Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-26
SPERLINC HELD FOR
JANUARY Term OF
CoUR7-coMM|TTED
Judge Lancaster Finds Probable
Cause to Hold Alleged Veal
thy Austrian Horse Buyer on
Charge Of False Pretences

Edmund Sporting, the man whom
City Marshal Harwood brought to Au-
gusta last Saturday night from Mass
achusetts. where Sporting had just
completed the service of four
months sentence in the house of cor
rection at Salem, and who had for
some time past been wanted IN Au-
gusta on the charge Of having obtain
ed money under false pretences, was
arraigned on that charge Monday
morning before Judge Lancaster of
the municipal court. The complainant
in the case was Hyman Gerstian and
the amount alleged to have been
fraudulently obtained from him by
Sperling was $25. Sporting was repre-
scented by NJ. E. Sawtelle and entered
a plea of not guilty.
According to what was learned dur
ing the progress Of the hearing the
man Sporting came to Augusta last
March and represented himself to be
wealthy Austrian who was in this
country buying horses for the Aus
trian army. He was of a pleasing ad-
dress, spoke four languages, talked
of money in 10000 gulden lots. and in
this way worked his way into the good
graces of several Of the Hebrew fam
lilies of the city to an extent that is
at least unusual on short acquaint-
ance. This went on for some time and
until Sporting left town and under a
cloud. He was gone but not forgotten,
which fact was demonstrated by an
other fact that since his disappear
ance still hunt had been in progress
with the result that he made second
visit to Augusta-by request.
Hyman Gerstian, the complainant,
was the principal witness for the
prosecution and in his story to the
court relative to his dealings with the
respondent, said that he was intro
duced to Sporting at Max Slosbeyg's
as a wealthy horse dealer purchasing
horses for the Austrian army; that
he got very well acquainted with
Sporting and believed the story of the
mans reputed wealth, so that when
Sperling wanted some money to last
until the arrival Of a large sum Of
money from Austria that afternoon,
March II, Hyman let him have s25.
Lyman further said that Sporting was
to pay him at 2.30 that afternoon but
that instead Of doing SO he left town;
that he communicated with the Ban
gor police relative to Sperling's being
in that city, but got no clue, and
nothing further was heard of Sporting
until it was learned that he was in
Salem, Mass. Jail serving a sentence
of four months on charge Of lar
ceny.
When Sporting came to tell his story
he claimed that he arrived in Augusta
from Butte, Mont, where he had been
buying bronchos; that his reason for
coming here was that he was search
Ing for young man named Ouerbak,
who had left Austria and whose rela-
tives wanted to learn his whereabouts.
He claimed that he interested the
complainant and another man =, in
to Austria but that it was returned.
He further claimed that he found the
man Ouerbak while here and told the
other two of the fact. but that they
kept on hunting.
. Sporting admitted that Gerstian let
him have $25 but denied having
shown the latter telegram which
purported to be a request to have the
10000 gulden which was originally
claimed to have been sent from Aus
tria to Philadelphia sent to Augusta
instead. the existence Of which tele-
gram was claimed by the complainant
in his testimony. Sporting finally ad-
mitted having received a night letter,
but later on the telegram in question
was produced in court and it was
shown that Sporting had sent it to
himself. s -
Mr.. Sawtelle's argument was very
brief, the principal claim being that
Of no Misrepresentation. and at its
close the court found probable cause
to hold the respondent in the sum OF
5000 for the January term Of the SUI
perior court. ,Speriing was unable to
furnish the required bond and was
4 =