The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-06-08
find BOGUS CROESUS IS
An ESCAPED CONVICT
A. D. Oliver, Who Duped Georgians
Out Of Thousands, identified.
Arrest Follows His Flight With Bride
in Auto Laden With Money-Has
Eleven Years Still to Serve in
the Mississippi Penitentiary.

Bainbridg &c, GA. d. Oliver, who
posed as, multi-millionaire duped
Georgia citizens out of thousands of
dollars and married one of the pref
test young women in this section of
the State, has been positively identi-
fed as an escaped convict with an un-
expired term of eleven years hanging
over his head.
The identification was made by
Sheriff T. o. Jones, of Aberdeen Coun-
ty, Miss, and came as climax to the
arrest OF Oliver severaldays ago when
he was fleeing with his young bride in
an automobile
Sheriff Jones after reaching Balm
bridge Immediately went to the jail.
The moment he saw the ex-banker he
positively declared that the prisoner
was a fugitive from the Mississippi
Penitentiary, where he was known as
Charles Harding
The Sheriff stated that Oliver, alias
Harding, was arrested in Aberdeen
County, Miss, May 80, 1908, and re-
NAMED in jail under various charges
for several weeks, finally being con-
!. victed on all counts brought against
him. The Sheriff said that oliver es-
capped from the penitentiary on De-
cember 81, 1908 Several days after
his escape Oliver reached this section
penniless, but in very short time he
was reputed to be worth millions and
began buying banks, sawmills and
property throughout the whole State.
Oliver in few weeks became famous
for his ready replies to all PROPOSE
TONS
This applied to land, houses and
stocks, and, in fact, everything that
was purchasable He had the reputa-
ton of never refusing to trade, and he
always paid small proportion in
cash, and insisted that the seller de-
post the money in one of divers
many banks, and thus the endless
chain of kiting continued until OH
ver's trades amounted into the hum
dreds of thousands.
He purchased automobiles at whole
sale and gave them away right and
left to his newly made friends. He
built many fine houses, and the whole
country stood aghast at his wealth
and his-business ventures.
Oliver found time to court Miss
Rose English, daughter of promin-
ent family, and married her, giving
her diamonds worth $4,000 as a
wedding present. He lived like a
prince and spent money lavishly upon
his young bride He established ele-
CANT stables and bought blooded
horses, and almost weekly added to
his stock of automobiles.
He bought more banks and more
lands and signed contracts for the
building of towns in the prairie coun-
try, and drew at will on New York
banks His Waterloo came when a
check for $4,000 given to an Albany
contractor was returned unpaid. A
warrant was issued for Oliver, and
his arrest followed his flight in an
automobile with his bride. When
{. Oliver, alias Harding, was arrested
In cambridge it is said his automobile
was half full of bills of large denom-
nations, wrapped in newspapers.
Immediately following his arrest
he suffered a collapse, and was re-
leased 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 have been looted.
Oliver is not only wanted in Mississip-
pi but he is wanted in Atlanta and
Birmingham by the Federal authori-
ties.
1t is said that he has served term
in the Ohio Penitentiary for obtaining
diamonds under false pretenses. 1t
is said also that he has three other
wives.