Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-10-04
Ross J. Alexander in the Role
of Assignee

mas TeINuldllOu IN DSiuOul County loE
honesty and integrity altogether unen-
viable. For years the leaders of his
party, because of his treachery and
want of fidelity, lave been afraid to
trust him in their councils, and for
years he has been held as in the mark
ct, ready TO champion any cause, or
vote any ticket which would inure to
the benefit of himself personally. Now,
for some unknown cause, but evidently
with some ulterior motive, he is act
lively seeking al office, which to a man
Di his character means an opportunity
to make gain by illegitimate means
and wholesale jObbery.
But the triekery aud duplicity of this
man is not contiued to politics but en-
tiers into almost every act of mis- life.
| Under the garb of lawyer, much OF
his busin.,s is TO get control Of the
property of parties who become in
vOlVed, become their confidential ad-
wiser, persuade them to make an as
signment, with himself as assignee,
and finally he succeeds in absorbing
large part of the assets. Some Of his
doings in this regard have been so out
rageous and the wrongs on unfortunate
men so palpable that they are of public
eotoriety, and need only to be referred
to, to touch the public conscience. The
Jones & Msyes Gaze is one of This class.
Jones d Maye5 were extensive dealers
in dry goods and groceries, at two or
three points in this county, for some
years. About the year 1869 they were
pressed to meet demands upon them.
snd although they we're amply able TO
pay their Indebtedness could they have
realized on their stock, they were com
PEELED to make an assignment, as they
thought. for their own protection and
that of their creditors.
By some hook or crook, manipulated
| by Ross Alexander, he was made one
of the assignees of that estate. He pro-
ceeded TO its settlement, and sometime
in the year 1870 he filed his final settle
ment with the Probate Judge, which
showed that he collected as the assets
t5f the parties about S2S 900. For this
service he asked and received about
five THOUSAND DOLLARS, or one
sixth of the entire estate. Not only
this, but in order to make the steal
more princely and to leave creditors
il possible, without payment OF farth.
ing of their claims, he failed purpoSely
to use due diligence to collect assets
afterwards pronounced many good
notes, which could have been collected
on presentation, in his hands worth
lipss and advertised them as desperate
claims"
His next game was to sell them after
this cloud had been placed upon them
He wasn't particular about having
many people at the vendue. He enlist
led the services If A man in Wheeling
4s stakeholder to whom he managed
to sell all the good paper at from one
to ten cents on the dollar, thus losing
to the estate hundreds and thousand:
of dollars. Shortly afterwards thest
desperate notes" were in the hands o
"Ross Alexander, for collection, anG
he realized their full value, and thus
added another large sum to his already
monstrous, infamous and ill-gotteI
grab b, 10 the loss of honest creditors.
The next exploit of this blatant, self
: CONSTITUTED champion of the industria
. interests of this region, was in con
nection with the looking after the Ohio
City Iron and Nail Works, at Martins
Ferry. When that Institution wa:
lstarted this same Alexander refused Il
put any of his money in it, for the
same reason we suppose, as he refused
to subscribe to the stock of the IG
Belle Glass Works, because he was as
: lsisting the poor laboring men of Kan
lsas, by lending his money to them al
Is to 80 per cent on mortgage securi
, tiles. When he found, how ever, that
, the management of the mill was get
ting in trouble because of the depress
ed state of the iron business, he became
very friendly with its President, anC
finally convinced him that ne (Ross)
ought to be stock kholder in the con
rern, and he would be of great beneti
ltoit. The President was drawn into
his web, and finally, without consider
alton, gave him $1,000 in stock, and
was made Director, and attorney fol
the Company. As soon as he had
! g6ined the confidence of the unsuspect
ing President, he began to lay the
wires for an assignment of the proper
ty. He advised him to ''bredk 1t up a.
: once and buy I in" saying to him
that he "cotild make C coed Thing out O
H." In the meantime he had became
collateral security in the Bridgeport
Rank for $1,000 for Mr.. Clark, for the
use of the mill, and of course Was the
iprince Of good fellows then.
Soon. however, Cleveland and other
r creditors, became uneasy, and begar
, to press their Gains, and some OF then
came down to look after their inter
ests. Alexander-the fellow who love,
laboring men so odearly-instead of try
ing to adjust these claims honorably
and fairly, aud keep the furnace:
ablaze and the sturdy iron workers em
| ,f1 70 fr
2 cripple it, and then by taking mort
, gage on Mr.. Clark $ property for 81 900 :
$1,000 to secure the Bank debt, Sl00(
to secure the stock Mr.. Clark had do
nat him, and 500 for what he wa:
afraid he might be held liable to pay
for holding the Sl0o0 in stock, an
$1,000 fees as attorney. As soon a.
: This was accomplished, and he had
made sure of at least $4,000, for which
, he had given no consideration, he
stole away to st. Clairsville, and hat
the papers recorded. Upon his return
r he found the creditors there, and hi
/. Immediately raised the cry that they
would attach the Works, and advised
that an assignment be made at once
4 OF course it Was made. and Ross Alex
, ander was made Assignee.
/ Without delay, and for the purpose
of securing his per cent, the valuable
property was advertised for sale. Be,
D fore the sale was accomplished it wa:
j manifest that Ross was at his old game
of 'divi'' and the creditors applied t.
Judge Cham bers for an injunction re-
straining him from further proceed
ings as assignee, and the injunction wa:
granted and made perpetual, and ROs.
: was disabled from securing further
lining for his pockets from that con
cern. His connection with these
works created lack of confidence upor
the part of creditors, and feeling thai
, they were to be swindled; his serpent
like coil about the unwary President
OF the mill, dragged him deeper int
[ financial distress until at Last the ms Z