Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-02-27

supply Of letter paper with q very IN
viting business card printed thereon
purporting to be manufacturers Of fine
furniture. He next inserted in all the
leading papers in all Che leading cities
all over the country an advertisement
for bookl1eeper, manager of branch
Office, clerk, salesman and men to fill
other equally attractive clerical posi-
tons Of course he received hundreds
of answers. To these replies he would
send q photographic circular letter. In
order to show the magnitude of his
scheme it will be necessary to give this
letter in full as it was sent out. This
letter read Us follows:
2 L. CURRY, Pres. J. B. RUMsEY, Sec'y
WESTERN FURNITURE COMPANY,
Manufacturers
FINE FURNITURE
ENGLEwooD, ul.....lS0
DEAR SIN: Your reply to our advertisement
has boon favorably received. We expect to
add to our list of branches for tho sale Of
goods, two in your city. Your duties will be
managing ono Of these employing help, keeping
up stock watching collections, etc AS this Is
all under the direct supervision Of our travelling
manager, experience In this limo is not neccS-
sary. Your salary will be 800 per month: this
position to continue during good behavior AS
soon Us your efforts warrant, this salary will
be increased.
| AS you will handle our cash and control our
goods, we expect you to provide al indemnity
bond for $1,000 from some good guarantee conl-
pany. We will repay you the cost Of procuring
this bond to the extent Of tho charges shown
by tho tnclosed application. This conpany'e
charges are the most reasonable we know Of.
| AS private bond is never satisfactory, don't
ask it To insure the position we will expect O
bond filed with US inside of ten days.
Advise US OF once when you con be at liberty
and mako quiet Investigation for vacant store
| IN o good locality, so thnt our travelling mana
ger, when he sees you, can be prepared TO start
| OF once.
This being confidential between US, address
your reply to the writer and mark ''privote"
Respectfully,
Box SS4 c. L CURRY.
AS will be seen every person who re-
piled was accepted on the condition
he fill out tho bond which was
inclosed, and return the same to
the National Guarantee company"
who were located in Rooms I'll,
No. 1873 and 100 South Clark street,
Chicago, Ill, together with fee of
ten dollars" After doing this he would
hear nothing further from the Western
Furniture company nor the Guarantee
company. This application for the bond
was drawn up in business-like way.
1Itpurported that the company had q
cash capital of 100000 and that w. II.
Hayne was president and H. S. Scoville
secretary. Herdman, in person, was
the president, secretary and everything
else connected with these two concerns.
No Western Furniture company existed,
only in the Imagination of chis man.
Nor was there National Guarantee
company, of Chicago. One was as
mythical as the other. Herdman's OBJ
ject was to get the ten dollars After
once obtaining this he paid no further
attention to inquiries from the Same
source. At one time there was con-
Germ in Chicago doing business under
the name of the Western Furniture
company, but they assigned On the
reputation established by this house
Herdman practiced his deception. 1t
was thought by many, no doubt, that
the old firm had revived and started up
under new management
A short time after starting his first
game he saw q good thing in it, and
branched out into another scheme on
about the same swindling order. He
rented ON Office at Toledo, O., and or
dered a good supply of letterheads pur-
porting to be the superintendent of col
iections for the American Credit COM
pany, Of New York. In this he gave
the name of NJ. v. B. Stewart, superin-