The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-07
UNRELENTING In PURSUIT
Merchants Long and Successful Chase
After One Who Had Swindled Him.
Found in an Illinois Town, kidnapped from
the Sheriff, Taken to the Woods and
Compelled TO DisgOrge.

One frequently hears il said that it Is
pretty hard for q thief and a rascal TO es-
cape the avengIng land or the law. owing
to the extensive reach of the telegraph
system of the country. But the use of the
wires costs money, and when q man has al
ready suffered heavily he Is often content
to abide his loss. rather than to risk more
in what may prove a vain attemptat catch
ing the thief. The average swindler proba-
bly, counts on this fact in calculating
bis chances at escape, but he sometimes
robs the wrong man. A story illustrating
such a case came to the writer q few days
since. The incidents related occurred
many. perhaps twenty-five. years ago.
when the central figure was young and full
of business vigor. purpose and hope. His
name is Elwood Hawley. who is now visit
ing in this city, but was then a prosperous
~dry-Roods merchant in q city in eastern In
diana. He had accumulated a fair amount
of money. together with q pretty thorough
knowledge of men and business,
in Clinton county. Ohio. and went
to Richmond with his cash possessions
in his pocket lie was anxious
30 establish himself in the dry-goods trade
there, aad was favorably impressed with
the leading store In the city. 1t was owned
by a man named Ben Davis. who was Will
ing to sell.
After some negotiation Mr.. Hawlev made
him a proposition to purchase hIs stock for
$4,000, cash down. to be given possession at
once. Mr.. DAVIS pondered the offer and
kept up q show of refusal for some little
time. but then accepted the proposition.
Mr.. Hawley had paid an attorney SO that
mornIng for advice. that if bills should be
nraaunruA aUaiuaf nayIa fha af0ek when
transferred 10 him for a cash consideration.
could not be seized for the debt. Ii was
only the ordinary precaution of q prudent
business man. but 1t proved of benefit.
WAS WILLING TO DO A FAVOR.
In the course of q day or two. when ar
ranging matters to ave for the East, Mr..
Davis mentioned that he was intending to
take his family to New York for q visit to
relatives. His wife. Mr.. III. knew. was
highly esteemed by her ~neighbors, and the
family was respected as worthy and re-
fined. They attended the Quaker Church.
When, therefore, Mr.. Davis made an offer
of service TO the new proprietor. the latter
was not To be blamed for placing greater
confidence in the man than his subsequent
experience warranted.
weeks" said Mr.. Davis, and If / can help
you to stock up, / will be glad to do so. Ii
is about time for the SPRING styles to be
ready"
VERY kind of you,n said Mr.. Hawley, 81
believe i will accept your offer. l have
about $1,000 that / want to put In stock,
and when you get ready TO leave let me
know and will send the money with you
To pay for the GOODS. Yon may open an ac-
count for me at Sibbons q Races store.n
This arrangement was carried out. Mr..
Davis taking with him a 1900 draft on
New York with which TO pay for the goods
he was instructed to buy. In due time.
q letter came from him.. saying he had ar
rived safely in New York, and would soon
begin TO look around on the business in
trnsted to him. He had found; however.
he wrote, that the season was a little back
ward. and it would require several days.
best bargains. That sounded reasona-
until. in che course of o week longer. bills
for large amounts began to pour in from
Murray. Shipley & Co., johnson & Win
ston and other Cincinnati iobbers. The
the amount he had given for the stock.
The sales had been made to Davis on sixty
days time-the time was just up. Mr..
Hawley recalled that the store. when he
purchased IL, contained, as he found,
$1,000 worth of goods IN excess of the
amount he paid. He had wondered that
his offer had been so readily accepted. He
began to grow uneasy. Perhaps Davis's
The thought settled into q conviction as
the week ended and nothing more
was heard of him. His letter had
contained noiaddress, except the posroffice.
New York. Mr.. Hawley came to believe
that Davis was f1attering himself he had
added his business successor TO the amber
of his victims. The thought was CALLING.
and be determined he would not submit to
the cheat. The fraud was q breach of
trust-hardly q crime under the Indiana
statutes. The law leaves ones recourse.
under q circumstances, to civil action.
But that was ont OF the question. And yet
w 81. ~I- 60 sd 49, w-.- e
took years to do lt. He figured that with
the cash received for tho store. g.. 500, an
equal amount for goods sold within the sixty
days and not paid for, and the
him over 5000. IL he should ever come
upon Davis. he told himself. he would find
some way to make him disgorge.
SEARCHING FOR THE sw,NDLER.
Mr.. Hawley first visited the Cincinnati
creditors. They were willing Davis should
be caught, but gave nothing more SUBJ
stantisl toward the end than verbal PROM
ises TO share the cost. if he should be ap-
pretended. Mr.. Hawloy left a description
and q fee with the chief of police there,
and went on TO Philadelphia and New
treated. The Zip" was here made large
enough to arouse official interest.
The Immediate results were fruit
less and the defrauded haherdasher
~ nA6 nOdlC IL Ou6IlC66. lis
wife and children welcomed him gladly,
and. with a prosperous trade. he was soon
so engr0ssed In bargains and profits that
he had little time TO think of his loss. But
he did not forget 10.
The New York police could find no trace
of Davis in the city. but from relatives.
after many months. IL was learned that be
had gone to Chicago. Communication was
begun with Captain Bradley, then chief of
police there. and in about a year Mr.. Haw-
ley was surprised TO receive a telegram
from him. reading: Come OF once. Have
located DavIs.n
Mr.. Hawley was ready. A years time
had not dulled the sting of fraud. When he
went home to prepare for the trip. his wife's
eyes filled with tears.
why do yOu GOT she asked, with trem-
ulous words. lyon have spent so much al
ready. and may be You Will not re-
gain your money If you find Davis"
But all protestatIons were lost. It was
enough for the merchant 20 know his false
agent was located. Arriving in Chicago,
he was informed that Davis was at Wau-
kegan. In Illinois. Disguises were as
suued, and the trip made to WaukeRan,
But the bird had flown the day before. Sus-
pfcious perhaps of danger. he had taken
timely warning. Mr.. II. was obliged to re-
turn honie empty-banded. but he urged
Captain Bradley to persevere in the
search. That cost another good-siZed tip.
Six months rolled by before further de-
y~elopments. Then another telegram was
received from Captain Bradley requiring
Mr.. Hawley TO go Immediately TO Chicago.
When he reached Chicag 90 he learned that
n-.t. hAA kA.p 1919 -