The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-14

sure that it would prove a pronounced sue
cess.
Mr.. Call sent on samples, and found thai
i they commanded a ready sale at good
| figures. He believed in the honesty OF
Everett and was induced to go into the
business with him in this city. A building
was rented on upper Fourth avenue and
preparations were made to start up the fac
| tory.
| Everett displayed perfect knowledge
of the rag and wooden business. and fire.
quently visited the several establishments
4 of that character in the two cities.
| The two machines in pledge at Boston
were sent for and arrived G. o. D., for the
exact amount for which they had been rep
resented by Everett. On the arrival OF
the machines letter was received from j.
the machines were very valuable, and that
from his limited knowledge of the process
which he had obtained from the trial in
that city, and from conversations with
Everett, he desired to go into the enter
| prise, and was willing to advance the funds,
| it necessary. Everett, however, said
| that he was satisfied with one partner and
refused to consider his offer in favorable
light
HIS SWEETHEART.
Duncan Everett about the time the
machinery was ready to be placed in posi-
ton, came to Mr.. Call and said that he
had sweetheart back in Toronto that he
was about to marry. Her name was Nellie
Ferguson He represented that her father
had given chattel mortgage on his prop
erty in Toronto for $500 and he was unable
to pay it. Everett disliked to see his
sweetheart's father turned out of his little
home, and requested the loan of that
amount to keep them out of the difficulty.
The money was given him, and in the
morning Everett showed receipt for a
registered letter which pretended to be the
money so advanced
Everett always condu cted himself in a
business way, boarded at the Commercial
Hotel on Market Square, never drank or
remained out at night and gave every one
the idea that he was hald-working, sober
and industrious fellow
A short time after receiving the money
for his intended father-in-la hessleft for
parts unknown, He came down to the
bank to see Mr.. Call and stated that he
was going over to Davenport to secure
some machinery and and would net be
back for some time. He failed to return
that night and WAS also conspicuous by his
absence on the following day. A search
was instituted in Davenport as it was
believed he had gone on spree, but no
trace of him could be found until the bar
tender of the Clifton House informed the
police that Everett had visited that hotel,
had changed his clothes, leaving the old
suit to be called for
The factory was Immediately closed up
and the material sold off for what it would |
bring.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Nothing was heard of the missing |
Everett until November 1880 when the |
cable dispatches brought the news that |
young man by the name of John Collins |
had been arrested in Brussels for defraud- |
ing the Russian Consul at that |
place out of $4,000 on bogus
wool waste factory. The newspaper |
accounts, of the affair stated that Collins
had a confederate in New York by the |
name of Duncan Everett, and also men
toned the existence of a girl named Nellie /
Ferguson. The accounts stated that Col
Inns had played the game successfully on
fifteen different persons in France, Italy, |
Germany and Switzerland, but had been
arrested while trying it at Brussels The
same plan was there adopted as played in
this city. The monied man was induced
to send for the machinery which increased
in value until $4,000 was raised on the
Russian. On the arrival of the machinery
the money was paid and the young manu-
facturer made his disappearance. The
Russian offered So, 900 for his arrest. and
this proved sufficient incentive for the de-
tectives to work up,the case, which they
did by arresting him at Paris as he was
about sailing for this country.
Mr.. Call, of this city, on reading the ar
ticle, wrote letter to the Russian, detail
ing his own experience and giving a de-
scription of Duncan Everett or John Col
ins. as proved to be his name An answer
came back, stating that the description
was perfect, and there was no doubt that
.he person under arrest was the same indi
vidual who had commenced operation in
Rock Island two years before.
THE SUIT
vas commenced by Mr.. Call in the courts
Of New York against John Collins ST., of
that city, 1t was ascertained that the two
men were father and SON, while the Nellie
Furgeson was sister to the younger and
laughter to the elder Collins The case
v as appealed for different times by Col
ms ATTORNEYS as the old man waa YIeead