Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-26
Defaulter Moore Tells His Story.


REPORTS THAT HIS SHORTAGE WILL REACH THREE
QUARTERS OF MILLION.
A reporter succeeded in interviewing joseph
A. Moore, the indianapolis defaulter, yesterday
at his home in that city. He talked with free
DOM denying rumors that depositors in his
bank would suffer. He stated that he had
turned over to the Connecticut Mutual proper
ty worth 100000, and was waiting to see what
course the company would take in dealing
with him. He said: when / was informed
that Mr.. Abbott, the secretary of the company,
was coming to investigate my affairs had
plenty of time to leave the country and save
myself completely. / decided to stay right
here. and when Mr.. Abbott arrived 1 told him
the whole truth about the condition of my bust
ness. said to him that / proposed to remain
here. told him that he could always find me
if he wanted me, and promised him that 1
would not commit suicide, either
Moore stated that his troubles dated back to
1880. Said he: "A law was passed prohibiting
foreign corporations from bringing suit in the
federal court. That destroyed my business.
For two or three years did nothing at all
and became very respondent. Just before
that short time 1 had gone into bank
ruptcy, and an intimate friend, who had in
dorsed my paper, was heavy loser. / always
considered that was in honor bound to repay
him. and it was in an attempt to do this that nv
present troubles really began. had no business,
anu yes Hdu ued'y running expenses, ana at
the same time was striving to repay my friend
the money he had lost by me. / had loaned
great sums of money for the company repre-
sented, taking real estate security. After the
panic the borrowers were unable to paw off the
mortgages and the property fell back into our
hands II had deprecated greatly in value.
and was run down and in very bad repair.
felt myself more or less at fault in having
placed the loans SO badly. though in reality
did the best could At this point went to
New York and began to speculate in stocks
had fair success, too. and made some money!
but whenever came back here lost my head
and everything went wrong"
Moore declined to say how much he had lost
in stock speculation. It is obvious that his
irregularities with the company have existed
for years, yet nothing has been done on the
part OF the company until the LIST of January,
this year. IT is a current report that Col.
Green himself president Of the company has
known for more than a year that Moore was
embarrassed, IL not defaulter Rumor has il
that Moore's defalcation will reach three
quarters Of million, but Secretary Abbott
says 1t will not be more than half million.
Moore owned a fine residence in Indianapo-
lis, but his special pride was Tanglewood farm,
,, his country place. There he had q beautiful
house, fine cattle, blooded horses, and splendid
barns. His family has for many years been
intimate with that of Gen. Harrison and last
summer 1t was arranged that the general should
spend his nights at Tanglewood during the no,
season. He went out there one night but con-
cluded that il was no cooler than his own house
and did not repeat the trip. Mr. Moore is q
vestryman in St. Paurs Episcopal church. To
which the Hendricks and other leading fami.
lies belong.