The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1912-04-20

The closing OF prison doors today
behind c. o. riiImar. millionaire
land dealer. brings to an end the
gigantic operations Of perhaps the
eieverest and most resorucsfyi
swlndler who ever operated on the
Pacific coast.
iilllman had for a number Of
years posed ~ the poor man =
friend" In Washington. Oregon and
California A. early as July 20,
1910. tho Seattle Star refused 20
accept Bis blind ads. which adyer-
tissd chicken ranches" Al ridlenr
lonsly Low pFlccn
These. Il waa shown later, were
plainly fake ads. and were inserted
in the newspapers 10 inycigIc pros.
pscfitc buyers. who. when they In.
qulred. we're told that the partieu-
lar chicken ranch advertised had
been sold. bat that Iiiiiman had
other good buys"
Brings Suit Against Star.
When HilimAn VAS arrested. The
Star In telling OF bis arrest. refer
red 10 him a. the big real estate
shark. This angeFcd the million
aire. and when this paper refused
10 print stories favorable 20 him
and 90 ease mp on the stories told
By bis victims. he brought suit
against the paper for an aggregate
~ half a million Later The Star
won three OF the suits In the 50.
prcme court. and Hillmnn himself
asked for the dismissal OF the 9th.
crm
Start of ris Downfall
IiilimAn's downfall really com.
meuced when The Star. on learn.
lng OF his fake ads. threw them out
OF the paper and announced on the
frat page that the ads had been
barred from the columns Of The
star AZ being fakes
The government began its crami.
nation at about the same time. Vic.
Tins 81 Hlilmnn came to The Star
office by dozens and made affida.
Wits concerning the Hwindling
games By which they had been
fleeced
Gigantic Operations Revealed.
tuf"t hAttHAhAN hH0ktN tNt AIAtf
gigantic proportions of Hillmsn'a
operations lie operated "a the
%iIlilman Investment Co. THE
Boston Harbor Railroad. Steamship
A Land Co The Great Western
Condensed Cream and Canning
CO. The Railway Right.of.w Ways
and Steamship Terminals" and
The Birmingham Land Co
All these companies with high.
sounding names were Hilimsn.
The affioaviss secured by The Star
showed that AiIiman had resorted
10 almost every eriek known TO the
trade. He promised employment 70
purchasers Of land. He promised
TO build seaport and manufacturing
cities on his land. He painted won.
derfui word pictures Of the steam
and electric railways he intended
building 10 his townsites, linking
them with the big towns Of Puget
sound.
Poor People His Victims.
No one will ever kno WHOM many
thousands OF unwise people fell
for Iilllman's wild promises. Mos,
OF his yictims were workingmen.
who hoped. by lucky investment
OF their savings, TO secure a home
and a competency for the RANT
day. He impoverished thousands.
Sent Fake Letters.
Hiilman had letters sent 10 dis.
satisfied purchasers. purporting TO
como from mythical terminal com.
panies. inauirlng as TO the possible
purchase OF land for a right-of.way.
This was to make dissatisfied buy.
ers think there was demand for
their land. so they would pay up
their installments TO iiillman.
Indictments Returned.
On October 3 The grand fury az
Tacoma. after hearing 81 witnesses.
returned six indictments against
Hillman. charging him on 2s counts.
A few days later the grand fury
returned a seventh indictment
against llillman and some OF his
employees. charging conspiracy 10
use the mails for fraudulent pmr.
poses. The maximum penalty on
the last charge ls two years In the
penitcntiary and $4,000 fine. nm.