The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-08
WAS
A SPECTATOR
BOUGHT BALDWIN COUNTY LAND
AND GAVE CHECKS, BUT THEY
PROVED NO BETTER THAN
BLANKS, AND NOW HE WON'T
COME BACK.
Special to the Journal.

Bay Minette, Ala, Aug. Under
the name Of James Speck, a stranger
purporting to De a land-seeker in this
county has succeeded in working some
pretty slick games among the residents
OF this county and Of adjoining coun-
| ties, which have just come to light.
On Wednesday of last week Speck
came to the Hamilton hotel here where
he stated that he wanted to purchase
some land, but that he wanted to avoid
any land sharks. He learned that Miss
Clara P. Haynie, proprietor Of the
hotel, owned a tract of land near Car
ney and began a dicker for it and they
succeeded in reaching terms for the
transfer OF the place. On Friday morn
ing he went to the local bank and en-
deavored to secure, on a draft on the
First National Bank Of Bardwell, KY,
$1,000, but the paper was taken only
on collection. He then drew a check
for 81 900, payable to Miss Clara Hay
ME- at the arrival of the money from
Kentucky. The draft was sent to the
bank In Kentucky and returned with
the statement that they had no such
person on their books. The return of
the unpaid draft started an investiga-
ton which Is uncovering q great deal
Of work done by Speck.
It appears that Speck had first gone
to Pensacola, where he stated that he
hal placed something like $1,000 in the
bank. He then went 20 Mif1in, where
he purported to purchase some land
and after ordering q large bill of gro
ceries from a merchant there, gave
him a bogus check and skipped. He
then came here, where he played his
little ruse.
After completing arrangements for
the purchase of the land from Miss
Haynie, he went to Carney. where the
land was. and went over the property
in company with Mr.. James Carney, of
that place, and also bargained with
him for an adjoining forty acres which
they surveyed together. While at
Carney he succeeded in getting w. A.
Tunstau to cash a check for IS, which
also proved of no value. From Carney,
Speck instructed the driver who had
taken him from this place to send
several carpenters to do some repair
ing to one Of the houses, then took a
train for F1omaton. Here again he
was at work. He ordered q new pump
from a dealer there and ordered 1t to
be shipped to Carney, giving him q
check for the pump, which was turned
down.
Meanwhile, he had 'phoned Miss
Haynie that he would return here on.
the night train to settle his hotel ac-
count However, shortly before mid
night he 'phoned to her asking her to
send up some money on the strength
of the draft he had left at the bank.
She investigated fully the transaction
at the bank and refused to send the
money. He pleaded that he had re-
ceived word from his home that his
little daughter was dying with typhoid
and that he could not get any cash to
take the train. but OF no avail. He
then told her that he had ordered his
account in the Pensacola bank to be
transferred to the local bank and that
he would straighten the account out at
once. Since that time, however, moth
ing has been heard of him, except OF
the tricks he has played and of the
money he has gotten. Efforts are
being made to locate him, though it
Will be hard to handle him, should he
be taken, as his tricks were unusually
cunning and battling. He is consid-
cred the slickest sharper that has come
here in a long time.
The funeral of Mrs. Elizabeth Sells,
who died late Thursda vat the age of
sc years, has held at the Presbyterian
church yesterday afternoon. She was
a recent settler from Nebraska. She
died from tuberculosis. Interment was
in the Bay Minette cemetery.