Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-11-17
JOS. DUBOIS DESCENT
From the Paths of Honor and Rect.
itude to Those of a F0rger.

Kansas City Mail. Nov. u
The reigning sensation in local circles
to-day is the disappearance of Joseph n.
Dubois, the hide and wool dealer. and
the development of facts that lead to
the supposition that he is a defaulter to
a large amount
As soon as the Mail came into posses
sion of the fact of Mr.. Dubois having
left the city, reporter instituted an in
vestigation, with view of getting at
all of the facts in the case and will
place them before the readers of this
paper with the. assurance that they
can be relied upon.
The history of how Mr.. Dubois two
years ago forged eight bills of lading for
wool valued at $4,000, purporting to be
consigned to Haffeild s. Geisler of Buff
falo and then drew on them for S22,T00,
is familiar to all readers of this paper,
and how, upon the fact being settled be-
yond dispute that the bills were forg-
ed, the firm had warrant issued for his
arrest, but upon his paying the amount,
fOrgaye him and he-Rent free.
Mr. Dubois has had extensive deal
ings with many of the leading houses in
the trade throughout tie East, and
many of them have been sietimized by
him. During the past week represent
alive Of Horner Bros, of Boston, Mr..
Osburn, has been in the city, looking up
the recent transactions with that house.
1t appears that some time ago he drew
on them for $4,000, for lot of hides.
and the bill of loading went with the
draft. The money was paid, but the
stock did not reach its destination and
in fact, was never shipped. Upon punch
ing him up little $4,000 worth of the
stock was finally shipped. When Mr..
Osburn arrived be found that Dubois
had skipped and the firm is out about
$4,000, as the original bills of lading
were forgeries. Harding. Martin & Co.,
of Boston, is another firm that has been
victimized the same away, to large
amount Smith & Fossett of New York
are also in the same boat, their account
being of two years standing. Two
months ago bill of laden accompanied
a draft on Whitney & Graham of Chica-
90, and when the stock, which was wool,
arrived, it was found to be short large
amount. A letter was sent, and another
consignment was dispatched to make up
the shortage, but this was 1000 short.
This time ohe of the members of the
firm came out here and effected settle
ment, but not until the wool had been
weighed out and its weight certified to
by an employe of D. II. Mcdonald & Co.,
was the draft paid, The same scheme
was tried on Goetz s. Lueining, tanners
of Milwaukee, the draft being for S10,-
900. One of the firm came here short
time ago and 450 bundles of hides were
shipped which reduced the indebtedness
so that the firm is now short only $4,000
or 81, 900. The evidence of this kind of
work are many and further investiga-
tion may bring to light more of them.
C. H. Cowan & Co., a heavy house in
Chicago, was put to considerable trouble
by this forged bill of lading scheme. e.and a
representative of the house came here to
effect a settlement, which was done, and
last week, since Dubois depar-
ture, two ear loads of hides were sent
them which makes them whole.
Two years ago prominent house
of Philadelphia was imposed upon by
these forged bills of lading, and the mat
ter was put into the hands of Pinker-
tons men, who succeeding in getting all
that was due the firm and the fOrgeries
were hushed up.
A warrant for the arrest of Mr.. Du-
Bois is now in the hands of the officers
charging him with forgery and but for
his fleeing at the time he did, he would
have been arrested. He went away on
Friday, week ago. and told different
stories about where he was going to and
when he would be back. To one man
be stated that he was going to attend
his fathers funeral, when his paternal
ancestor died over four months ago; to
another he said he was going to Chicago,
and still to another, that his destination
was Philadelphia, but his present where
abouts cannot be ascertained.
A prominent man in the trade said
that Dubois paper was not worth any
thing in Chicago, that it had been going
from house to house and finally would
be protested, and that his departure was
no surprise to anyone who is in the bus
mess. He did not believe that Dubois
had very much money with him when
he left, but as to that could not tell.
Another man said that he was salts
| fed that Dubois had been carrying on
the forged bill of lading business for the
past FIVE years. That he would draw
money, not with the attempt to defraud
but hoping to send the goods soon and
thus cover up his tracks. The gentle.
man stated further that be believed
when all the accounts were in he would
be found to be defaulter to fully $75,
900. This money he did not believe had
been carried away, but had been lost in
various ways, as Dubois was an expen,
sive liver, reckless and unsystematical
in his business.
Mr.. Dubois owes but little in this city
as far as can be learned. The banks
have not suffered any from his flight.
The warehouse contains but little
The constable took an inventory thi:
morning and found the following: Two
dry hide presses, thirty dry hides, one
platform scale, two small scales, seven
ty-five or eighty pounds of wool, thret
trucks, three desks in the Office, ant
odds and ends, the whole amounting tC
probably $500. All the stock, or nearly
all of it, was slipped out last week.
The favorite method of Mr.. Dubois
4 o1- lu efofad rvoo IN car1 Il 30, &c e.