The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-27
NEGLECTED DEBTS.
The Means ResOrted To to Secure
Their Payment.
How Young Society Man Duped His Credit
ors-A Small Boys Device-Garnish-
ment of Clerks Wages

cut off his allowance. Money he would have,
| however, and as he belonged to that pitiable
but numerous class of lawyers known as
| brietless barristers, he fell back upon bis
| ingenuity to obtain the article.
1--WE had been chumS at Hastings, and he
naturally first came to me for help in his
| financial difficulties. Would l lend him
| 81 SOP Certainly l would, although l fell
confident that its return would never be.
But day or two passed, however, before
my young friend presented himself with the
| money.
IL was surprised, but said nothing. Can
borrow 50 SOP was the next question, and
complying. l was as promptly paid as before
THE SCHEME DEVELOPS.
"Stil again the impecunious attorney
applied for a loan. On this occasion he ten
dered NE promissory note for So so, made
payable ten days after sight, and asked me
to take it for SO. considered the interest
usurious, however, and said he was welcome
to the whole face of the note.
No, that Will not do he said. l am
about to embark in an enterprise that will
| realize hundreds Of dollars for me. and
viii gladly pay for the use of the money.
| His braggadocio caused me to suspect foul
play, but |, nevertheless, advanced The sum
and was douby surprised to duly receive it
| on presenting the note.
We'll, few days passed when | was ac-
| c0sted by stranger who asked for my
! opinion as to the young attorneys RELIABLE
| ity. Perfectly square, l said. Had had
| frequent occasions OF proving this to my
| own satisfaction Later another and still
another person asked of me the same queS-
| ton, all seeming perfectly satisfied with my
| answer.
THE CRASH COMES.
| :" But what was this fellow up to? He
| had purDOSely borrowed from and repaid
| money to me in order to establish credit
Receiving 81 80 from me, he procured 81
| from Jones with which to return the loan.
Jones again would be paid from a 81 loan
| from Smith, who in his turn was rein-
bursed from the So advanced by me.
Thus the young man continued to work
| his scheme unknown to his dupeS (of whom
| | frankly acknowledge myself 0ne), until
his liabilities became very large. Finally
! his creditors became imp0rtuuate, OH ac-
count of delayed settlements, when the
scheming attorney began TO look about fol
an opportunity for escape.
LEFT IN THE LURCH.
"The Fourth Of July was coming along
| aud it happened to fall on Friday. Accord.
| ingly the banks announced that on Friday
ana Saturday the doors would be closed,
and here my friends ioop-hole presented
itself Making out about twenty drafts on
| a local bank, each calling for So more than
| the exact sums he owed his different credit
| ors, he approached EACH after banking
hours on Thursday. with the proposition
| that they should receive the same in full OF
all accounts and advance him the extra So
The plan worked admirably. With 500 in
| his pocket he boarded steamer for the
| Sandwich Islands, aud when, on the OPEN
| ing Of the banks on Monday, his dupeS dis
( pOVprph hn had hank he
Was three days ON his journey"
| DUNNING BAD PAYS.
al don't owe you anything" Come
around again." Pm little short to-day, y
when L get it III pay, :. Berth in the
| family" My husband died last year. -
| These, with countless other excuses, more
| or less true, are the replies with which the
professional bill collector is constantly
| greeted on presenting his demands. There
| Is Il class OF people who start out in life
| with the deliberate intention of Sinking
their obligf tons. When excuses fail many
nave the hardihoOd to admit their indebted.
ness, but Obstinately refuse to meet it. But
| the attorneys who take cases against such
| individuals feel themselves justified in re-
| sorting to almost any means to secure the
money whether it be by legal proceedings,
| trickery or bluffs" the latter method being
a mild form Of blackmai.
THEY DREAD THE LAW.
a
upon the bare mention of which they will
TO 20 any extent to procure the money due.
| Others, however, are Indifferent to arrest,
! and, upon having judgment awarded against
| them, cOoliy derde the successful litigant for
| suing Deggar.
The worst q" overs /" are lawyers, but they
| are also the best collectors. There is a
| prominent attorney in this city who is a
| most abandoned "deadbeat," baffii Ing the
attempts OF the most skillful collectors 70
gain admlttance to his presence. Upon be-
| coming known, collector can never get
| farther than the entrance Office, for at the
| door Of the private room stands a Cerberus,
| who well knows that the continuance of his
| employment depends upon his ability to pro-
tect his master from the opportunities of
| creditors.
A SMALL BOYS METHOD.
On one occasion a very small boy was
| sent by an attorney TO collect bill from
| this man. Entrance to the exclusive indi-
| viduaPs presence was soon found TO be i'm
| possible. whereupon the yOungster sta
| toned himself near the door marked
private" determined to await the exit of
the debtor. AT last he appeared, and was
| presented with the bill. Come again to-
| morrow" had hardly escaped his lips when
the youthful collectors arms wound affec-
| tionately around the mans legs. and there
they remained until the bill was paid.
A man once held a note of man
noted for his meanneSs about settling bills.
Unfortunately the paper was lost, but the
| person in whose favor it was made EN-
ployed a collector TO obtain the amount due.
CAUGHT.
you bring the note you'll get the money!
was the answer the collector received, but
the crafty individual forgot to deny the exc
cutlon OF the note. Ills admonitlon to bring
the note" appeared to a court of Justice to
| be an admission of its execution, aud he &C
| cordingly had to pay.
Collectors have ''clieuts" in all walks of
| life-lawyers. doctors, dentists, merchants,
and III fact all who have money due them.
| Ii lawyer Doe has claim against Tom
| Brown for $50 the collector goes to DR.. Roe
| and agrees to collect the latter's claim of $50
| against Doe, receiving promise of a liberal
| commission. Accordingly. the money after
| much trouble is collected from Brown, $50
| of which is paid TO Roe and the balance, less
| the collectors commission, is paid to Doe.
| Thus two birds are killed with one stone
| and Doe is none the WISER This is favor
| tie trick.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE.
There is species of backlnail by which
| physicians patients are sometimes made TO
| pay, and all arc familiar with the now for
| hidden system of eXtortion in which a
| wagon containing q large cover painted red
| and hearing the words bad debts" is a
| prominent feature. The plan of each day
| sending letter to the creditor, the envelope
used increasing in size with every miSSive,
| is also back number"
Garnishment is most effective means of
| securing the payment of bad debts. This
| consists in attaching clerks wages and
summoning his employer before court on
| an order of examination. This very fire.
| quently results in the clerk being dis
| charged, and hence the mere threat of re-
| sorting TO such an expedient usually has the
desired effect. The railroad Offices at Fourth
| and Townsend streets are ''hot beds OF
| punishment, and on more than one occa-
| sion the President of the company, has
| been served with an order of examination.
| The most prominent men are singled out for
| this purpose, and the result is generally all
| that can be desired