The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-01
KEEN'S SCHEME is EXPOSED
HeSecured Money from Dishonest Teach.
ers by Selling Them Bogus Questions.
When About to Be Arrested at Charlottesville
the County Superintendent Uncon-
~sciously Scares Him Away.

Edward r. Keen, who has been working
In Boone. Montgomery. Hendricks and Del
aware counties. selling charts. as the agent
of the School-supply Exchange. of Chica-
60, is wanted at Crawfordsvilie upon o
charge Of obtaining money under false pre-
lenses. 1t is believed that the chart bust
ness was merely q blind TO hide O scheme
TO sell sets of alleged examination papers to
dishonest applicants for teachers Licenses.
Keen would agree In his contract with
the township trustees to instruct the teach
ers how to use the charts. and a meeting OF
all the teachers in the township would be
called for this purpose. He would then
seek n private interview with suoh as he
thought were approachable, and would
offer to sell q set Of the questions to be
used in the forthcoming teachers examine
tion for $40. together with the answers.
He represented that he bad obtained che
list from q county upeIintendent
those who obtained il to secure a
three years license. The exposure was
brought about In q double way. When in
Boone county Keen made the offer to L. L.
Smith, one Of the teachers. who at trst de-
clined. lie notified Superintendent OF
Public Instruction Worries, and by his ad-
vice appeared to reconsider his refusal and
was willing to accept the terms. de was
notified by Keen that IL he would be In
Crawfordsville Nov. rs be could secure the
set of questions which would be used at
the stated examination on the dav follow
ing. He kept the appointment and found
q number of other teachers present
to take e copy of t 5os q w;snssss.
and evidence, and SO pleaded lack of
money. but agreed to pay 81 and TO deposit
his watch at o jewelers. subject TO keen's
order in case the consideration was not
paid. An agreement in writing was drawn
up and Keen affi xed his signature. smith
was present at the examination. and
learned at a glance that the questions used
were entirely different from those supplied
by Keen. He then watched two whom he
had seen copying the questions the
day before, ana noticed they seemed
confused. First one excused himself on
the score of sickness, and then the other.
They had evidently paid $40 for nothing;
The questions had been taken from o School
Journal issued in 1889.
The plan was to have Keen arrested. but
1t failed through the unconscious inter-
ference of County Superintendent luck.
who had in some way learned OF the fraud.
Meeting Keen upon the street. he accused
him of his decent, and wrested a confession
from him.. Keen put up an excavation OF
poverty and O sick wife, and Su~perintend-
emit Zuck allowed him to go with
ont molestation. Keen Immediately dis
appeared, and when Prosecuting At
torney Moffate tried to have him ar
rested on a charge of obtaining
money under false preteDses, be could not
be found. Zuck did not know of the trap
Smith and superintendent Worries had laid,
neither did they know of bis action until
the bird had flown. Keen wrote smith q
letter authorizing him to 60 get his watch.
The grand jury Of Montgomery county
will investigate the matter and will I'M
doubtedly find q true bill. In the mean
time the publication of the ex posure Will
make it impossible for Keen TO play the
same game in other counties. Nothing 10
known of his history except thathe claimed
Muncie as his home. His wife remains IN
Charlottesville, too i'll to be removed.