Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-28
GREAT MEN HIS GAME
Alleged SWindIer Is Arrested in
Baltimore.
STATESMEN PAID TRIBUTE
Imaginary Offspring, Said to Have
Been Named After Them.
VERSATILE IN NOVEL SCHEMES
William Duvall Said to Have Prof
tied by Telling of Casting Maiden
Vote for Congressman.

An alleged schemer in frenzied finance
with senators and representatives in Con-
! gress as his victims. has been arrested in
(, Baltimore through the detective work of
Post Office Inspector Carter B. keene of
| this city.
The man under arrest is William Du-
vail unmarried and about fortyfive years
of age The charge placed against him Is
using the mails for fraudulent purposes.
Congressman His Quarry.
It Is said Duvall has long been engaged
in the practice of victimizing reverend
senators and astute members Of the
House by means of various schemes In
sharp practice. He has raised much
money by naming mythical baby hoys.
representing himself to be their fatner IN
honor of statesmen
Representing himself to be friend of
William Jennings Bryan. he was once
captured while reaping a harvest of
money by the sale of bogus tickets Tor
BRYAN Silver Clubs.
| He worked another scheme on congress-
| men. claiming to be young man and
| having cast his maiden vote for the rep
| resentative to whom he appealed for
funds.
Post office officials say Duvall has
proved a most versatile trickster and
| has a long list of statesmen who have
| been duped by his wiles and his shady
| financial schemes.
Report From Baltimore.
| A special dispatch from Baltimore to
The Star this afternoon conveys word Of
| Duvalls arrest.
| 1t says:
| William Duvall of 1915 North Vincent
| street Baltimore. was taken into custody
last night by Post Office Inspector Carter
/ of Wo cI, under the
| charge of having used the mails for
| fraudulent purposes. Duvall was arraign-
ed this morning before United States
| Commissioner Rogers and held In the sum
/ jury.
| Duvall is said to have a previous rec
ord with the Post Office Department. In
| 1897 he was arrested and convicted OF
using the mails to defraud in connection
| with the sale of bogus tickets for a
| Bryan Silver Club 1t Is known that
he realized a considerable sum from this
source. and penalty served eighteen
months in the penitentiary.
| He has also been implicated in a novel
scheme of representing to senators and
members of the House of Representatives
4 that his babies were named In honor OF
them and the customary donations in the
| forms of cash. cups. spoons. etc, were re-
ceived. He has also served term of
three years in the pen for obtaining
goods under false pretenses under the
laws of Maryland.
/ ''DuvalIS present scheme. which has
gotten him into trouble, is to write repre-
sentatives in Congress advising them of
| the fact that he is a constituent and cast
| his first vote for them in November. 1905.
| HE claims to have made a trip south
| encountered hard luck and finds himself
| stranded in Baltimore. He hopes to raise
| money TO pay his fare home. the home
| place being represented in each instance
| to be in the representative district and
| home town.
Scheme Not Profitable.
| I'm each letter he incloses four coupons.
which entities the holder to get photo
| graphs at cut rates. Duvall states his
| commission is % cents on each coucon.
| so that if the representative finds it in
| convenient to go to Baltimore to have
his picture taken he will in any event re-
| init 81.
| Duvall admits his crime. but declares
| his latest scheme has not been profitable
! He has been operating it since last Jan
| uary. 1t is known. however, that a num-
ber of remittances have been made to
| him.
| He made discrimination along po-
| litical lines. assuring republicans and
| democrats alike that he cast his first vote
| for them in 1906 and hopes to be in a
| position to vote for them again next fall.
The case will be brought to the atten-
tion of the federal grand jury at Balti-
|