The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-30
A CLEVER sWINDLER.
New Jersey Farmers VictiInized by a
clay Fork" Agent.
From the PhiladelDhia Press.

From the PsiIadeiDkia Press.
FREEHOLD, y. j., Nov. ga clever
swindlsr has been cheating the farmers in
this vicinity out Of large sums of money
recently. The other day a man who said
his name was William Richardson. and
who claimed TO be an agent for 1.-The Hav
Fork and Pump Company of New York.
went ID the farm Of William Parker. who
lives about mile from this place. He told
MS story smoothly, and immediately got
the farmers confidence.
he said that his company had decided to
do away with agents in selling their articles
on account OF the expense. The company
mad TO pay their agents high salaries and all
OF their expenses, whether they made sales
or not, and now they had decided to sell
their goods on new plaa. The swindler
told Mr.. Parker that the company was now
asking the prominent farmers in certain
agricultural districts to permit them to
place one of their new patent forks
In the barn, and the only con
slueratIon the company asked
IN return for the favor was that
they be allowed to show the farmers in that
vicinity the fork while in operation. The
fellow said that it was simply selling goods
by sample and, that the company would
make Mr.. Parker present of a fork pro-
vlded he would allow his neighbors to see
1t. MIR. Parker told the agent he could
place one of the forks in his barn. The
stranger then produced a card, which he
asked the farmer to sign. Mr. Parke. re-
fused, and then the agent read the matter
printed on the card, and asked the farmer
to do the same. The card seemed to read
all right, and Mr.. Parker finally signed it.
day or two afterward another man by
the name of Jones appeared at the Parker
farm and said he had come to collect a bill
he showed Mr. Parker a card with his
name written upon it, but the farmer re-
FUSED to recognize 1t as his signature The
fellow then showed him a card, identical
with the first in shape and size, with a sig
nature which Mr. Parker acknowledged as
his own. This card contained matter alto
gether different from that printed on the
card which Mr.. Parker signed. The
card was a contract which compelled
the farmer to buy eight forks for 1926,
and the payment was .to be made as
soon as the forks were shipped. Mr.. Parker
refused to pay the bill and the swinder said
he held his name TO the contract, and there
fore would hold him responsible for the pay
ment of the money. The final outcome of
the conversation was that Mr.. Parker gave
the man a check for S125. Mr.. Parker saws
the card he signed was unusually thick, and
thinks that 1t was manufactured in such a
way that the top portion of the outside
snee1 coulu De torn OH, stlll leaving his
original signature.
Thomas Ely and his brother, Englishtown
farmers, were vctimized in the same way.
and they gave the swindler three months
note for SS7 30, payable at the First Ma
tional bank Of Freehold The brothers
then consulted their lawyer, John T. Resell.
and payment on the note was stopped The
next day man calling himself Lewis, and
claiming to be New York lawyer came
RI hold ID A..
bank to be discounted. Cashier Campbell
informed him that payment on the note had
been stopped, and the lawyer left town.
1t Is said that other farmers in Monmouth
county have been visited and swindled by
the same sharpers.