The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-30
THE BIG DEFAULrER is UNDER COVER.
Growing Suspicion That He is Under Sur
veillance and Liable to Arrest
unday Sentinel. !

sunday Sentinel
As the fuller details of Joseph A. Moore's
big steal come TO light harsh verdict is being
framed against him by the public From all
the circumstances than can be learned, it ap-
pears that his defalcation is of the most mex
cusable type.
Yesterday the agent of the company, Mr..
Abbott, appeared at the L. S. clerks Office and
made an examination of the records Certain
judgments had been entered there in 1880
against Moore on five mortgages. II was found
that the amount of the judgments was Sl20.-
G63.40 and that they were granted March 10.
1850, to George 2. Bissel. The judgment had
been accredited with SS6O00 which still left
So, 653.40 unsatisfied. Thus it was demonstrate
ed that Mr. Moore has been practically insolv-
ent since 1880.
This is one of the remarkable features of his
defalcation-how, in the face of such an enor-
nous Indebtedness, and other financial difficult
ties, he was trusted so implicitly by the Con-
necticut Mutual life insurance company. The
case stands unparalleled as an example OF CON-
mercial guilelessness on the part OF the CON-
pany. For a full ten years Moore has been
weaving network of deceit and misrepresenta-
ton, and his employers calmly slept in sup
posed financial security, while he was defraut-
ing them of thousands. His deficit represents
at least 10 per cent. of the company's surplus
fund. He stole one-fOurth as much in ten years
as they have been collecting together in fifty
long years of business effort The loss cannot
but be a terrific shock to the insurance CON-
pany.
In 1878 when Moore passed through bank
ruptcy, he was heavily indebted TO the Con-
necticut Life. But he was a man of earnest
nd md ~
heart OF Ingram Fletcher, at that time the
head OF Fletcher d Sharpe's bank, was touched
at MOore's misfOrtunes. aud he agreed to 20 10
Hartford and intercede for him. He succeeded
IN cOaXlng the company to retain Moore, and
even secured him an increased territory for his
loan operations. The large and profitable
fields OF Indiana and Ohio were placed in his
hands and he made money rapidly. He was
also enabled through Mr.. Fleteher's influence
TO make an arrangement by which ne could pay
of his Indebtedness, and thus he succeeded in
getting another start, though an enormous re-
sponsibility stared him in the face at the out
set.
Moore's secretive business methods are grad
ualy creeping to light as the investigation pro-
ceeds, ana, what is most wonderful about them,
at least q score OF resident citizens had felt the
weight OF his crOOkedness, and yet they never
made any complaint or even suggested that
similar methods were being used throughout
his entire business.
For instance, in the case Of the Bissell in
debtedness, Capt. De SOuchet, agent for Bissell,
says that all the mortgages have been satisfied
except one Tor $4,000 Moore and Ingram
Fletcher borrowed $4,000 on a lot at the corner
of Washington and CalifOrnia-sts and gave
bond TO erect building thereon. The building
was never erected, and the lot to-day is worth
perhaps ten thousand dollars. To avoid ex-
posure, Moore has paid interest the loan
these many years. The interest has amounted
10 almost the full sum of the loan.