Graham guardian., 1895-08-23
DEBT D0DGING.
Devices and Schemes of Debtors
to Avoid Collectors.
Humors of "A Peculiar Phase of Life in the
City -Swells Who Put on a Pine
Appearance at the Expense
of Their Tailors.


There is now and then margin #
real humor, if OF doubtful description.
edged about The shifts ana device1
used by persons to avoid paying their
debts. No doubt such debtors might
be distinguished roughly: Those wio
through misfortune cannot cope with
their liabilities, and those who systc-
matically dodge their creditors becauee
it is not in them to do the other thing
pay; but, says the Boston Traveller.
they are identical in the sense that bo>h
try to escape consequences by the exc
else of a curious kind of wit.
An indignant furniture dealer recent
ly ticl1led the risible faculties in a po-
lice court by his statement of how IN
credibly he had been tricl5cd by a debtcr
of long standing. Having obtained a
writ for distraint upon the goods sup
piled and not paid for. he and his legal
agent reached the debtors house. 30
find it apparently abandoned TIE
lower windows were blotched with
whitewash, and upon one of them was
traced the legend: ITO Let" Natural
ly concluding that his bird had flown
the neighborhood TO avoid him, he
promptly expended quite considerable
sum in fruitlessly trying to trace TIE
delinquent's whereabouts
Finally it occurred to him that his
debtors late landlord might be able to
supply hint. aad to him he went. I'M
agine his amazement when he was
coolly informed that the house in ques-
tion had never been 'to let and that
the debtor was certainly still within It.
as his (the landlords agent had called
for and received his rent only few
days previously. They went at once 20
solve the problem, and then the ele-
ment of mystery dispersed. 1t appeared
that the willy occupant, having timely
warning of his creditors coming, had
shifted his family and his goods to the
top rooms. smudged the windows ard
impaired a general air of emptiness to
the house, and remained snugly aloft
until, as he imagined, his creditor
would give up the debt as bad one
Being cornered. he had to pay, and was
now sued for the costs of the hunt
which, as no attempt at fraud in legal
sense could be proved, he managed 10
escape.
Rather neat, 700, was trick of DIFF
ferent kind played recently by swell,
who was wanted" in the matter of an
outstanding tailor's debt. Tapped on
the shoulder as he went to enter city
restaurant with a party of friends, he
was informed that vehicle waited at
hand for his safe conduct to dmanee
vile. The situation was awkward, but
his wit and experience made him equal
to it. He left his friends with cool
aside to the effect that he would return
and dine with them in a few minutes
and was as good as his word
He simply requested his captor to
drive to his fathers office, where, he
loftily said, the trumpery debt would
be settled to full satisfaction. Accord
ingly they drove to the Office indicated.
The officer entered with the warrant
and his myrmidon remained at the en-
trance to guard against surprises. But
the debt was not settled ON that occa-
sion. The defaulter coolly opened the
door of the first room he came to,
ushered the other in, whipped out the
key from the inside, slipped out, locked
the door, quilted the building by an
other exit, and drove off to keep his
appointment.
The rooted objection, to put it mild
ly, that some people evince to squaring
pecuniary accounts until the law steps
in and compels them is sometimes in
comprehensive. One man of this class,
well known to the writer as person
able to pay for his extravagances,
spent half his time in lodging and
baking creditors to whom he owed
comparatively trifling sums--purely, it
seemed, for the love of such dod2ing
Some time back several writs were out
for the arrest of this person, but for
weeks he succeeded in cluding the
holders by all manner of unexpected
tricks.
1t so happened that one day, how
ever, while leading one warrant Off
Ger n dance in the network of streets
he ran into the arms of another, and
was Immediately clapped into a cat
and driven to Jail. On the way thither
he begged to be allowed to ge;
some light refre shment before tasting
prison fare, and as he himself sug
gested that his coat sleeve should be
securely fastened to that of the officer
the latter consented, and accompanied
him into hotel for that purpose.
The sequel, in some respects, was 6
highly farcical ole. One glass Zap
parently without design led to another
and the defaulter spent almost as muct
money in making both cab-driver anc
capturer intoxicated upon whisky as
would have enabled him to settle the
debt in the first place. That done, h'
cut the fastenings and quietly walked
= off.