The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-29
DON'T LIKE MR.. ALEXANDER.
ESPECIALLY MS Wirs OF COLLECT
NO DEBTS From THEM

OrOccr~' Association to ncfrnd himsch.
This affair took place in long. narrow low
ceilinCed room in tho second story Of 2l3 East
Twcnty-thrd street. The room was filled
with retail grocors. and each grocer was
smoking or inhuing and cxhuling the smoke
which took the Ilaro OF atmospheric air. 10
was tho mco,ing Of the New York Retail
Grocers' Association 10 hear "a discussion Of
the methods employed by John V. Alexander
in collecting accounts Of retail grocors.' AS tho
postal card invitation said. This invitation
also said that Mr. Alexander. the person TO be
discussed, would be present. Tho cards fore
cast turned out 10 be exactly correct
]. v. Alexander is u short. strongly built
Irishman Of 81 years. with stuhbly blond hair
Just hiding his scalp. with n blond beard. with
evon. white teeth. and in general II face that Is
obstinate looking and almost handsome
Almost all the Wholesale croccrs in tho city
employ him. giving him COMM ssion on his
collections. II is therefore TO his interest to
mako tho retailers who arc In arrears pay ur.
and he has to encounter much dishonesty In
tho way Of bills OF sale to wives or sisters or
mothers. got out to avoid paying debt
lie also appears to have tho temp
tatior OF iesortinE to nj! sorts Of
tricks. To lighting tn" devil with fire. For
about two years the very small grocars havo
boon complaining bitterly of this blond
MIR. Alexander. All sorts OF charges have
been floating around against him. Tho
storm has been rising gradually un-
Ill within tho last month it burst
in the form Of several cases in court.
One OF them in the Tombs Police Court caused
MIR. Alexander and several Of his associates in
his Office ut 1tii Chambers street to 10 indicted
for forgery and conspiracy. Then tho New
York Retail Groccrs' Association became agi-
tated. and. as Mr.. Alexander wanted an or
portunty to speak for himself. last nights
looking and acting like y Judge. Alexander.
sustained by, II clerk. II stcnographer. and
vast array Of lci.al-loO;iag documents. was ut
n table. which might CORRESPOND to tho pris-
onors' box. ~ hundred or So men seated in
air Of importantly. tluokeG like a larg. jury.
The whole roar OF the hall and the landing
the prosecution. These We're IN u fine fury of
evaporation against Alexander
The first charges against Alexander wero
letters from persons. VIII" told how much they
would have liked to attend. hut how their colds
or their previous engagements prevented;
These letters set forth Ger ain cases Of alleged
shnrr practice. Ono was that Of man named
neS fhra F'fSr IN no
Of ths ieT S2 E"w h Ions
pretty well. owing few debts Tut aide to pay
came, along. and. tr%in= 10 collect a dcli:
everything to his wife: He said hs was lcr-
suT to on ssm c" Wth n'
credit gone. lie said they had got him drunk
%d ad gong Wien to ss
ply. although he WAS The guest OF the nsssocn-
ton. he was greeted with Il storm Of misses:
With Tfn VIII sR9"ti
And the IKE; ,Das. st M hands ds a No, S
back
All i want, said Alexander. lis fair
hearing. Don't hiss at mo until YOU hear me-"
Then hs went on to explain TINT he thought
that Mr. Dillon was an honest man. Tho
found that Dillon's stock was mortgaEed be-
yond its value. and to say" his own principals
at once As ali this was indisputnbly true.
Mr.. Dillon was waved aside. But Alexander
admitted that he had cntlced Dillon out OF tho
that the seizure of the store might not he in
terierSd With his. For this AleAandor was again
Half a dozen small grocers told similar
stories Of how Alexander had nounc"d upon
sold them out to satisfy small claims. Early
IN tho proceedings Il man called out from the
What I want to know. Mr.. Alexander. is
why you como around late at night, when a
poor GroGerylnnn Is about to close up and try
:, This man could get no further in n straight
line. and had to be soothed by those who stood
how Alexander had tried 10 intimi'lnte him
owed nothing, that he could not pay. This
signing would. OF course. have been patent
and would have given Alexander the right
however small Aftcr Mr.. Nuken had got
done. In fact each time he paused for breath.
Me1an DOR Ais s err drnisi thut he Knew
this man amid shon,s .: Yes! Yes! Just
a asar t4 Ti sk'h Just listen to tho dirty swim
When there was quiet again the gently
mnddlcd. plaintiye voice was heard again:
What want Iatd to know. Mr. Alexander. Is why
H. was soG aM. aGrin With slight fsa1ing
An ' oxc."d young man an, pushed through tho
jam and stood uron the platform. Hetried to
tslk ip his o ~, AMI falling stood re-;
Huebnsr I" He said: Let ; take tho Sheriff
pvt and give liWn few balls. and maybe he'll
more bail, than could. and the next knew I
was in A W; npHse ut 7ocock tho next
Alexander bowird Hucbner out with tho
but had given bis aunt Hil Of salo fsw days y
there was = Painful silence: out Of which
:He ruined mo. ana il lidn,; have u family
ia take his life. IA Kill him" And thcre was
BODY I rose and soms ,oiy ' howIei Gs' that's
what We ou;ht to do, Then everybody sat
down quickly ana looked about in u scnred
way. The man in tho rsa: seized this oppOr-
tunlty to call from the landing:
What l want to know. Mr.. Alexander. is.
why -"
Then the President said: "Gcntlemen. Mr..
Alexander is hero rs our guest. Your Kissing
Is out OF order"
Ex-Judge Angel WAS called upon. lie said
thnt the retail grocers wore most reputable
and admirable body Of trldesmen, hulwarks
OF our SOCIAL honesty. When he began to
speak OF Alexander his tones grew harsh and
his biz. voc.. sounded ), iike, trumpet
I do not intend to take the trou-
BILE to substantiate M charges here. but
I charge that this inpostor. This Alexander.
and others nre IN {: conspiracy against tho re-
tail grocors trade. against those members Of
come around in the evening with bill to col
leet, They friEhten the r.Lcsma.In into beIIey.
Ing he is on the Verge OF ruin. They get him
70 sign papers ne does not understand. They
out. And. gentlemen. | charge that they steal
part OF tho stock during that night OF
possession. They secrete these goods in a |
storehouse at Second avenue and East Sixty
third street. u storehouse run by one Mandel- |
baum. Then the stock remaining Is hardly |
enough to satisfy he title egtimute claim they
have against the grocer. am not speaking |
for any pecunary gain. gentlemen. but for |
that interest | huys as "A man. human |