The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-21
Mr.. Kitz Makes Another Statement of
the Condition of His Trust.
Banker Cook, Of North Vernon, Disappears
from His Late Place of Residence
Something About His Affairs.
THE FIRM OF DAVIS BROS.
How Their Business Was Conducted-Their
Relations with Pollard.



with the Indiana trustee swindle, are native
Hoosiers, being born and reared on farm near
here. Their father, d. W. Davis is a wealthy
farmer and a prominent and well-respected
citizen of Hendricks county. Alva E. Davis,
senior member of the Chicago firm, is a young
man twenty-six years of age, and is married.
He is held in high esteem by large circle OK
friends here at his old home, where he has ever
borne reputation for strict honesty and busl-
ness integrity. He was educated in the Indiana
State University, and since his college days he
has been connected with several prominent
| book publishing firms of the West. During
one year he conducted the subscription DEPART
ment of Rand & McNally, book publishers In
Chicago, and was with Belford, Clarke & Co., Of
the same city, for some time The junior mem
Der of Davis Bros.-A. M. Davis-is a young
man about twenty one years of age, and was
connected with the above Chicago publishing
houses the same time his brother was. On
hearing that A. NJ. Davis spending vaca-
ton with his parents near here, your CORE
spondent called upon him, and reques ted an in
terview with regard to the trustee swindle and
found Mr. Da0'r ,ery willing to give many
points of Interest The first question broached
to Mr.. Davis was:
What is the correct firm name of the So
called Davis & Co., of Chicagop
'Ihe firm is Davis Bros, composed of A. q.
Davis and myself. There is firm under the
name of Davis & Co., but they do not deal in
school supplies. We have been enormously
designated by the latter name. We deal in all
kinds of school supplies. 1t has been reported
Al. L H. loLo
both being the patents of Prof Houghton. We
have such goods. But we are the Western
agents for the Jow-tt globe and we have no
patent map. except itical chart the patentee
of it being Prof. H. H."
''Is this Prof. He on the man VINO is so
prominent in indiana educational circlesW
Eyes, SIR"
I'm what way has your firm been connected
in the transactions with township trusteesp
'Well, l have just returned from trip to
Europe. where was absent one year; hence my
knowledge of our business is thereby limited to
certain extent But can say that our trans
actions with trustees have been legal 1t has
been the custom of several school furniture
dealers of Chicago to furnish township trustees
with free passes to that city, invite them to
come there, and even pay their hotel bills, etc,
ir order to induce them to make enormous pur
chases of school supplies. Now, we never did
anything of that kind notwithstanding it has
often been nsinuated otherwise. Also, we never
authorized our agents to offer rebates to trus-
tees in order to induce them to buy our goods.
We let our goods sell on their own merits, for
they were of superior quality"
What transactions, if any, have you had with
R. B. Pollardl
pollard would send US wholesale orders for
school supplies, and We fillod the orders, some
times taking township warrants in payment
therefor, and other times receiving the cash.
The warrants generally run from six months to
two years, bearing interest at per cent, and
we took them at a discount of per cent to 10
per cent We not only received warrants from
Pollard, but from other agents as WELL Our
own agents also took warrants in payment for
supplies. We were not aware of any irregulari-
ties existing as to the warrants and all of our
own sales were bone ide, the goods being actu-
ally delivered. Before taking any warrant which
was not for our own goods, from Pollard or
any other agent, we always salts
fed ourselves to its validity,
Accompanying each warrant was the trustees
certificate, stating that he had Issued the war
rant for supplies purchased. And in most cases
the warrant was also accompanied with the
county auditors certificate giving the indebted
ness of the township. We had the opinion Of
the best lawyers bankers and business men that
the warrants were good commercial paper
good as gold. 1t was supposed that Pollard was
doing perfectly legitimate business"
'Has Pollard at any time acted an agent
for your irmf'
"Pollard has never been agent of ours He
sold goods and we filed his orders just the same
as other houses in Chicago did. You see, Pol
lard was an independent agent who run on his
own hook He would sell trustee a bill Of
goods take township warrants for payment, and
then he would go to any firm he wished to and
buy his supplies to fill his orders. He generally
gave the warrants as payment for the supplies
he bought, but sometimes he paid cash."
''Do you know by whom the scheme was orig
inatedl"
From what have heard. presume, Pollard
is the originator. But he apparently an
honest man. AL his transactions with US were
carried on in a straightforward manner"
'Did your brother, A. e., visit Washington,
D. c., for the purpose of negotiating the sale of
warrants2'
mo, sir. He and his wife went on pleasure
trip to Washington last June, and who there,
he gave Judge Thoman personal friend of his.
$l4, 600 of warrants as a loan. I do not know
that he placed any other warrants there The