The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-02-07
ACKERT Held ON
FRAUD charge.
In Connection With Horse
Branch Scheme.
Ordered Goods From Various
Wholesale Merchants, Shipped
Them Away.

Fred Ackert, president of the Lii
liam Coal company, of Horse Branch
a company that never existed except
on paper, has been arrested by Post
al Inspector r. NJ. c. Hosford, at Cen
treville, Miss, held over TO the grand
Jury by United States commission
err at Vicksburg, and will be brought
to Greensboro for trial at the May
term of the United States district
court on the charge of obtaining mer-
chandise by making false representa-
tions through the mails. Ackert dis
appeared from Horse Branch several
months ago, taking with him, as it
was understood at the time several
thousand dollars worth of goods. These
goods he had ordered from various
wholesale houses, some of them in
Owensboro,on the representation that
he was about to open general store
in connection with the Lillian mines.
Inspector Hasford took charge OF
tn case after the state authorities
had failed to locate Ackert, and final
ly traced him to Centreville, Miss.
Ackert, when placed under arrest, is
said TO have admitted that he bought
the goods about $1,000 worth, without
having any means of paying for them.
He was taken to Vicksburg, where he
was given examination trial and where
he is now in Jail.
The history of the Lillian Coal
company, as related by Mr.. 'Hosford,
discloses veery smooth piece of work.
The stationary on which Ackert wrote
to the merchants gives the following
list of officers; Frink Ackert, presi-
dent) ]. r. Herring, vice president, l..
Il. Ackert, secretary and treasurer, ],
r. Herring is a step-son Of Ackert,
and Is only twelve years old. L. E.
Ackert is the wife of Fred Ackert.
BY some means, Ackert was able to
procure a rating with Dun Of s125,0OO
for the Lillian Coal company, which
is said never to have owned dollars
worth of property.
On such a showing as this Ackert
ordered goods from various mer-
chants, and shipments were promptly
made by most of them. Some of the
concerns from which he ordered
large bills of goods are the F. T..
Gunther Grocery company and s. W..
Anderson, of greensboro, the Ham
ilton- Brown Shoe company, of st.
Louis John Shillito and the Aims
Company, of Cincinnati; the L. c.
Smith Bros. Typewriter company, of
New York. Besides these he order
ed from Various houses in Lou
isville, KY, and Columbus, o. The
Greensboro merchants got wise to
the game" before very much merchan-
disc had been shipped and were there
fore not heavy losers.
Ackert is said to have rebilled and
shipped the goods Immediately after
receiving them at Horse Branch. The
were reshipped at various places. some
of them disposed of, and some articles
found their way to Centreville with
Ackert and are now held there.
Centreville is the home of Ackerts
wife, who was Mrs. Herring. Ackert
met her in California, returned with
her to her home at Centreville and
was married to her. They came to
Kentucky shortly after their, mar
riage and lived at Central City for
some time. Ackert sold furniture on
the installment plan. His store and
stock burned while he was at Central
City. Before his marriage Ackert was
an actor