The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-01-04
AND CIRCUIT GOT GAY.
A Fly Insurance Agent
Who Flew the Town.
The Saulpaugh Wants Board Bill
and Attorney OgIe is 'Shy" Small
Amount For Rent=-The Company
Had Let Him Out.

George c. Grout, at one time special
agent of the Bankers Alliance Life
Insurance company, has left town, for
getting to settle few little accounts
before he went away.
Grout came to Mankato about No
vember 18th in company with Richard
Lehman, state agent of the company,
who introduced the man at the Saul
paugh and to Attorney Ogle, for desk
room.
After a few preliminary arrange
ments Mr.. Ogle agreed to install Grout
in his office, where he was fitted out
by his company with insurance litera-
ture and supplies, and he was then
ready for business.
Day Clerk Clark, at the Saulpaugh,
stated to a FREE PRESS reporter this
morning that Lehman introduced
Grout at the hotel, asked about rates,
ETC., and said that he would become a
permanent guest of the house. Com
menting on the disappearance of the
man he said:
"Grout paid his bill promptly for
some time and we thought he was all
right. Two weeks ago, however, he
began to get slack. l presented him
with the usual bill on Saturday and he
stood me off, 1t ran along until the
middle of the following week, when [
asked for the money again and he
went out and evidently borrowed it,
for the amount was handed over. On
the following Saturday night the
situation was the same. He again de-
ferred payment, this time putting me
off until week later, and /, suppos-
ing the company would make it good,
let the matter run.
son last Saturday morning, how
ever, | told circuit that wanted the
room or the money that night and he
agreed to pay up. That was the last
l ever saw of him. On Monday l
wrote to State Manager Lefferman at
Minneapolis about the man, and he
answered that if circuit was stopping
with us he must bear his own expenses,
for he had been ordered on December
10th to stop soliciting insurance and
come in as he had not been in their
employ since that date.
Attorney Ogle said that circuit had
been given office room at S6per month.
'The, money became DUE" he said,
son December 22d. / asked him for
it and had to refresh his memory on
the fact that it was due on that day.
He made several promises to settle
but 1 never saw anything looking
toward it.
"On the 18th of November he asked
for loan of $40. He was a stranger
to me and l did not care to accommo-
date him. Then on the day before
Thanksgiving his demands became
more modest, for he asked for
dollar with which to clean up for
Thanksgiving.
"He had already borrowed fifty
cents from the clerk in DR.. Warmers
Office which he forgot to return.
"Grout's visits to the Office then
became more infrequent, and at
last became suspicious. He car
ried a key to the outside door, so l
locked the two doors opening from
the hall so he could not get inside.
The next morning when I came down
I found broken key on the floor in
side.
During all the time Grout was
here he did not do dollars worth OF
business. About the 18th of Deem
Der he wrote half a dozen policies for
some of his acquaintance free of
charge, myself among the number,
stating that he intended to strike the
company January 1st for big salary
and expense, and wanted to make
big showing"
CIRCUITS face became familiar one
during the time he was in the city.
He was rather tall, of medium build.
dressed in black, and wore a black
silk hat. A gray moustache was his
only facial decoration.
No blame is attached to Mr.. Letter
man, who was probably duped by
CIRCUITS Establishments in the same
manner as the others.