St. Paul daily globe., 1893-03-26
MADE BUSINESS BOOM.
An Active Insurance Agents
Plan of Writing Many
Policies.
One of His Friends Objects and
Has Warrant Sworn
Out.

A warrant 1Or Lne arrest OF l. lnOHlaS
Bowen Jones was handed over to the
police yesterday afternoon at o'clock,
with instructions to arrest the de-
fendant Immediately. The complain
ing witness in the case is E. ii. Gull
bert, resident of Minneapolis, and
the offense charged is securing an
Endorsement 10 a note by false
pretenses.> The facts in the case as
related by the Minneapolitan show how
easily 1t is for person of fertile brain
and an eye to the main chance to gather
in the coin. Jones is the agent for a
life insurance company, and has an of
flee in the Endicott Arcade. Some
weeks ago he came to Guilbert with
ninety-day note, signed by w. w.
Walker, for 5000, and requested Gull
bert to indorse the same, so it could be
discounted at one of the banks. Jones
represented that Walker was we'll
known man, and was drawing a salary
of any where from $1,000 to 900
a year. In order to accommodate Jones
Mr.. Guilbert indorsed the note. Within
the last few days Mr.. Guilbert learned
Mr.. Walkers income was only about
81, 600 per year, and, what was worse,
the note was given under circumstances
which left doubt, and very large
sized one, that the note would not be
paid by Walker. 1t appears from this
and other transactions of similar nat
ure that Jones has been working very
bold financial scheme. The plan was
operated in this way: Approaching
a friend or acquaintance, he would
explain that he was anxious to
make good showing in the insurance
business. In order to do this he re-
QueSted the person approached to make
out an application for policy in the
company he represented and send it to
the company. BY this means, he said,
he would stand we'll In the eyes of the
company, and when the annual appoint
ment Of agents was made he would
be among the number designated. AS
mere matter of form Jones said to the
prospective policy holder it would be
necessary for him to make out ninety.
MUM, which note would be held
and returned when the policy was
rejected. This looked all right,
and so confidential was the talk that
three or four gentlemen approached en-
tered into the scheme just to help Jones
out. The policies arrived all right in
each and every case, but as this was
thought to be a natural course in such
case no attention was paid to them by
the recipients. The matter assumed
much more important bearing, however,
when the ODliging gentlemen were
sent notices from the banks where
their paper had been discounted
by Jones that their notes
Jones was called down by his very
obliging friends he is said to have ex-
pressed great surprise, and intimated
that the transaction was all right, and,
as he understood ii, the policies were to
be accepted. Legal advice was sought
by some of the forced policy holders,
but there did not seem to be any case
against Jones, at least, any case that
could be prosecuted with any likeli-
hood of relief. In the case of Guilbert,
however, it was found Jones had over
played himself, and by his mis-
representations had induced Gull
bert 10 indorse the note given
by Walker. The warrant for
the arrest was accordingly issued with
instructions to proceed forthwith. Up
been arrested, and it was rumOred that
he had left the city for short vacation.
Friends of the wide-awake insurance
agent claimed that the case would be
settled, and as the note which Guilbert
indOrsed was not yet due, there was no
ground for the complaint.
Thomas Bowen Jones, as his name
would indicate, is an Englishman, and
has resided in st. Paul for about two
years. He is an atfable and intelligent
fellow, good dresser, and, owing to
his business and social acquaintanceS,
has been well received in society
circles.