Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-08-07
THEIR SAVINGS GONE.
AN ELDERLY COUPLE BASELY
DEFRAUDED OF THEIR ALL.
A Pitiful Story of an Abilene Mans
Inhumanity to Mantle Accu-
mutations of Years Invested in I'm
saleable Property-Who is the At
torney?


The Rocky Mountain News, OF Den
yer, gives the following tale of decep-
ton. No evidence can be secured to
substantiate the existence of any at
torney" who fills the bill and the story
is probably a reporters fake. The News
says:
A little gray haired old man and
woman apparently about his own age
tried to squeeze their way into the
county court room yesterday morning
during the trial of Hughss and Keith.
They told one Of the bystanders they
were anxious TO get the judges advice
on how to proceed against lawyer,
who, they claimed, had defrauded them
out of considerable money. They
were told that the judge was too
busy to speak to them then, and left,
promising to return today. Before
they got outside of the building News
reporter caught up to them and man
aged to learn their story. 1t was sad
in the extreme and according to 1t
there is a man in this city who has
much to answer for. The old couple
were brother and sister. They were
respectively Abraham and Jane Broad
head, Until very recently they re-
sided on homestead that has been &C.
cupied by their family for 200 years
back near Hartford, Conn. They
owned little farm and their combined
earnings, for neither had ever married
amounted to about $1,000. This sum
they kept in Hartford bank.
THE VILLAIN APPEARS.
About SIX months ago the son of a
neighbOr who had been absent from
home in the west about ten years re-
turned to his native place. He was
dressed in the latest fashion and
sported a diamond pin and diamond
ring. lie had only been home few
months when lie purchased splendid
villa for his mother. Then ne began
to spend his money lavishly. COnnecti-
cut people are not slow in asking ques-
tions, and this young man, whose name
is withheld by the old couples request,
was not slow in answering them. In a
very short space of time the whole
town knew that he had been admitted
to the bar during his absence and that
he had become very wealthy by land
specuiatiOns about Abilene, Kas. The
whole town ran crazy after this gentle
man. Although he had not asked
anyone to invest penny they fairly
forced their money into his hands and
asked him to invest it for them.
1t is not difficult for one to imagine
that there is always a lot of money con-
cealed in stockings, under beds and in
all sorts of out of the way places in a
Connecticut town. All this money was
brought out and given to the west |
erner to invest in Kansas land. lie
told them frankly that all could not be
successful, but by words dropped now
and then, gave them to understand
that they could not lose anything.
When he left for Kansas he had SlO,-
600 of the old couples money, besides
lots of other peoples money. The sum
of 81 900 had been drawn from the
bank and the other $4,000 had been
raised by a mortgage on their property,
which is worth about $4,000. Not |
long after his departure. old man
Broadhead was notified that his money |
had been invested on grand boulevard
property and that it would no doubt
soon pay handsome profit.
THEY VISIT ABILENE.
Both he and his sister were so elated
over this good news, that he decided
to journey to Kansas to have look at
it. 1t was just about a month after
the real estate agent left that the old
man arrived in the promised land in
Kansas. The agent was rather sur
prised to see him, but quickly engaged
a carriage and after driving him about
Abilene pointed ont his land, long
distance out of town. The old man
was very much astonished, but the
agent assured him he had only to wait
to secure large profits. He hurried
back home and told his sister of his
fears. Then the two resolved to come
to Abilene and get the agent to sell the
land for whatever he could get. They
thought enough could be realized by its
sale to pay off the mortgage on their
property and give them enough to sup
port them during the remainder of
their lives. When they got to Abilene
Mr.. Agent was waiting there ready to
receive them. He gave them lots of
carriage rides, but although he made
every effort he could not sell their prop
erty. Purchasers said it was too far
out Of town.
sKIPs TO DENVER.
Then the old couple asked him
to purchase it if it was such
a good investment for half what he
had paid for it. He said he had not
the ready money, and then in order to
get rid of their opportunities left the
city for Denver.