The Daily Texarkanian., 1894-09-15
AN ARKANsAN IN TROUBLE.
Charges Him With Being a Modern
Shylock, Who Bled Ali Who
Dealt With Him.

former citizen OF Arkansas, has
this to say:
An afternoon paper here today
publishes the story of the marriage,
business troubles and fight of ], B.
Suttler, formerly editor of the Ar
kansas Farmer at Little Rock, an
account of whose defalcation as
assistant Treasurer of the Arkansas
Methodist Conference, was publish
ed in the State papers some time
since.
Mr., Suttler, the afternoon paper
referred to, says, got a leave of
absence as Secretary of the Build
ing and Loan Association for one
month from September /, and with
his new and secretly made bride,
left Austin last Monday night a
week for Monterey, after his de-
parture it was found that his ac-
counts were mixed up showing a
shortage of 500. A warrant was
sworn out and an agent of the bond
company has gone after him to
bring him back here. At one time
Suttler lived in the fourishing little
village of Wheatly, Ark, where he
did a large and seemingly prosper
Gus general merchandise business,
run a saw mill and operated cot
ton gin. He had the largest store
in that section and sold all sorts of
goods, for which he took in pay
ment cotton and farm products, as
well as money. He also as a side
issue generously advanced supplies
to farmers, taking with the utmost
consideration chattel mortgages on
all the farmers expected to raise,
He also as a "devilish sly man"
spread the mortgages on the work
teams, wagons, plows and other
implements, charging for all advan-
ces the modest sum of 25 per cent.
interest per annum. To make as
surance doubly sure where it was
possible he put an ironclad mort
gage on the little homes of the
poor people in the section around
Wheatly and in a few years he had
the people about grabbed. No
Shylock was ever so eXacting as this
smooth, plausible, inventive, deft,
crafty Mr.. Suttler In his tolls men
with families on the verge of starv-
alton pleaded in vain. In the dead
of winter with chilly winds mourn
ing and signing through the pines,
they would plead for only a few
bushels of corn to be left to make
bread for their little ones. This
modern Shylock, wearing the apron
of a master Mason and the liv-
cry of Heaven, would refuse their
requests and with never to be for
gotten cruelty he would exact the
last peck Of corn, the last horse or
last plow and cody tell the wronged
and starving farmer that he could
suck his paws" as did the bears,
For four or five years he conducted
business at Wheatly and everything
seemed to be prosperous with him.
He run a saw mill and sold lumber
to farmers with a mortgage on
every plank He run gin and
grabbed all possible. He prospered
beyond measure and lived in the
finest house house in the place, yet
one morning Wheatly woke up to
find that willy Mr.. Suttler had made
an assignment. Everybody was
astounded. 1t was never explained
it is mystery to this very blessed
day, Mr.. Frank White and other
merchants of Memphis, Tenn, who
were severely pinched by this artful
slyboots, would like for somebody to
explain just how they got left. St.
Louis men would also like to have
an explanation. They were all sold
and the next we hear of this huan-
cial friend Of the laboring man he
is in Little Rock, where the Asso-
ciated press dispatches state that
he skinned the Methodist church to
the tune of 5000,
Evidently the Gazette believes
the charges contained in the above
to be erroneous, or else greatly eX-
aggerated as, in commenting
thereon, it has this to say;
Mr.. Suttler at one time lived at
Wheatly and was engaged in the
general merchandise and lumber
business as the above dispatch
states, but it was generally under.
stood that he afterwards paid al
he owed at Wheatly. And so far
as Mr. Sutler charging his credit
ors 25 per cent interest and exact
ing it to peek of corn" even his
worst enemies would not believe
that Of him Mr.. Suttler has had
,,,;e fa,I,,ae hat !, 10 r,sfan1c t,yill nav