Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-06-10
HE TOOK THEM IN
An Escaped Convict Flssces
Many Georgia People.
POSED AS A RICH MAN

the Deposits, 1t Is Said, in Some
Remarkable Explorations - HI
Assets Less Than One Hundred
Dollars All Told.
High finance of a remarkable or
der by which, it is alleged, Geor
gians have been swindle6 out Of
$25O,0OO has come to light follow
ing the arrest of A. d. Oliver, presi-
dent OF the bank of Climax. Ga.
and three other banks in the south
western part of the State.
Oliver arrived in Georgia last jan
uary and professed to be an Eastern
capitalist. He displayed a great deal
of money and said that he had about
$5.0O0,00O on deposit in banks In
New York city and elsewhere. He
announced that he intended to in
vest these millions and that Georgia
suited him. Accordingly he bought
timbered lands, sawmills, banks, au-
tomobiles, etc.
1t Is said he secured the ready
cash he needed through deposits In
his banks, in which the public had
confidence, and with partial pay
ments of cash, usually small amounts
he would buy other properties, CIV
ing him to outward appearances
large holdings.
He controlled a bank at Climax, he
established one at Attapulgus, he
purchased one at Pelham, he purchas-
ed a planning mill at Thomasville, one
at Pelham from ID. NJ. Rogers. one of
the large lumber dealers in that part
of the State, and erected and put
into active operation an enormous
one at Climax. This is not the sum
of his operations.
The town of Climax is fast becom-
ing center of all sorts of manu-
featuring and industrial enterprises
oliver has erected a $4,000 resi-
dence and he Is building several
brick stores.
while doing all this he found time
= to make love to Miss May England.
aid four weeks ago married her
~ xnYe kbegbride $1,000 in cash and
&snonds valued at $4,000.
~ The bubble burst when Oliver was
arrested on warrant sworn out by
a. Thomasville man to whom he had
given q New York draft for $10,-
600. The draft came back marked
mo funds" and Oliver was arrested
Examiners took charge of the -four
banks and they found less than 500
all told. In one bank at Thomas
Vile there was only 30 cents. just
one month ago oliver bought four
automobiles and presented them to
the cashiers of his four banks.
Oliver has been identified as al
escaped convict with an unexpired
term of eleven years hanging ovel
his head. The Identification. whiCf
was made Thursday morning bv
Sheriff T. o. Jones. OF Aberdeen
county Miss, came as climax tC
the sensational arrest of Oliver sew
eral days ago, when he Was feein.;
with his young bride in rcnted
automobile.
Sheriff Jones reached Bainbridg,
Thursday morning and Immediately
went to the jail. The moment he
saw the eX-banker. he positively de
clared that the prisoner was a fug-
ative from the Mississippi peniten.
tiary, where he was known al
Charles Harding.
The sheriff said that Oliver es
capped from the Aberdeen peniten
tiary on December 31st, 1908, ano
although the greatest efforts wer,
made to capture him, he succeeded
in making good his escape and al
trace was lost of the mau. On the
sixth day of January. this year. ex
actely seven days after the alleged
escape from the penitentiary, Olivei
arrived in Climax, Ca, the little
queen city of the lower Wiregras.
region.
The stranger entered the little
town absolutely penniless, but In
very short time, he was reputec
to be worth millions and began buy.
ing banks, saw mills and property
throughout the whole section of the
state. Oliver, in a few brief weeks
became famous for his ready replie,
to all proportions, I'll take it, jus;
wrap it up" This applied to land
houses and stocks and in fact, every
thing that was purchasable.
He had the reputation of never
r'rgfnsiuG TO trade and he always paiC
& email Proportion in cash, insisted
that the seller deposit the money IN
one OF divers many banks, ant
thus the endless chain or kitinf
continued I'll divers trad,
amounted into the hundreds OF thou
sands.
He purchased automobiles a
wholesale and gave them right anC
left In wanton prodigality to hi
newly-made friends. He built man,
fine houses and the whole countr,
stood agbast at his wealth and hi
napoleonic business ventures.
Oliver was seriously Ill shortl,
after his arrival In Climax and hi
recovery was in part due to tn
faithful nursing given him by Mis-