The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-06-09
OLIVER MYSTERY MAN
We're Not Surprised to Hear of
Ills Recent Downfall.
AN ENIGMA TO TRAVELLING men

Claimed to Have $5,OOO,OOO.
Started Bank and Took Stock in
Every Enterprise.
Savannah travelling statesmen whose
business carried them into south
west Georgia in the region of Climax
were not surprised to hear about the
arrest of President A. d. Oliver and
the empty vaults of the Bank of Gil
max as told in the Morning News.
10 the Knights of the Grip Oliver
mas been The Man of Mystery"
Ana the people among whom he has
made ms home for several months
were Just as much in the dark about
the mans past. For all they knew
oliver Just growed like Topsy."
That he would blow up in this way
was expected by the astute business
public, which had cause to be inter-
ested in divers financial status.
A well known Savannah drummer
made 1t a point a few weeks ago
while in Climax to make some point
ed inquiries about Oliver.
Was Ill in Climax.
AS far as I could ascertain" said
this gentleman, "Oliver stopped off
in Climax one day, and while there
was taken sick. He stopped at the
hotel, stating that he had been down
in Florida. The nature of his illness
was such that he was up and down,
thus affording him the opportunity
of seeing some of the town. He was
so favOrably impressed that he in
formed w n
that he had decided to settle in Gil
max IN preference to the town IN
western Florida, where he protested
to have been.
The landlady at the hotel, who
had come from cambridge, had
little daughter, Rosebud English,
who was 16 years old and going to
school. Oliver fell in love with her
and they were married.
Intending to establish a bank in
Climax several of the most promi-
nent business men had erected a
bank building there, but it had not
been occupied. Oliver passed the
word around that he was a multi
millionaire. He decided to take
over the new building and open a
bank, and did so.
Carried Considerable Stock.
Everything that looked at all good
to him he took stock in, until there
was scarcely anything worth while
in which he didn't own a few shares.
But very little cash in comparison
to the extent of his transactions was
really made use of by him.
Oliver must have had some capt.
| hnAT, Sv,c1
haps $4,000 or $4,000 in cash could
be traced to him. By skillfully
handling this sum he was able to
dazzle the credulous citizens of Gil
max and make for himself.
He never impressed me as a man
of more than ordinary intelligence.
In appearance he was very inconse-
quential looking. He was a man of
few words. Soon after he went to
Climax he stated that he had in
herited $2,500,0O0, and short
while later he told that his brother
who had fallen heir to the same
amount had died and left him his
share, putting him in the five mil
| lion class"
Oliver Is in Jail.
Oliver is in Jail in cambridge,
where he will probably stay until the
courts have taken some action. He
was given the alternative by Judge
Park of making a $4,000 bond. The
custodian appointed to investigate
the various properties and find out
their real value and the true position
OF matters has not reported, and I'M
til his report is heard nothing def
mite will be known.
Some of the persons interested
seem somewhat more hopeful of be-
ing able to get at least something
out of it. There are several who are
stockholders in the bank of Whig-
ham, and the officers of the bank
have lot of notes and papers which
they hope are good. 1t seems that
the officers of this bank grew suspi-
ciouS of Oliver some weeks ago and
instructed the cashier not to let him
have any more money, but he was
quite young fellow, and Oliver, it
is alleged, gave him a diamond ring,
and that he gave Oliver such funds
as he wanted. The cashier is now
dangerously i'll with typhoid fever,
and it is thought that worry over the
affair had a good deal to do with his
condition.
Much sympathy is expressed for
divers wife, who is quite young.
1t is said that he made her a present
of $4,000 not long ago, and also
gave his mother-in-law $4,000, but
told them he would just keep it on
deposit in the bank for them. 1t is
also said that he paid cash for two
automobiles, but that the money was
left in his bank on a certificate of
deposit good for sixty days and the
time is not yet out.
Started a Private Bank.
The exact amount of the failure is
not known. He set up a private bank
and the individual deposits ranged
from 81 to $4,000.
1t is claimed that Oliver bought
property and gave his certified cash
ier's check on his own bank and then
induced the people to deposit in his
bank, and on account of the fancy
nTipn Maid fhnxy l.