Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-12-25
BOSTON LETTER.
Endowment Swindlers --- TIL,
Holiday Season.
A Great Burglary Recalled
Pardon of James Dunlap.

busy trying to get their money, or keep.
Ing the officials of these mushroom in.
stitutioms from skipping with the funds.
One of these "charitablc" orders re.
Gently had receiver appointed, but
that official has discovered that since his
appointment $50, 900 is missing from
the assets, having by some sort Of
hokus-pokus been slipped out
of the strong box. Another
certificate holders order has
asked he interposltion of the court to pre-.
vent an officer from leaving the state
with all of its available funds, and an
examination of the would-be fugitive by
the authorities disclosed the fact that he
was receiving salary of $1,000 year
and that his family held l7j certG.
Gates, all of which, rs matter OF
course, We're the first to be paid, rs
! duped outsider are not as general
thing posted on the numerical order"
of these obligations. 1t does not admit
Of any question that swindling of
such barefaccd character was never
before attempted in this country, and
no scheme ever devised to entrap the
common people was ever worked so
successfully. Some people never look
beyond the bare fact that certain things
are promised them, but the endowment
orders have probably opened the eyes
of few such TO the fact that it isn't
within the possibilities of the most
favored financial transactions TO pay
three or four dollars for every
dollar invested, and that
within the short space of from six
months to one year. OF course some
certificate holders in these orders were
paid the big percentage promised them,
and these payments were always made
with u great flourish of trumpcts, in or
der to induce others to enter the scheme,
and these demonstrations always had
the intended effect. The principle of
''thr devil take the hindmost' is not
one calculated to cNalt humanity, nor
is it a safe one upon which to base bust
ness transactions, unless You are sure
of q place in the front rank,
Christmas week shows good trade
in nearly ali branches Of business, but
the weather is unfavorablc in some
lines, notably such as depend upon ice
and snow for boom. Many of the
store windows are prettily decorated
tor the holiday season, but there is n
noticeable absence Of that elaborate at
tempt at display which characterized
tie leading houses Il few years ago.
Perhaps this is just rs well, in view
of the congcstcd condition of the prin-
cipal streets during this period; but, on
the other hand. it dcprivrs childrJn, and
many grown people rs well, of an en-
jovmCnt which was not only greatly ap
preciatrd, but constituted in many cases
the sole means of gratifying desire to
Keep Christmas in some form or other.
Shoplifing at this season is in high
feather, and all the large stores are
doubly guarded to detect tins class OF
thieves. Joe" Knox, the well known
police inspector, man who
has devoted his official life to
these criminals, tells 81 mclstories which
nre interesting as revealing not only the
motives of these people, but the ingc'
nuity they disp ny in pursuing their ayo-
cation. There is no doubt that during
his long experience in this department
of the service he has seen many curious
cases of theft, interesting incidents OF
which he can recount 10y the score.
The State Assessors Association has
been in session here the past week
Many important subjects were discussed
. among which was the changing of the
day for making assessments, vote
of go to 81 showing the association tt
be in favor of April instead of MAJ
rs the date, and the Legislature will BE-
asked to make the change. These Off
GERS were chosen for the ensuing year
, President, Thomas Hills; vice-prcS
dent, Charles X. Sawyer of Fitchburg
secretary, G.. A. King Of Taunton
treasurer, ii. B. Coffin of Newton; eS
ecutive committee, the officers, eX ofliciC
: and o. H. Carpenter of Maiden, S. L
Yates of Holyoke, 5. Harrison of Fal
River; legislative commit ee, ii. S. Ot
of Worcester, j. $. Dunckee of Los
ton, w. II. Grammer of Woburn
James Ellsworth of Northampton ant
7 Nathan ID. Pratt of Lowell.
An old crime aud one of the mos
daring and extensive ever perpetrate'
in this country is recalled by the par
don of james Dunlap from Charles
| town prison. An effort to secure thi
has been made for several years, pc
= ii IONS having been presented for eX
9cutive clemency with each re"urrn!
year since Dunlap's imprisonment l.
years ago. The document which secure'
, his freedom contained the names of ex
{ Gov. John d. Long, ex-Warden Rus
sell of the state prison, Mr.. Georg
Abbott James, the late Gen. w. L
) Sherman, Rober. A. Pinkerton and Mrs
Scott, the wife of Dunlap's companion il
, the burglary, and who was sentenced
, with him, and afterward di1d while un
dergoing Imprisonment. Strong recon-
mendations to clemcncy toward the con
t yicted man have also been made by tn
jurors who sat at his trial, by the stock
holders and by lrcsIdcnt Edwards y
he Northampton National Bank, tn
latter being largely moved by the fac
0 that Dunlap's confession secured to tn
F.. bank he restitution of about 81 ,OOO,O
, of the banks stolen funds. IN
consideration, together with the existin
belief that Dunlap was the least guilt
e of all those implicated in tie robbery
n and his model conduct in prison, al
i the grounds upon which the executi1
a pardon was issued. Tho robb ry
the Northampton Natioual Bank
Janua. Y, 1875, was daring Grim
and the amount of plui,uer secure