The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-26
FINDING HIDDEN RASCALITY.
The Populations of Hicklin J. Landers
: Likely to Aggregate $4,000.
His Operations Are Not Restricted to Fraudu-
lent Warehouse Receipts, but Embrace
Various Other Forms of Dishonesty.

Further inquiry into Hicklin j. Landers's
transactions did not meet with any generous
wish on the part OF the gentlemen concerned to
give information. They were apparently anxious
to let the publicity rest on the reports in yester
days papers It seems there is difference OF
opinion between the banks, the Indiana National
and Meridian National, and the firms of which
Landers was the trusted book keeper, as to the
validity OF the warehouse receipts. Mr.. Nc
Murtry. of Landers, Barnes & Co., says:
Young Lanlers was merely book-keeper and
cashier. He had no authority to sign the firms
name to any paper" This necessitated consul
tatiOn of lawyers on both sides, and
as usual the first advice given was
to keep everything away from the
newspapers in order to give the counselors
chance. Acting on this, the members of Lam
ders, Owens g. Co. and Landers Barnes & Co.
were very secretve, and facts had to be brought
out by piecemeal When asked what course the
Indiana National Bank would pursue, Mr. V. T.
Malotr the president, said yesterday 1--WE
shall look to the firm of Landers, Given & Co.
for our money. The warehouse receipts are
genuine. am satisfied that they were signed
blank and left to confidential clerk to fill out
as he pleased, nobody is responsible for that but
the firm. We have consulted our lawyers, and
have no doubts whatever about the liability of
Landers, Given g. Co."
As the affair stands Hickln Landers's opera
tions with warehouse receipts are limited to
$39, 600 on the name of Landers, Givens e. Co.
Last December, however, this firm went in with
that of Landers, Barnes e Co. Young Landers
became the confidential book keeper of the con-
solidated concern, operating in pork. The Few
arrangement did not have weeks existence
before the book-keeper in question began his fine
work. Among several lots of hogs purchased
one day were ifty-seven, the lot calling for $780,
The stockyardspeople have custom Of giving
sale tickets with the number and price of the
lot. These are deposited in bank and after
wards taken up by the purchasers. On this
occasion. In order to get ahead Of this ticket
check, Hicklin Landers drew up the check pay
able to Landers, Barnes & Co., the name of the
consolidated firm, and had his uncle Frank sign
it. 1t had been raised from $3.50 to So $50, for
PSI instead of 81 hogs. Young Landers got it
cashed at the Meridian National. paid the owner
Of the hogs 5000, and pocketed the So, 600. After
awhile he tried the scheme again in raising a
check for $1,000 to $4,000, and further on he
changed smaller amount to 81 00O Realizing
on all of these without detection, no adopted
other methods which member Of the firm
termed outright stealing He adjusted the
books to suit these transactions but, as regular
proceeding, avoided balances. In what particu-
lar he fell behind or equaled other dishonest
book-keepers as to ingenious debts and credits
is not known. His principals are DESTROYS of
rot explaining just now while 1.-The books
are under expert examination by Mr.. McChes-
ney, assisted by Mr.. Weaver, the business part
ner of Hicklin Lauders in their brokerage trans
actions. The first significant discovery made
was that the balances up to the date of the last
which was several days ago, are false. So far, it
is claimed Sc. 600 in fasiications aside from the
checks, has been discovered What the
counts will reveal when the experts come to
those showing no balances cannot be accurately
determined. but there is information of enough
crookedness TO lead to the belief that Hickln
Landers will be charged with between SIS, 600
and $50, 900. In this are to be counted the ware
house receipts while the rest of the transactions
cover false entries and raised checks.
A feature of the affair is note for $40, 600, of
Landers, Barnes q Co., negotiated in Peru
bank, but both banking concerns in that city
deny any dealings with the firm. Some days
ago, however, Frank Landers told a gentleman
that the firm thought this Peru note had been
paid, and the discovery that the bank still held
it led to Hicklin Landers being questioned about
it. He acknowledged that it had not been taken
up. This warranted the first suspicion of the
book-keeper's trustworthiness. and a trial bal
ance was demanded of him. It did
not prove satisfactory, and the firm
demanded one more clearly setting forth
Landers, Barnes & Co.'S financial condition.
Frank Landers promised to see it is claimed
that it was forthcoming. Hcklin presented
another. and yet another, to each of which ex-
captions were taken. The firm is still waiting
for that satisfactory balance.
It comes from Chicago that the young man in
one instance operated as j. Landers, and the
brokers presuming it to be ~. Landers," ex-
tended him credit for 81. 500. The personality
of the operator was discovered when tie account
came due for collection. Hickliu promised to
settle, but did not.
Young Landers does not appear to have had
any vices to lead him on to commit crime.
From what can be learned from those who knew
him, he seems to have been very quiet, unob-
trusive citizen. He dressed we'll, but not too
WELL He drank occasionally, in an undemon-
strative way usually alone, and never yielded
to intoxication. If he had any entanglng
female alliances no one knew of them. He
never talked of what he had done
or what he proposed to do to any
one He had no confdants but Hicklin Landers
Now and then brother brokers undertook to
pump him to get points. In every case utter
failure followed these attempts. He was a
secretive, sef-contained person, and never gave
anything away. Most of the young men thought
him stupid; elderly men thought him steady and
deep.