St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-23
And City and County Prose-
cutOrs Have United to
Wipe 1t Out.
Alleged Employment Agen-
cies Which Are the YER
lest Swindles.
Railway Companies Made
Their Unconscious Allies
In Crime.
Free Passes to Starvation
Furnished at Three Dol
lars a Head.

The city of st. Paul to-day permits
and practically authorizes most vii
famous system of robbery by organized
gangs of sharks. The unfortunate vic
Tins are the poorest of poor laboring
men and women. The robbers, for
they are nothing else, are some of the
so-called employment agents." whose
nefarious joints are found at every hand
throughout the city, under the guise of
Intelligence" offices. These places
are operated under city licenses,
which but serve as cover un-
der which unprincipled men sys-
tematically prosecute business than
which there is-no meaner in st. Paul.
Poor and honest laboring men are
robbed of their last dollar, transported
far from the city, and set down in i'm
poyerished communities to beg or steal.
Great railway corporations, either
through the machinations.of unScrup-
uIous agents or the unfortunate ig-
norance OF such officials, become parties
to the outrages. Advertisements are
freely distributed for men to fill lucra-
tive positions in distant states. Poor
men are induced by offers of employ
ment at liberal wages to give up almost
their last dollar for transportation to
guaranteed employment, perhaps 500
miles away. The fact that transporta-
tien is offered is invariably taken
as proof that the contract is
made in good faith. The money
is paid ever, transportation is provided.
and, with ticket of Introduction to
prospective employer, the victim boards
fvsafr1 20. Alfa rel tIr.
case may be, thankful that he has at
last secured seasons employment.
Arrived at the point of destination he
s00u learns that he has been swindled.
There is no work in sight, and in nine
eases out of ten the man to whom he
was sent cannot be found. He is penni-
less, and either becomes wandering
tramp or a charge upon the community
to which he is sent. During the past
three months not a few of these unfor-
tunate victims have
FOUND THEIR WAY BACK
to st. Paul to tell the story of their
wrongs. The records of the city attor-
ney and county attorney show that
during the past few weeks over 100 men
have entered complaint against these
sharks, their stories being Invariably
the same. The situation finally became
SUN thoS OttC Coutu INV
be ignored. City Prosecutor Reese and
County Attorney Egan held censulta-
ton yesterday morning and resolved to
take Summary steps to prevent further
practices of the kind and to bring the
perpetrators to justice if possible.
Their first move was to visit the
different railway Offices and ASCERTAIN.
so far as was possible, the manner in
which these alleged employment agents
secure so manv passes over the different
lines of railway. The largest number
of complaints come from parties who
have been sent out over the Northern
Pacific road. and the general offices of
that company were first visited. Noo
could be found to satisfactOrily,explai
the matter, but it was learned that
many passes have been issued on appli-
cationO of contractors and SubcOntractOrS,
to whom the company is under agree
ment to furnish transportation over its
lines for men needed to carry on work
of construction and Improvement. The
general superintendent of construction
could not be seen. but the only conclu-
sion is that many of these contractors
have entered into schemes with employ
ment. agents to defraud unsuspeeting
victims. securing q share of the money
wrung from them.
A GLOBE rep0rter's attention was
called to particular case that was re-
ported yesterday morning. Five men
who had beaten their way back to st.
Paul from Mandan. Dak., appeared at
the corporation. attorneys office to en-
ter complaint against downtown
Joint. They had been fleeced of So each
on promise of work shoveling coal for
the Northern Pacific at Mandan. and
were provided with transportation.
They were guaranteed work at $3.50 per
dav, and hoard at 81 per week. On their
arrival there they found no coal to
shovel, no work of any kind for them,
and .:.,s
SCORES OF IDLE MEN.
Written on the back of their ''employ-
ment cheek'' was guarantee of free
passes next spring back to st. Paul or
West. Later in the day two men APP
peared at the same Office who had been
sent by a Seventh street agency" to
Ashland Junction. On their arrival
there they were informed by the man
to whom they were directed that he had
no work for them. He remem-
bpred having authorized the Seventh
street man to send him several men
nearly year ago. but stated that he no.
tilted them early last spring that he
could employ no others. In this case
the victims gave 81 apiece for the intel
ligenee and paid their own railway fare.
The number of complaints in both of
fees is almost without number. 1t is a
very difficult matter to convict the
sharks. under the circumstances. of the
crime of obtaining money under false
pretenees. VI hen taxed with any
wrong-deing they have invariably de-
MED the impeachment, alleging that the
complaints come from trampS whe do
not want work under any circumstances
1t is welkknown fact. however, that
no tramp will pay money in order to
convince people that he wants work
when he has no idea of working. The
officials who have investigated the eases
are confident that large number of
these employment" agents are opera
ting a system of outrageS against labor
ing men and women. The most effect
ual way of breaking up their nefariOus
business would appear to be the revoca-
ton of their licenses, and it is with this
end in view that the investigations are
being pursued. 1t is probable that the
city attorney will appear before the
MAYOR or the common council at an
early date with list of these swindlerS.
and that evidence will he produced that
will eempel the re calling of their Ii