Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-14
CHICAGO'S NAPOLEON OF FINANCE
Shrewd Millionaire Munger one ofPost's
Best-Paying Victims.

CHICAGO, March 14.-A morning paper. speak
ing of the disappearance and alleged swindling
operations of Alfred W. Post. in connection
with his western freight claim bureau scheme,
says the magnitude of the fraud grows as the
details come to light. The account continues:
The more one hears about Mr.. Post the
more he becomes impressed with the
fellows monumental cheek His equal
was never known in Chicago, and young Mr..
Ward, of New York, is no comparison. Posts
stock in trade was composed of a liberal supply
OF self-assurance aud an oily, plausible tongue.
methods by which both Mr.. Post and Mr.. Ward
heeced their victims. SO much 80, in fact, that
there is a suspicion that they may have been
educated in the same school Of finance. Both
seem to have grasped the same idea of how to
get rich easily and to have worked il for all it
was worth. The formula was to throw out
great Inducements in the shape Of unpre-
cedented profits, get shrewd business men to
place sums of money in their hands for invest
ment lead their willing victims on by
OCCASIONALLY DECLARING ENORMOUS DIVIDENDS,
and when they had bled them to the last cent.
finally toss them overheard Many additional
facts came 10 light yesterday and it is said that
the western freight claim bureau was far
greater swindle than was the famous 'Fund W.
1t is also clearly indicated that the victims are
not confined to Chicago, but are scattered by
hundreds all over the east and that from them
Mr.. Post plucked a considerable fortune. But
what is most surprising is the fact that the
biggest victim OF Mr.. Posts swindling game is
one Of the shrewdest and richest capitalists IN
Chicago, man who is noted above all others
for his keen perception of business frauds and
whose sagacity has never before been brought
into question.
HOW POST CAUGHT A sHREwD MILLIONAIRE.
HE is no other than Albert A. Munger of
the grain elevator firm of Munger, Wheeler 4
Co., several times a millionaire. and whose in
come amounts to near $500 200 year. At first
Mr.. Munger only ventured a small amount
but when, 1t is said, at the end of thirty DAYS
he received Is per cent dividends, he doubled
and then trebled the investment. and kept
putting il, until Mr.. Post had S75, 600 of his
money. At last, when the investigation was
started and an exposure was threatened. Post
demanded S50OO0 in lump, with which TO
close the mouths of small-fry victims and
Munger is said to have planked it down with
out a murmur. Even then he did not suspect
Post of being a scoundrel, and it was not until
a few weeks ago that he realized the full ex-
tent OF the deception that had been practiced
on him.
When his eyes were fully opened he de.
manded the return of his money and Post,
realizing that he had run to the end OF his
string, suddenly disappeared. So far the only
victim who has resorted to the law for redress
Is 5. ID. Helmer, manager of the Vacuum oil
company. His investment amounted to but
$4,000 but besides turning in his cash to Post
he rendered him an incalculable service by
acting as reference for the Western freight
claim bureau.
POST BEJEwELED TYPE-wRITER GIRL MISSING.
The same paper comments on the amount of
jewelry andready cash which the young woman
employed by Post in the capacity of a type
writer was wont to display, and notes that she
also disappeared some time ago.