Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-25
THEY VANISHED.
"Slick" Work by a Firm of
SwindIers.
BIG DEAL OF LOTS MEYER L co.

They Stock Two stores at Montreal with
$4,000 Worth of Clothing and Then
Steal the Goods. Shipping Them to VAN
couver-The Rascaiity Even Involves
the Wages of Poor .'sweaters''-A Steal
That Spared Nobody.
MONTREAL, June 25-The firm of Louis
Meyer & Co., wholesale clothing dealers,
has disappeared, leaving even $4,000 in
debts and perhaps $1,000 worth of office
furniture and odds and ends of clothing. The
| firm was composed of A. NJ. Knowles q
| well-known merchant of Wilmington,
Del, for whom Meyer was agent at first,
| and whose partner he became afterward.
| Mr.. Meyer began his career in Montreal
| by opening retail agency for Knowles in
| February. This he afterward disposed of
| to friend of his named Nolan from Stir
ling, Ont, taking notes in payment for
| the stock.
Branched Out Somewhat.
| He then induced Mr.. Knowles to go into
partnership in the wholesale business,
which he sfterward established, and by
suavity, good address, and certain per
sonal magnetism, as his creditors claim,
was trusted for large orders by all the
prominent and several of the smaller
wholesale clothing dealers in town.
Shortly after he opened his own business,
another friend of his from Cairo, Ills, who
| gave his name as Lewis, opened retail
store on St. Lawrence street, under the
| firm name of Lewis & Co, and began to
| give large orders. Dealers looked upon
him with more or less suspicion, but as
i. Meyer was always ready to give the very
best recommendation to Lewis & Co. and
endorse their paper, everything went on
swimmingly
Played the Game Out.
The two firms kept on buying till their
outstanding paper in town amounted to
| between So. 1000 and $4,000, with an addi-
tional 5000 or so in Torouto. Most of
this falls due July 4. About ten days ago
| Mr. Meyers family, which lived in fash
ionable boarding house and consisted of a
wife and two children, left, presumably
for the United States, AMI on Friday Mr..
Meyer himself left, as he said, in reply to
a letter from the west, and promised the
Young lady bookkeeper in his employ,
who, with the Office boy, was the only one
in charge of the business until yesterday
afternoon, that he would be back ON Sun
day.
The Credi tors Hear Something.
He left her money enough to pay all the
hands except herself up 10 Saturday, but
she has not heard from him since. Mon.
day and yesterday the store was besieged
by creditors and agents of creditors, who
becoming aware of Meyers disappearance
and the absence from the town of both
Mr.. Lewis and NJ. Meyer also had become
suspicious. They embraced poor sweat.
ers," who had worked for the firm or
piece work, middle class dealers and whole
sale clothiers, having claims amounting
from so cents TO 5000. Several of thest
held an indignation meeting in the estab
lishment and it was decided to assess &c
each creditor certain amount to defray
the expenses of bringing the abscondei
back.
Stole the VIII ole Stock.
Through the employees and others it has
been found that for the last week the
greater part OF the stock in both of the
firms stores has been shipped to Vancouv
or, where it is understood the men have
also gone Some OF the creditors made
survey of the remaining stock and have
come to the conclusion that, including the
immense safe in each store, the value
could not come up to 5000. Meyer:
father and mother who live in New York
are very wealthy, and it is decided to use
all possible means to bring the two mer
back, it being understood that they car