The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-20
TOO MUCH STEAM.
COLLAPSE OF A BRILLIANT OpER.
ATOR IN REAL ESTATE.
Something About n Very Recent Indiana
Iaiiuie-A Mao Who Did "a Land
Office Business Not Visible
Any More

CHICAGO, Oct 2o--The Tribune's Terre
Hauto special has the f flowing about the
failure OF Blanchard, the real estate agent,
Of that city, which took Place the latter
part of last wesk: Tie collapse OF Ben
| Blancharis real estate specializing business
was not an uniooked-fUr ev0nt. For six
months he las often been n very
tight box and it was frequently thought
That he hai reached the cad If hi rope,
notably % when the Pullmau's stopped his
palace-car excursion party in Chicago n
few months ago for debt the car he
bought from them. He came here few
years ago from Newport, NermiIion county,
vine he had an abstract Office. He estab-
isael a large Office on Main treet, and
announced his name in large, flaming
letters. Ii was not long before he began to
advertise extensively i'll tho news
pap,rs Of Terre Hauts ard the surrounding
towns. lis aivertl ement5 also appeared
in the Ia annapolis aud Chicago papers. He
ndverti52l extraordinary bargains in lands
in Kansas, West Virginia, AMI Dakota. He
was soon running large excursions to Kan
sas, especially to Finney county. No
ordinary excur-ion seemed to satisfy the
ambition OF the young man, and
many times nothing loss than palace
cars would -ati fly his ta,ta His great cX-
Curslous to the wet were always heralled
with large advcrti amaut3 depicting thu
richness AMI beauty 81 kaisa' lands or the
great future Of Dasuta, IL was 10 unusual
thing for him t. take n palace car excursion
west or to charter on engine and n private
car FOR q bu insSs trip t. Chicago or TO the
SUR unding towns. lie spent none lavishly,
AMI he soon became known as the "lrnce
o Fmnay County, Snrewl businc g men
were enticei into letting him have large
an Il,.I,h .. /
cont. month. One OF two capitalists fig
uro in his speculatonl a. Warner did with
Frrdinanl Ward in NV York. His check,
alror time. were thrown ouO of the bank.
For year thl banl; III which some days lie
Wouii have 50, OJD would not let him over
!rlw 50 ON his account He soon logan
hunting for victims among the women.
One woman, To whose daughter he wa en-
,agci b. ba marrial, let him have s. 0J)
without even taking p receipt, 4 few wo2l>4
ago his Sl,5jo turnout was sold for taxes,
a.el Friiay night his household goods
went the same way.
Whom he came horo no wa; married, his
wife being IA member Of a respectable fam
iy Of Newport. About year ago his wife
died while on "a trip to Minnesota. Blauch-
arl was in Ierre iiaGte when he received
the new, that she would live but II short
time, AMI hs left Immediately for her bod
side Ga TIE road ho secJrad special
ongine and car in order to travel
faster. lie lined AahGry church, and
at Iast,r no decorated the church
at an expense of ..voraI hunire dollars
lie also paid forfeit of $1,000 on build
Ing lot for the church. There ara instances
whcro mon aud women have sacrificed
everything they had to put the money into
his bands b reap some Of thC1o profits.
Lately many of those creditors have been
pushing him hard, and one, Il grocer named
Paddock, swOre out the warrant on ac-
count of which he ran away from the city,
avoiding the entire poiica force. 1t is
thought he is making for Chicago, where he
has some property. Hi; ofiics there Is in
Koan'3 bank bui!iins, and is IN charge of
his brotaer-in law, Mur,hali La. The esti-
mates now ara that he has taken SOB 900
ont OF Til nul q faM a | .ini-i.- rnlInLins