Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-06-04
ANOTHER "MIDAS" COMES TO
GRIEF.

A. d. Oliver, the modern multlmu-
lionaire Midas, who dipped Georgia cih'
zeus out of thousands of dollars and
married ore of the preltiest young women
10 the S ate, has been positively identl-
fed as an esCa BED convict with 40 uu-
expired term OF eleven years hanging
over his head
The Identification was made yester-
day morniDg bv Sheriff Jones, OF AoeI'
deeu county, Miss, and crme as cli'
max to the arrest Of Oliver several days
ago when he was fleeing with his young
bride in au automobile.
Sheriff Jones reached Bair bridge yes
ter,day morning, and immediately went TO
the iail The moment he saw the ex-
banker be declared that the prisoner was
fugitive from the Mississippi peniten-
tisrY, where be was known as Charles
Harding.
The sheriff said that Oliver, alias
Harding, wss arrested in Aberdeen
county, Miss, May 80, 1908, and re-
maiued in jail under various charges for
several weeks, finally being convicted on
all counts brought against him. This
prlsOntr escaped from the penitentiary
December 81, 1908.
Several days after this date Oliver
reached the cambridge section, peDniless,
but in a very short time he WAS reputed
10 be worth millions and began buying
banks, sawmils, and properly through
out the state. Oliver, in few brief
weeks, became famous for this ready
reply be made to all propositions:
"rll take it; just wrap 1t up"
This applied to land, houses, and
stocks, and in fact everything that was
purchssable. He bad the reputation of
never refusing to trade, and he always
paid q small proportion 10 cash, in.
sisting that the seller deposit the money
in one of bis many banks. Thus the
endless chain of kiting continued until
Divers trades amounted 10 hundreds OF
thousands. He purchased automobiles
at wholesale and gave them to his newly
made friends.
He built many fine houses, and the
whole countryside stood aghast at his
wealth.
Oliver found time to court Miss Rose
English, daughter of prominent family,
and married her, giving her diamonds
worth 500 as a wedding present.
de lived like q prince and spent money
avishly upon his young bride he
established fine stables and bought
blooded horses, aud almost weekly
added tc his stock of automobiles. de
bought more banks and lands spd
signed contracts for the buildings OF
towns in the prairie country and drew
at will on New York banks.
His Waterloo came when check for
$40, coo given to an Albany contractor wss
returned uupsid. Then the police becsme
suspicious, and his arrest followed his
flight 10 an auto with his bride. When
Oliver, alias Harding, was arrested II
Bsinbridge it is taid the body CT his
automobile was half full of currency In
bills of large denominations, which were
wrapped in newspapers.
Immediately following dis arrest he
suffered a collapse, aud was released on
bail. as his mental condition appeared TO
be serious Additional warrants were
Issued and he was again placed in Jail.
The four banks bought by Oliver mad
been looted.
Oliver Is not only wanted in Missis'
sippi. where he has eleven years to serve
in the peDitsntisry, but be is wanted in
Atlanta and Birmingham by the Fedora
authorities.
1t is said he has served term in thu
Ohio penitentisTy for obtaining dia
monds under false pretenses. 1t Il
r also said that he has three other wives