Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-05-16
From Mondays Daily.]
IN THE SOUP.
C. G. Bessey Leaves His Friends AND
Creditors Minus about $4,000
Startling and unsupported Dis

CLOSURES.
Rumors which had been gathering
force during Saturday gained strength
enouph in the evening to become GER
taipties which later Developments have
elaborated. and Abilene's business men
found that they had been victimlzed 10
an extent not known for years and
perhaps never equalled in the history
of the city.
Mr.. C. G. Bessey, of the firm OF Fry
Rover g. Co., has been absent fro them
CITY for several weeks. 1t was sup
posed that he was engaged in real
estate deals or looking after his sup
nosed live stock interests. 1t trans
pires, however, that he has in common
parlance, skipped the country" and
that every one who would trust him Is
more or less the loser financially.
His plans of operation which were
discovered Saturday were unique IN
kind. He drew up notes signed by
fictitious names and also chattel mort
cages to secure the same, with the
same signatures. These notes and
mortgages were deposited in the banks
or with private individuals to secure
his own notes. When his notes be-
came due he would either renew them
depositing more fictitious security, or
would borrow. somewhere else. He
also borrowed large sums upon cattle
which he claimed to own though no
one had ever seen the stock. 1t is now
found that none existed and that these
mortgages are also worthless. His
schemes were evidently carefully ar
ranged and worked out with premedl-
tated knavery, for they have extended
over many months. He also ran up
large bills at every store where he
could get credit, and this, owing to his
high standing in the community, was
not difficult to do anywhere. 1t is i'm
possible to yet figure up the total
sum of his defalcatiOns but it will
probably reach at least 100000.
Among those who are holders OF
paper considered spurious are The Abb.
lene Bank, which had direct chattel
mortgages for S12,597; Abilene Ma
tienal S2.155, lCitizens Bank S1,O66,
d. Matteson 500, Baptist church S175.
Mrs. Northcraft 1922, d. u. HOrnaday
81 900, Eastern money loaners 81 600
w. S. Hodge 500, VAIL meat market
500, C. S. Crawford SIG, Tisdale &
Co. S175, Fry, Roger s. Co. $500 OF
more. Among the chattel mortgages
are several on stock which he repre-,
sented TO be held for him by parties in
this county. Some Of these are: one Oh
81 head of mares lin charge of r. c.
Lorenzo, Cheever twp" one on Il.
young cattle Gin charge of E. G. Car
role, Wheatland;" one on SO native
COWS and ga spring cows sin charge Of
Ed Smith, Garfield" one on 14S head
Colorado steers hia charge of l.. c
Francis, Fragrant Hill.'' It is need.
less to say that this property has M
existence whatever.
Mr.. Bessey has lived in Abilene some
Dine years; has always been a promi
nent church member and Y. NJ. G. A
worker. He was a leader ip the Bap
fist church which it is seen loses hSay
lily. He has most estimable wife anG
a family of small children. His brother
G. A. BesseY, is also here. The family
who were seen this afternoon have
heard nothing from hitn since a letter
postmarked st. Louis. OMay 5th, and
saying that he was hard at work ar.
ranging things. He has been at To
peka, Kansas City, Lexington, Mo-,
and ST. Louis since leaving, but is now
supposed to be in Mexico out of reach
of the law. His family and his part.
ners, A. Fly and J. G. Roger, are much
commiserated and are considered en-
tirely ignorant and blameless in the
shameless swindle that has been carried
on. It was rumOred this afternoon
that Mr.. Bessey's father, 1. Bessey, OF
Rittman, Ohio, Wonld straighten out
his sons affairs, but little confidence is
placed in it. Sheriff Nail went to
Kansas City Saturday night on little
detective tour connected with the
matter but has hot yet reported.