The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-12

Wv dence against him, Christo-
pter Siebert. who Is believed
to be the head of q gigantic scheme
to swindle the public through the
fraudulent use of the United States
mails. is in the city Jail. where he
awaits preliminary hearing before
Commissioner Joseph P. Brady on April
2sth.
Sebert was arrested yesterday morn
ing by Deputy Marshal John Murphy,
upon a warrant sworn out by Post
Office Inspector Bulla, who has been
working on the case for several days.
After being arraigned he was com
mitted and his, preliminary hearing
was postponed. His son was captured
in Baltimore as the result OF a clever
ruse on the part OF local officials.
His Smooth Scheme.
The scheme, which apparently has
been operated successfully by Siebert
and his son. F. w. Siebert since Jan
uary 18th. when they rented post-oftice
box s36, Is a most unique one, and
though the amount of money received
in individual cases was small, 1t prob
ably brought in many thousands OF
dollars in the end.
When the post-office box was
rented by the Sieberts in January
they represented themselves as being
the proprietors or agents of the follow
ing concerns: The Business Telephone
Company, the Land Improvement Com
pany and the T. p. A. Bureau. But
now 1t turns out that their scheme was
to advertise widely in papers through
out the country for companion to
travel abroad with a lady, and to re-
quest that stamps be sent for reply.
Answers to these advertisements poured
| In thick and fast. and each one brought
| stamps which were carefully put up
| in packages and converted into cash.
This is thought to have been the only
source OF revenue, but the fraud was
| operated upon such an, enormous scale
that IL each letter brought only cents
the scheme was highly profitable.
When Siebert's room was searched q
large trunk filled with letters
was found, and these letters, never
| answered, are in the possession
OF Mr. Bulla, and will be intro
| duced as evidence for the gov
ernment. Among the mans ef-
| fects were found also a large number
OF photographs OF women who had
answered the advertisement and sent
their pictures along with their replies
A small box containing I and 2-cent
stamps tied up in packages ready for
sale was likewise discovered and Is
in Mr. Bulla's hands.
| One of the advertisements which was
clipped from a Western paper and an
| swered by young woman is as fol-
lows:
"Wnntcd-A young lady TO net ms
companion to aged, iDfirm old lady In
trip abroad. Expenses paid to New
York City. Inclose "-cent stamp for
reply"
A Narrow Escape.
siebert, 1t is said. came near being
londed by the police authorities here
some time ago. He was caught selling
stamps by Captain Alex. Tomlinson.
but he explained that he was bus-
ness man. and that the stamps had
been sent him through the mails in the
regular course of his business. All
tlly was true, perhaps, though it was
not known at the time that the busi-
I ness he was conducting was an illegal
! business.
4 Siebert claims that he came here
from Connecticut, but further than this
he declines to make any statement
concerning himself.
u He was arrested under section $3.50
4 of the Revised Statutes of the United
States. and the charge against him Is
that of devsing a scheme. to defraud
and using the mails In furtherance
j thereof. Upon conviction. the penalty
i is fine not exceeding $500 or conflne-
mcnt, in the penitentiary not exceeding
i eighteen months, or both, in the dis
cretion OF the court.
Son In Arrested.
While searching the rooms of Siebert
at his boarding house Yesterday after
noon. Deputy United States Marsha
4 Murphy was called to the telephone
} by a long distance message for the
prisoner from Baltimore. The caller
10 ha q
officials claim that ,he Is implicated il
the same transactions. Telling young
j, Siebert that his father was ''out," Dep
uty Murphy made an appointment fol
long distance talk at 3 p. M. at the
Bellevue Hotel, In Baltimore. Chief Of
Detectives Alex. Tomlinson at once
notified the Baltimore authorities by
| telegraph, and an hour lateria mes
sage was received stating that young
: Siehert was in custody in that city
Both men under arrest are said to come
from Hartford. Conn, and both have 81
far declined to make any statement t,
the authorities
A silver waiter and silver spoons
| with a strange monogram. were takel
into possession by Detective Mcmahon
: of the Richmond force, who will en-
T deavor to ascertain where they wer,
4 secured. and under what circumstances
s The police also found q diamond PHI
pawned at a. Richmond shop. Boil
local and United States authorities eX
press the belief that the arrests vii
lead to further important developments
At least one person who answered
the advertisements of the Sieberts wa
j, on to their game, as when he was ar
rested tho elder Siebert had In hi
4 pocket, a letter from n South Carolin
: maiden, nclosng as u souvenir y can
J celed French stamp. and referring u
: the most scatAine terms to the husires
y conducted by the two men
Hartford for Practice Ship.
| + WASHINGTON, April ll,-The Hart