The Indianapolis journal., 1885-10-19
THE BLANCHARD COLLAPSE.
Close of the Dazzling Career Of a Dash
ing g0perator in Real Estate.
lie Flees from the Officers of the Law. and
Leaves Obligations Amounting to About
Three Hundred Thousand Dollars.

Ben Blanchard came here from Newport. the
eounty-seat of Vermillion county. and took desk
room and began an excursion and land business
on small scale. He soon branched out and
established large Office on Main street, in the
Marble Block, and announced his name in large
flaming letters, ben Blanchard 1t was not
long before he began to advertise extensively in
the newspapers-not oily in the newspapers Of
Terre Haute, but in the papers in the surround
ing towns. His advertisements also ap-
peared in the Indianapolis and Chicago papers
He advertised extraordinary bargains in lands
IL. Kansas, West Virginia and Dakota. He was
soon running large excursions to Kansas, espe-
~cially to Fnney county. No ordinary excursion
seemed to satisfy the ambition of the young
man, and many times nothing less than palace
cars would satisfy his taste. His great excur-
sions TO the West were always heralded with
large advertisements. depicting the richness and
beauty of Kansas lands. or the great future Of
Dakota. His rates were always low and reason
able. 1t was no unusual thing for him to take a
palace-car excursion West, or to charter an en-
gine and private car for business trip to Chica-
go or to the surrounding towns. He spent money
lavishiy, and he soon became known the
"Prince of Finney County, His lavish expend
itures Of money caused almost every one
to believe that he was rapidly becoming
wealthy in his sales of Western lands, and many
went TO him to find profitable" investments.
The returns money were always prompt and
sure, and accompanied by large per cent. as
profits Such returns were always from ten to
fifty per cent AS time went on his offers of
money for investment increased, and he ac-
cepted all capital rendered him. His motto
seemed to be ''quick investments and large
profits" When he came here he was married,
his wife being member of respectable family
of Newport About year ago mis- wife died,
while on trip to Minnesota. Blanchard was in
Terre Haute when he received the news that she
could not live but short time, and he left i'm
mediately for her bedside. On the road he Sc
cured special engine and car, in order to travel
faster At least, this was his story, which he
told when he returned
The dashing young fellow did not to all ap-
pearances, allow the weeds of widowhood to lie
heavy on his heart, for he was soon seeking the
company of young women. 1t was about this
time that rumors began to be circulated that all
of his dealings were not straight, and from that
time on the Express refused his half-page and
two-page advertisements, although often impor-
tuned to take them by Blanchard, who offered
high rates. The Express believed that the ad
vertisements were doing an injury to the COM
munity. He also published monthly, which
he christened What Next2" He circulated
his paper far and near He was
people outside of the city. About year
ago he secured fine team of black horses a
fine carr age, and employed coachman. When
the outfit was not employed conveying Blanch
standing in front of his place OF business for the
purpose of show. 1t became public talk among
business men that he was often short of funds,
t,at wnen the pinch came he always came for
ward with the money necessary to tide him over
1t was unusual occurrence for drafts to be
received by the banks on Blanchard for thou
sands of dollars and he would pay them. The
bankers began to notice that he would some
times be compelled to rush around to secure the
money to cash the drafts. There were times
when he would issue checks on the banks for
thousands in single day. and he not have a
dollar in bank The checks would be thrown
out but he would manage to scrape together the
money to pay them. ''Hold on; keep them for
few hours" he would say, ''ard will have the
money" Picking among men who had money
to invest grew scarce and the Prince of Fin
ney County" sought for suckers among the fair
sex, and he was successful. He was a widower
now and never let the opportunity go by to
make love where he could secure money to in
vest His betrothal to several young wom-
en- has been the talk of the town and
his betrothals were always made, it would seem.
with money consideration in view. During his
palmy days he joined the Methodist Church at
Asbury. He spent money freely for church pur
poses, and last Easter he decorated Asbury with
flowers that cost several hundred dollars. The
decoration Was the finest ever seen in this citv,
and photographs were taken of the display Last
winter the church began to discuss the subject of
a new building. and brother Blanchard was
placed on the building committee. Developments
would seem to indicate that he was drawing the
brethren He volunteered to give several
thousand dollars to aid in the construction of the
new building, but the money was never forth
coming
During the early spring many who had in
trusted their money to his care began to fight
shy of him. and he sought the little fish. He
would accepts amounts as low as $25 for invest
ment. His creditors began to flock in On him.
But he would either raise the money or put them
of. He conceived the idea of establishing
branch Office in Chicago. and it was carried out.
The Chicago Office was fitted up in the same fEe
style as the Terre Haute office. This office was
placed in charge of Marshall Lee bright Young
man who had studied for the ministry. Lee be-
come more than a clerk to Blanchard. marrying
his sister. Blanchard heralded his advent in Chi
cago in large advertisements in the Times which
drew heavily on his purse. Blanchard evi-
dently went 10 Cnlcago thinking that he would
drag in larger suckers" than he could in Terre
Haute because it was larger town. In this it
is said ne was successful, and there are people
there who are moaning and gnashing their teeth,
and sad because they can feel their dollars no
more
In August he took large excursion to the
Yellowstone Park. He brought fine palace
car here which he said was built under his
orders for his personal use. He filed the car
with "dead-heads" and started for Uncle Sans
pleasure resort At Chicago his funds gave out.
ano ne kinaiy remained In Chicago several days
fogive the excursionisss chance to visit points
of interest, while he endeavored to raise the
money necessary to carry them on the journey.
He conducted another excursion to Kansas.
which was his last. Since then he has been
sought by his creditors, and at last the ship he
sailed could stand the breakers longer and
was dashed on the rocks. The prince of Fin
ney County" was washed ashore, slightly dis
figured, but still in the ring" He has been