The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-06-12
A COLLECTORS TRIALS
Schemes of All Kinds to Escape
Taxes.
KEEN VIGILANCE DEFEATED
The shrewd Trick By Which One
Man Escaped the Clutches of
Collector~scanlan This Morn
ing-An Affidavit Dodge.

Among the first visitors to the railway
stations Of the town every day is Receiver
of Taxes NJ. j. Seaman. He is on deck
when all passenger trains are departing,
night and day, and many people wonder
when the official takes times to sleep His
lieutenant, Constable Thomas Boland, is
equally alert and it takes smart man to
avoid their vigilance and get out of the
town without paying taxes. Nevertheless
some do get away. The collector is up to
many lodges that are resorted to, but
today's developments showed that there
are few he has failed to encompass.
This morning a victim appeared at the
Lehigh depot accompanied by man
dressed in mining clothes and carrying a
kit of mining tools on his shoulder and a
bundle with newspaper wrapping. Scan
Ian accosted the victim, who professed to
be unable to either understand or speak
the English language After vainly trying
to make the victim understand that he
could not leave the town without produc-
ing tax receipt or paying taxes, Scanlan
turned him over to Constable Boland and
he was taken to the lookup. On the way
the victim said in excellent English
that he would "see Scanlan in HI"
before he would pay taxes The friend in
the mining clothes said nothing when the
victim was taken away. When the train
bound for Pottsville arrived he put his kit
of tools and bundle in the baggage car and
]
fare to Wiggans, but kept his seat when
that place was reached and paid his fare to
Frackville, at which place he gave Con-
ductor Reeves fare to Pottsville. The
curiosity of Baggagemaster Milt Billman
was aroused. 1t is seldom that a man in
working clothes is seen travelling
by rail below Frackville. The
several payments of fare also interested
Conductor Reeves and the two asked the
traveller whittier bound?" The interro-
gated took the pipe from his mouth, spit
on the floor of the car with movement
born of intense satisfaction and ease and
replied, ''NIe goin' to New York me skip
the tax collector. My buddy him go to
| lookup. Ha ha me buddy not so smart
| putin on my worldn' clothes and fool
the - - of tax collector" When
the train arrived at Pottsville Scanlau's 5
conquerer made bee line for a saloon and
few minutes later reappeared on the
street attired in a neat fitting suit of black.
Scaulau states that he has dropped on co
a game which has been played on him for
some time. He has at home a waste
basket full of affidavits which he took
from Polish, Lithuanian and Hungarian
people at the depots. When he would ask
for taxes the atfidavits would be presented
to him. The papers set forth that the men
presenting them had never resided in
Shenandoah; that they came to the town a
few days previously to look for work and
failing to find any, were returning to their
homes. The atfidavits were and are pre-
pared in the offices of local justices and a
large number of men have escaped paying
taxes on the strength of them, but the mar
llet value of the papers will not be as good
hereafter. The other day the collector got
hold of fellow whose verbal statement
did not tally with the affidavit and who
confessed that the document was a false
statement When asked how he came to
make the aifidavit the fellow said, "Some
Polish people told me to 60 to squire and
they would make a paper for me for
twenty-five cents, and 1 could give the
paper to the tax collector"
Mr.. Scanlan says he rarely accepts affi
davits in settlement now, He receives and
files the papers and collects the taxes.