The Portland daily press., 1878-07-20
PLUCKED I'm THE BUD.
A swindling Firm Broken Up.

About week ago two men hailing from
Boston arrived in this city and announced
themselves as wholesale produce dealers who
wished to open store here. They secured a
store of W. E. Wood at the head of Central
Wharf, taking lease for a year and CON-
menced business under the style of j. T.
| Appleton & Co. They had been established in
the store but few days when inquiries came
to the Mercantile Agency in this city asking
about the firm. who they were and if it was
| safe to ship to them. To ascertain full particu-
lars Mr.. 7. Frank Jones, the manager of the
| agency iu this city, called at the store and
interviewed Mr. Appleton. vino appeared to be
| at the head of the firm. He said he and a Mr.
Hamilton were the partners. He confessed
| ignorance as to Hamiton's antecedents but
| said he first met him in Pautucket, r. l.,
where he was in the jewelry business They
| gave two men named Edwards and Spofford of
Boston as references. These two Boston men
were called on and neither of them appeared
to know the new firm very we'll, but one of
them expressed the belief that Appleton was
sbyster according to the best of his knowledge.
This information made Mr.. Jones very
suspicious and he was lot slow in communica-
ting his suspicious to others. The firms iu
this city were notified to be on the look out for
them as they were suspected of belonging to
gang of swindlers, who have done very extern
sive business in other states.
Their mode is for two or three men to hire a
store in some respectable business locality, call
themselves firm, and are then ready to do
business. One remains at the place of business.
The others go around throughout the state
soliciting consignsments, citing prices of pro-
duce, and offering to pay more than the market
price for goods. By this means goods to the
value of thousands of dollars are bought on
credit, and are then sold off hand. At the ap-
pointed time of payment, the fraudulent firm
either clear out or fails, and its dupes lose the
value of their goods.
Late developments show that this was the
operation of this firm. On Wednesday the
firm of Smith. Gage & Co., received dispatches
from Dexter and Corinna, asking what was the
standing of the aforesaid J. I. Appleton &
Co in this city. and stating that goods had
been forwarded to them. The Newbury
Cheese Factory sent to J. T. Appleton & Co.,
ITO boxes of cheese in care of the same firm.
The goods were received and j. 7. Appleton
was told that they could be delivered when
paid for. Of course, these goods were not
taken away. A despatch from Dexter stating
that four cases of eggs were sent to j. 7.
Appleton & Co., was also received, but the
bogus firm gave them up on a demand for
them.
Yesterday morning the store of the firm
which was empty was not opened and the
members of the firm were missing They
evidently found that their game was blocked
and departed. The Bangor Commercial says:
A very fine looking man of smooth address
has for the past three days been among the
pro luce dealers giving very large orders for
cheese for shipment to J. 7. Appleton g. Co.,
commission merchants, and Wholesale dealers
in butter, cheese. eggs, poultry and beans,
etc, etc.. No. 12S Commercial street, Portland.
Me-, but on enquiry Of old and established
firms there it is stated that no such firm does
business in Portland, nor does the Commercial
Register give such firm. No goods have
been shipped.
1t is understood however that the firm did
get some lumber and hay sent to them from
the vicinity Of Bangor, and they succeeded in
getting away with it.
By the above it will be seen that Mr.. Jones
of the Mercantile Agency has prevented this
swindling institution from doing big business
in this state 1t is only another example of
the usefulness of the agency to the business
world.