with is a direct
forerunner of an arrest Of some nature.
At that time the reporter tried to get
at the business that the inspector was
on, and learned enough by Indirect
means to expect an arrest OF some
prominent person Of the city within
the next few days.
The following Spartanburg special
of yesterday to the Columbia State Of
this morning. gives additional partic-
ulars as to the foregoing:
The arrest Of Henry w. Thomson,
the Spartanburg broker, charged with
fraudulent use Of the United States
mails here Saturday night and the
details Of the charge against him CIV
en- out today have created sensation
In the city. Thomson has employed
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson as his counsel,
and It Is said a strong effort VIII De
made to settle the matter out OF court.
lit was currently reported today tnat
the government agent was not satlsned
with the $4,000 bond given by Thomson
hot no Id.
but 1t seems that this was an error.
Thomson was seen several times on the
streets today in company with POST
office Inspector Gregory and this gave
rise to the report that greater bond
had been demanded. The charge
against Thomson was not discussed
here at all until the arrival Of Mr.. NC
Call, attorney for the York, Pa, COM
pany, he is alleged to have defrauded.
C. S. Mccall, attorney for the 3.
Morgan Smith company Of York Pa,
with which company Henry w. Thom-
son made the bond deal, gave out the
following statement in regard to the
transaction:
"Thomson entered negotiations with
the Smith company for fifty shares OF
the Aiken Manufacturing company's
stock, and after some dickering the
price Of $4,000 was agreed upon. Thom-
son wanted the Smith company to for
ward the certificate to him at Spar
tanburg and let him pay when he sold
the stock and received the funds from
the customer. The Smith company
said they would deposit the certificate
with the York, Pa, bank, and Thom-
son could lift the certificate by send
ing a draft for the same. This Thom-
son declined to do and asked that the
certificate be sent with draft attached
to the Georgia Loan and Trust COM
pany, Augusta, Ga, as his customer
was at Augusta.
This the Smith company agreed to
do. sending q sight draft for $4,000
with certificate attached in blank.
This was sent by registered letter on
Aug. 16. The postmaster at Augusta
notified the Smith company that there
was no such corcern as the Georgia
Loan and Trust company doing Dusl-
ness in that city, and asked for in
structions. The Smith company. after
attempting to get in touch with Thom-
son, ordered its return to York, "a.
But before the Augusta postmaster
got the Smith letter he had received
Instructions from a person represent
ing himself to be c. o. Smith, ordering
the letter forwarded to Columbia, s. C..
ed to by this same person claiming to
be c.. o. Smith to forward the letter
to Columbia. The letter was for
warded by the postmaster according
to instructions from C.. o. Smith, who
was no other than H. w. Thomson.
"A person called for the letter In Co
lumbia receipting for 1t in the name
of C. o. Smith, signing for the Georgia
Loan and Trust company. The certif-
icate was sold to John w. Dickey or
Augusta. Ga, for the sum Of $4,2S7.60.
"As soon as the Smith company
found that things had gone wrong, and
that they had been duped, l went to
Washington and laid the matter before
the proper officials Of the postoffice de-
partment and Inspector Gregory was
put to work on the case.
"As I see 1t, Thomson Is guilty or
three offenses, fraudulently using the
mails, forging the name Of G. o.
Smith, and obtaining bonds under
false pretenses."
Pulling out the card bearing the
name of c. o. Smith and the Georgia
Loan and Trust company. Mr.. Mccall
said to the reporter: "This name OF
c. o. Smith was signed by Thomson;
it Is a forgery, pure and simple"