Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-03-20

ALFRED POST. aDOuG $lS0,VU. Inc
names of several prominent capitalists be-
side Munger were freely mentioned as
victims of Post and his Western Freight
Claim Bureau. Notably among them is
the vice-president of one of the largest
banking institutions in the city. The latter
is said to have placed $4,000 with
Post. At the end of sixty days
dividend of 80 per cent. was
paid. 1t was the biggest rate of interest
the banker had ever received-much bigger
even than was paid him for loans to Ne
braska farmers. He doubled and tripled
his investment, but one day he learned
something which made him suspicious of
Post, and he demanded the return OF his
money. He got it. This restored conf
dence and after that the banker was an
easy victim 1t is said that Post left Chlca-
60 owing him $4,000.
There is another bank official whom rumor
places on the list of POSTS victims. He is q
cashier and is said to have invested S2O,O
belonging to his friends. This cashier lis also
accused of having freely recommended Post
and his claim bureau, both officially and
privately. Several business men who have
been asked to invest with Post say that he
showed them letters signed by the bank
cashier and addressed to Eastern CORE
spondents in which Post was strongly in
dorsed
@. R. Sites, of New York, is reported as
victim to the tune Of $33, 00O, and a Chi
cago paper dealer is said to be heavy
loser. Al Spalding is known to have in
vested as high as $15, 0OO. but it is claimed
that he got it all back before going away
on his trip around the world. The people
believed that Post was doing legitimate
business.
That Post made a big haul there can be
no doubt, and that he carried away from
Chicago at least $1,000 In cash is almost
certain. Some estimate his pile as high as
$5OO, 600.
gentleman who is familiar with the
transactions between Post and Munger yes
terday gave some further details He says
that when Munger finally opened his eyes to
the fact that he had been cheated he
threatened Post with a criminal prosecution
The latter, it is said, at once telegraph for
his Washington friend, Colonel Norton, who
went to Munger with proposition to settle,
Post agreeing to pay $500 at once and the
other $4,000 in installments of 81, 600 each,
the entire indebtedness to be discharged by
the end of the year. Munger, it is said,
accepted, and Post said he would go East
and secure the money from his
friends. The Eastern trip was evidently
a ruse to get out of town, for immedi-
ately on his arrival in New York he
wrote his Chicago attorney, instructing him
to notify Munger that all negotiations be-
tween them were off, Post, accompanied
by Colonel Norton, left Chicago February
IA. Letters came back three days later an
nouncing that Post would not return for
some time, and intimating that he had
started for Mexico. Detectives at once
started in pursuit. but have so far been I'M
able to find any trace of him since he left
New York
Post was a very secretive fellow, who
took no one into his confidence regarding
his private affairs unless 1t was Miss Byrne,
his pretty typewriter. The destinations
exercised by the fair Miss Byrne are be-
neved to have largely Influenced some of
the stockholders in the matter of invest
ments. The Western Freight Claim Bureau
never seems to have had any stand
ing with railroad men, and the busi-
ness done by it must have been very
small. Nevertheless, though they are un-
willing to admit it now, he must have had
very good references to do any business at
all, and some of these references must have
been railroad men, Much has been SAID
about his extravaganza Investments in horse
flesh, and he did hive some good horses.
He had nine fine animals in his stable,
which, 1t is said, represent an Investment of
$4,000 The horses, buggies, harness and
all the appurtenances Of the stable have
o%f