The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-20
SWINDLING OPERATIONS.
The Extensive Business Done by T. c.
Gordon g Co. in Barometers.
Their Successors Claim To Be Doing Legiti-
male Business-The Result OfPOstOffice
Special Agents Investigations.


that operate here and Postmaster Widman has
been kept pretty busy for several months past
IN considering complaints and grievances that
come to him from Maine to California, and from
the Lakes to the Gulf Nearly all the frauds had
their origin in the marriage benefit association,
which flourished throughout Indiana TWO years
ago, and lateral development of which are the
"death-bed" insurance companies and mutual
benefit associations. Among the latter the
"Marion Trust Company" operated by the Ia
mented Collier, was a bright and shining exam
pie A recent scheme, however, rather eclipsed
all the others in originality and shrewdness.
About two months ago man giving his name as
T. G. Gordon came here and opened an office in
the Thorpe block under the firm name of I. q.
Gordon & Co., his racket being the
sale of a combined barometer ana thermome-
ter, which was to fill a long felt want. There
is some reason to believe that the
$50" of the firm, was Arthur L. Blue, who is
said to have applied the funds of the United
Oraer of Honor to HE own use and then left the
city. The Journal has heretofore given some
accounts Of GOrdan's operations, but the public
generally have an inadequate idea or how ex-
tensive they were. His method was follows:
He sent out circulars and advertising posters to
postmasters and small dealers in all parts of the
country. in which he desired that they should
send him the names of three persons who would
act as agents for the sale of his combined Darom-
eter and thermometer representing that there
opportunities for great profits III the bust
ness In consideration of this favor the post
master was TO receive one of the instruments
for % cents, which were merely TO cover the
charges for packing ana expressage. The
results were surprising. Gordon received hun
dreds of letters % day-each containing the re-
mittances asked for. For nearly two weeks his
daily mail consisted of over 1000 letters-going
as high as 400 Occasi0nallv-and the carrier
was obliged to make two trips to his office in the
morning so extensive was his mail. His daily re-
probably average from $3.50 to 5000. Present.
ly complaints began to come in that he was not
filing his orders, and when he was questioned
about the matter he acknowledged
that he. was not, but said that
he could not get the goods from the manufac.
tory h said that his partner was Arthur L.
Blue, who then had an excellent business stand
ing here, aud gave some of the most prominent
business men in the city as references, and this
disarmed suspicion, But of the thousands of or
ders he received, each containing the requisite
twenty EIGHT cents, he did not fill probably
more than a dozen, for the instruments cost
more than that, and he finally compelled TO
flee from the city to escape prosecution for using
the mails with fraudulent intentions. Blue left
about the same time, and neither have since
returned but there is every probability that they
will both be arrested before long and subjected
to vigorous prosecution.
GoRDoN's PREVIOUS HISTORY.
For several days past a journal reporter has
been looking into Gordon's antecedents, and
has made some discoveries. His real name is B,
L. Gardiner, and he is a dead-beat of the old
school. He has been connected with several
newspapers throughout the country, in various
capacities, but has never stayed at any one
place for any great length of time. as he had a
habit of borrowing money and swindling people
on all sides He was reporter on the Pitts
burg Leader for few weeks, and afterwards
went to Cincinnati. where he was engaged on the
Penny Press. His service did not last long
with that paper, and he became advertising
fOP aOninn hmm nit ri ha
"Drs. K. d K. Surgeons" About eighteen
months ago he originated another brilliant
scheme, and made some money out of it, by
travelling ahead of Forepaughs show, claiming
to be regularly accredited agent, and soliciting
and getting the pay for advertisements which
were TO go In the printed programmes, but never
got there. FOrepaugh instituted criminal pro-
eeedngs against him at Fort Wayne, and he was
again compelled to flee to avoid punishment.
where. for few weeks last spring,
he published "patent-alover" paper
called the Household Friend" He left there
also under a cloud, with numerous debts unpaid,
and went back TO Cincinnati. His last business
venture, so far as the latest returns indicate,
was in this city in the barometer business, under
the name Oft. G. Gordon & Co. He has wife
and family at Cincinnati, in destitute crcum-
stances, the children, 1t is said, now being in %
public benevolent institution He is man of
much shrew dBess and cunning, ard of good ad-
dress, and has made considerable money by his
various schemes, but spent it in drinking and
gambling. II is Thought he got in with Blue
here, by the latter doing his printing for him.
GoRDANs SUCCESSORS IN BUSINESS
Just before Gordon left the city he sold out
his barometer business to John A, Heidlnger
who is now running it, but a different plan.
He claims to be doing a square business, and has
evidence to support his assertions He now re-
ceves Gordon's mail and says that viii en- he
gets letter containing twenty-eight cents he
either sends the money back or writes to the
sender that he will send him
cents additional, as the instruments
cannot be sold for less than fifty cents. He is
receiving orders at the rate of 200 or 800 day,
and claims to be sending out the instruments,
which he says cost him about thrty-fve cents.
Receipts from the varions express companies
show That Mr.. Heidliuger has filled hundreds of
orders, but the chief difficulty seems to be thar
people who sent twenty-eight cents to Gordon
want to send twenty-five cents additional to
Heldlinger and get the instruments. which he
declines to sene them and consequently there is
much complaint Heidlinger's Office is the
same that Gordon had, and lie has two young
ladies for clerks, who are kept very busy.
About the time Gordon left another competitor
came into the field. This 'iE. Frazier," a
Well.appearlng young man, who also has an of
flee in the Thorpe block, and who operates
queer insurance company called the "Globe
Mutual Assessment Life Insurance Company"
IN the latter his name is given Marcus Z,
Frazier and in the barometer business simply
4. Frazier. His circulars are exactly the same
as Gordon's the only change being the
connection With the former firm Heidiinger
accordingly issued u circular denouncing Frai-
zler d Co. as frauds, because they had made use
OF his printing matter, as he claimed. Frazier
stated to the reporter that he was going out of
The barometer business, as there was no money
In It, He said further. that he could not fill the
orders he receiving, and was moi, trying to
get any more, because he could not get the
goods. He claimed that he only went nto it for
the purpose OF getting the names of people
throughout the country, whose services he
might be able to secure as agents for the Globe
In his Office he had probably "a dozen barome-
tiers, which he explained that he kept to send to
persons who had sent i'll orders and would not
De stood off, i" and twenty or more empty boxes
Inquiry at the pOstoffice developed the fact that
ne was receiving about $50 letters and pre-
sumably orders, daily.
, Major Arnold Transferred.
Major Isaac Arnold, of the United States army,
who has been for nearly nine years in command