The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-22
THE BIG COTTON SWINDLE
The Tragic Ending of a Famous Case on Which
aGreatDealofRealDe Detective Work Was Done

back of each envelope with thick
coating of mucilage ! myself took
enc letter and Herbert the other Each
of us posted himself ON one side of
the chute, being some little distance
from the receptacle.
Knowing the hour at which No Is
brother was in the habit of visiting
the postoffice, we We're not kept wait
ing more than a few minutes before
he put in an appearance. After he
had gone through his customary ma
, neuyers, but before he had time to drop
the three letters which he held. Her
bert and rushed forward, one on each
side, both reaching out the letters
which we held simultaneously, in such
2 way that the five were forced into
the chute together. No. Is brother be-
came very indignant, and muttered
something about rudeness and awk-
wardness. After attempting hasty
apology. / disappeared around the cor
neF to the office of the assistant post
master. whose acquaintance I had pre-
Vlously formed | told him that | had
5ust deposited two letters In the chute,
and having discovered that / had put
each in the wrong envelope, wished to
get them back In order to rectify the
mistake. The assistant postmaster at
once conducted me to the main mail
hox below, where, among half wagon
load of letters and general postal mat
ter the five letters We're speedily dis
covered, all stuck together. One of these
was addressed to relative of No. Is
vie at her home in Tennessee, and
second to another brother of No. l,
who resided at Atlanta, Ga. The third
letter was addressed to No. / him
self. whose name was Dillardd, at Ocean
Springs, Miss.
went at once to Ocean Springs,
which was then a small winter resort
located on the Louisville and Nashville
railroad, between Montgomery and
New Orleans. l arrived there the same
midnight, and found that the postoffice
of the town was kept in small gro
Gerry store, which was part of the prin-
cipal hotel of the town. ] showed the
landlord photographs of billiard and
his wife, and he at once identified them
by name. He stated that billiard had
represented himself as being a rich iron
manufacturer from Chattanooga. that
his wife was in i'll health, and that they
had been there for the past month,
having rented a beautiful residence
known as Montgomery cottage situated
about two miles away. I gave the post
master to understand that Dillard (No.
!, be it remembered) had fallen heir
to sum of money and property, and
that I was desirous of acquainting him
of his good fortune by surprise, after
having established his identity. This,
1 told him, would require about 10 days
and I cautioned the landlord 20 say
nothing to billiard or his wife re-
quest which elieited a ready response
1t was necessary to obtain requisition
papers from the governors of Missis-
sippi and Texas, a process which would
require eight or ten days, a complaint
had to be lodged at sherman. Tex,
request for the requisition had to be
sent from Sherman to Austin, and the
request of the governor of Texas to
the governor of Mississippi had to so
TO Jackson, Miss, where the agent for
the state of Texas had to appear In
person to receive the papers.
l had myself appointed as the agent
for the state of Texas. Taking a night
train to New Orleans, in due course
obtained the papers, and then pro-
ceeded to Canton, Miss, which was
the county seat for Ocean Springs. [