Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1950-01-18
Fictitious Death Storv
Nets Swindler $65 In
Non. Sympathy Raid

l
OF obtaining money under false
pretenSeS. a man identifying HIM
self as J. L. Caulder of Green
Sea. borrowed" S65 Monday
morning from the lnman. Cox and
Gore Funeral Home for the pur-
pose of defraying expenses in
Cured during the Illness and
death OF his mother-in-law."
Ralph lnman. manager of the
Funeral Home. and Thomas
Hayes. embalmer. reported that
the man. supposedly Caulder.
came to the local funeral eStab-
liShment on Monday morning and
asked that they handle the flu
neral of his mother-in-law. Mrs.
Lula Sweat. 20 years of age who
had died in Duke Hospital follow
ing five weeks illness.
Caulder gave a complete list of
the survivors and explained that
i Durham undertaken was prepar-
ing the body for burial and ship
ment to Tabor City. He asked
that Hayes pick him up at 6
o'clock Tuesday morning and that
the two of them would meet the
train in Dillon and bring the body
back to the Tabor City funeral
home.
Expressing regret that his moth
er-in-law did not have burial in
surance. Caulder said the expense
of her illness and death had taken
all his ready cash and that he
needed sos to tide him over for
Il few days. The funeral home
advanced him the needed money
and made plans to meet the train
the following morning.
Hayes said that in cases OF this
nature the funeral establishment
in the other location usually no.
titled them of the arrival time
of the body. Hayes became suS-
piciouS Monday night when no
message from the Durham eStaD-
lishment had been received. but
knowing the local Western Union
was closed at night and that oc-
casionally a funeral horne regtects
70 send an arrival notice, dismiss
ed the idea that they were the
victims of Swlndle.
Meeting the train on TUESDAY
morning. HAYES suspicion OF the
affair was confirmed when the
body of Mrs. Sweat was not de-
livered at the station. Calling
Duke Hospital immediately Hayes
VAS informed that Mrs. Sweat had
rot been patient there and mao
certainly not died there.
HAYES then contacted lnman
who made an effort to stop pay
ment on the check. but--too late
the wary Gaulder had already OBJ
tanned cash for the check.
Hayes described Caulder as be-
ing about 6 feet tall. black curly
hair. around 40 years OF age. with
a scar on his face. He was dressed
in dark pants. an army SHIRT ana
an Eisenhower jacket. and WORK
shoes.
\ man answering this descrlp-
ton had approached Horace Rob-
erts. owner of Roberts Grocery
Company. with similar story OF
distress ard asked Roberts for SO
Roberts. not knowing the man. re.
fused the request. and reported
that the man told him his vile
Mrs. jamie Powers Caulder. was
the deceased.
Richard Gordon. Lewis Funeral
Home manager. reported also thai
a man aswering the description
given by Hayes. approached him
Mondav morning with the same
story that his wife had died and
he needed SIS to defray immediate
expenses. Gordon refused the re-
quest. and it is supposed that
Caulder then went to the lnman'
Cox and Gore Funeral Home.
The details of the incident were
,urned over to Police Chief l.. r,
Watson who is cooperating with
Horny county officers in an effort
to locate the man. Shriff Sasser
OF Horny county reported that the
man was not a registered taxpayer
nor we're any of the survivors list
ed by Caulder at the funeral
home.
Il is believed that the man IS
or has been. resident Of this i'm
mediate area. due to his familiar
itv with Columbus and Horny coun;
ties The names given are believed
to be fictitious. including the