Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-01-14
Brown u Detective.
NOT A GROCERYMAN AT ALL, BUT
ONE OF PINKERTON'S
SMOOTHEST.
While In Business In Mexico He Saved
Liggett Il Myers q Large Amount
Of AOney-Sharp, Shrewd and
Close-Mouthed, He Accom-
plished Well what He
was Sent Here For.

~ AIA' Dao"hJ "hS hoS o'oh
conducting a grocery store just
north of the post Office for two
months, put up a sign Thursday
that he was "invoicing" He was
packing up and Friday his goods
were shipped to 81. Louis, billed
to IS. M. Brown. "There has been
good deal of mystery in regard to
this store. Brown" paid his
rent in advance, carried large ad-
vertlsement In the LEDGER, pay
Ing cash for the same, advertising
goods at a very close figure and
was doing a splendid business.
At the same time he was not culti-
waiting any friends, did not appear
to try to hold the trade, store was
closed good portion of the time,
and in fact the whole establish
ment had an air of mystery. The
LEDGER man visited his car this
evening just before it was shipped
and we think the mystery is ex-
planned. Among his goods We found
nearly 200 butts of tobacco. enough
to stock a dozen such stores as
Browns" There is no question
in our mind but what "Brown"
was sent by Liggett & Myers to
Mexico ro-trap the travelling men
and jobbers. On investigation we
find that he made very good job
of it. He cost St. Louis jobbers
duriIg his stay here between ten
and fifteen thousand dollars.
Kansas City was caught III the
same way not long ago, but from
another town. Brown went to St.
Louis himself and caught one of
the oldest jobbing firms there,
buying tobacco at cut rate from
the head of the firm. When he
first opened here he bought three
or tour small opening stocks,
catching jobber on tobacco at
short rate at each whole sale house.
While Brown" was in Mexico he
bought goods every day or two in
small quantities always buying to-
bacco. Every time he bought to-
bacco he got it at cut rate thus
saving Liggett & Myers a large
sum ofmoney..
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Liggett & Myers sold tobacco =
| jobbers at a certain rate agree
ing to give them a rebate at the
end of the year of so much per
pound on all tobacco sold, provid
ed they sell none lower ,han the
agreed rate. Whenever a firm cuts
the rate on tobacco, this firm loses
all of it's rebate. In this was it is
estimated that Brown" saved
Ligget & Myers from ten to fifteer
thousand dollars in St. Louis alone
and nearly the same amount IN
Kansas City, one house alone los
ing their rebate, which would have
amounted to five or six thousan
dollars by selling to Brown a sinai
invoice of tobacco at one cent pc
pound cut rate. The editor of thi
paper endeavored to have an Inter
view with Brown" just as he wa
leaving; but he would not deny no
affirm any of the suspicious ex
pressed to him by the writer, bu
there is no question but wha
Brown" is a detective, workin
in the interest of Liggett & Myers
As near as we can learn he caugh
, sume ten or twelve jobbers in 81
Louis and travelling men, With
the last week or two have been sh
OF him, and as this is the first {
the year the factory had made ii
. annual settlement with customer
q Brown" was called in. Brown
a quiet smooth, shrewd fellow an
accomplished in good form jus
what he was sent here to do.