Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-04
Swindled Out Of His
Good Money
BY a Sleek and Clever
Rogue.
He Bought 1000 Pat
ent Saw-SetS.

James Richmond, . Lowell farmer,
has been victimizsd out Of 81, 900 by
confid ence man. The details Of the
CRIME were carefully concealed until
yesterday, when the facts leaked OUT
The game WAS unquestiouably one OF
the shrewdest and most skillful OF any
ever worked in Western Michigan.
Tuesday, December 8, NJ. J. Page of
Buffalo arrived IT Trains hotel IN
Lowell. Page Was smooth, we'll
dressed man of perhaps 40. He had
an IRON gray musiache and looked like
= thorough gong business man IN every
sense OF the word. HIS manners were
polished and he was smooth. easy
Tal<rr.
Page wished to meet some retired,
prosperous farmer. who MAS well-to-
do and influential, and who could IN
troduce him to other farmers III that
vicinity. SIR. Train. the landlord. re-
ferred him TO Mr.. Richmond, who is q
retired farmer aud lives IN the village.
The next day Page called upon
sRlcbmond and said be was In the
county To introduce . patent saw-set
among the farmers. lie desired to
meet As many Of them AS possible and
thought Mr.. Richmond could be of
service TO MN by taking him around.
Could Mr.. Richmond do IT, He
could.
They Made u bargain.
Accordingly Page made . bar
gain with his victim. by which Mr..
Richmond was to drive him to the
neignboring farms and Page was to
pay him s.. so . day for his services.
Page volunteered to pay All expenses,
and they were TO start out the next
morning. But the next morning was
not exactly pleasant one. and
Page concluded that the day
WAS not good ono to be-
GIN business. Besides he had
several matters TO attend to In Grand
Rapids, and thought that would be .
good day 10 look after them.
Under the circumstances he wonder
ed II Mr.. Richmond wouldn't like to
come 10 the city with him and spend
the day. Mr.. Richmond would. Ac-
cO-dinglv they came here and registered
in the Esgle hotel. They were as-
signed room No. %. and IN less than an
hour three or four men called at the
room to look a. those sAw-sets.
One man was so pleased that he
bought 200 on the spot and paid the
money. the sets to be delivered the
next day.
Page represented TO Richmond that
the sets cost so cents each, and as he
sold them for dollar q piece there
was 100 per cent. clear profit. The pro-
fits on the few sales made during the
afternoon amounted to considerably
over 500.
Richmond BIT Hard
Richmond was delighted with the
way money was rolling In, aud was
anxious TO share in the profits, but
Page wasn't the least BIT ANXIOUS to
dispose of any rights Page then IN
vited Richmond TO 60 TO Lansing with
MIN. and the farmer consented. They
had surprisingly large sales there also.
Tnen they went to Jackson, and their
Iannng and Grand Rapids experiences
were duplicated.
Two weeks ago today they returned
to the city, and afterwards went to
Lowell. BY this timo Richmond could
see his way clear To become Napoleon
OF finance If he could only get an op-
portunity to sell those saw-sets. Final
ly Page ra.her reluctantly consented
20 sell him 1000 OF them a. wholesale
rates"
Richmond went tn Church 4 Sons
hank IN Lowell 20 borrow the necessary
81 .O01. Young Church tired to dissuade
the old man from his project; but Rich
mond knew there "were millions IN II. "
Church told him ne was already IN
good circumstances and did not need
any more money; but Richmond said
he wanted some OF the luxuries of life
and insisted upon having tho money.
He Paid His Noney.
Consequently he drew out 81 900;
gave his note for it and turned the
money over TO Page
Page left tImmedIately; but promised
that the cav -sets should bs delivered IN
dav OF twO.
That was two weeks ago and nothing
has been heard eitner from Page or the
saw sets.
Richmond is discon soiate. but has
not yet reported the matter to the
police.
HIS friends are confident that he hs,
been tne victim OF a clever sharper;
and that beautiful song. "Ihe Bowery'
hlts far - become . popular hymn IN
Lowell.