The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-21
PLUCKY MIR. COOLIDGE.
The Man who Dares To- Investigate n Dress
makers Bill.

The Man who Darss .Is to Ian"xestisate In" Dress.
The Coolidge-Flynt case is making a great
stir in Boston. Our lady readers will be inte-
rested in the following testimony, which we find
in the Traueller of Wednesday,
Mr.. A. L. Coolidge was called to the witness
stand. The bill in suit was second one of an
exorbitant character presented by Mrs. Flynt.
The first bill-which was paid-was presented
to me on a morning when l was about leaving
for the West. Being in a hurry, paid that
first bill without examination. When the bill
for $1,000, now in suit, was seEt in, the items
of the other bill were for the first time eX-
amined, and found overcharged; had an inter-
view with Mrs. Flynt about this $1,000 bill; had
had several with her girls. Mrs. Flynt declined
to make any deduction from the bill, which
told her was notright. Finding that to be her
determination and that she meant to press the
matter, l rose to leave. She became excited,
and as | went down stairs called me miserable
sinner. Never knew that she charged $5 day
for each girls work till one of her girls told me
so, subsequently to the above interview.
Mr.. N. B. Wiggin, dry-gcods dealer, with K.
Ii. White d Co., No. 46 Winter street, was
called as an expert to testify as to the value of
goods in dresses. The 1919 yards of silk charged
at SAG was worth not over $3.50 in the spring
of 1862 The 12 yards of hermann charged at
500 were not worth over $50 or $65. The tea
+. rose silk charged at $15 was not worth more
than half that. The purple silk. 10 yards, at
$50 yard, was not worth over $3.
NIL JOuu NudIlCS Sldlto, VI ANOs 81 w lubcI
street, whose business is pinkiug, ETC., was
called. He was asked to look at the purple silk
dress, the pinking for which was charged in the
bill at $l5'75. He said that this was done W ith
a pinking-iron and not cut out by hand. He
charged three cents yard for pinking. The 1875
yards of pinking on this dress ought not to cost
more than So or 81. The basting and pinking
would not occupy much more than a couple of
hours. There is but little additional work.
Weston III. Lewis, eX- President OF the Boston
Common Council, was called. He is member
of the house of Lewis, Brown ~ Co., Summer
street. He was shown the laces on black silk
dress or waist First his attention was called
to the broad lace, charged IN the bill as Al 8
yards, $43 '33. Not great While ago this waist
was brought to my store, and l was asked the
value of this lace; l stated 1t at $3 80 yard,
wholesale. The counsel then accompanied me
to @. g. Holbrook's store, and we saw Mr..
Lewis N. Tucker, who fixed the retail price at
$4 to $4'25.
The attention of witness was next directed to
the narrow lace, which was charged in the bill
at $23 for 2-3 yards. Mr.. Lewis fixed the
value of it at 81 a yard. The broad lace is a
pretty pattern, but it is not remarkable. Wit
ness said he was well acquainted with these
articles.
Mr. w. r. Storms, the Summer street dry
! goods dealer, Mr.. Robert Gilchrist, of the firm
| of Churchill Watson d Co, and other promi-
nent men in the dry-goods and dress-goods
| trade, were called and testified to great dis
| parity between the charges made for some of
| The articles in the bill and their real worth.
Mr. Storms, among other things. testified that
4 the purple cloth 10 yards at s12) was worth