Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-14
ONE OF THE PARTNERS GONE
Why Commission House Had to Suspend
Business
A Member of the Firm Disappears
The Accounts Left in n
Had Shape.

produce dealers and commission dealers IN
the lower part of the city that the firm of
Davis, Hill & Co., doing business at 3Os
10th street, had suspended. The firm Is To-
Gated but few doors below Pennsylvania
avenue, where, for a month, they nave
been doing a limited amount of business In
general produce. AS the members of the
firm are newcomers In the city, little Is
known about them personally. Their busi-
ness was in the line of eggs, butter. ap-
Piles, potatoes and pork, and during the
time they have been in business they have
received large consignments from various
parts of Maryland, Virginia and North
Carolina.
The method of business pursued by Da-
Wis, Hill e. Co.. was to establish agencies
in the leading agricultural counties WITHIN
easy reach of Washington, and in this way
they have received large amounts OF pro-
duce for sale on commission.
Started With References.
The references given by the firm are the
Central National Bank Of this city, Whit
ford & Co.. the Center market bankers;
Burruss, Son & Co., bankers. Norfolk, Va.
and Edward l.. Hill of the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad Company. 1t seems 10
have been the business of Mr.. Hill of Da-
Wis, Hill & Co. to travel from county to
county and select agents for the firm.
$40 OF Sl2 month and commission of l
to 9 per cent on all business secured by
them for the firm Mr.. Davis attended to
the business in this city, receiving and dis
posing of goods consigned to the hrm.
The first suspicion that matters were not
right with the firm came yesterday, when
several business men were surprised TO
have checks issued by Davis, Hill & Co. turn
ed down as no good. 1t was found then that
Mr.. Davis had left Washington very sud
denly last Monday night, and had not been
heard from since. Inquiry at his boarding
place, on the corner of 11th and o streets.
discovered that he had, with his wife, gone
to New York, saying that his sister was
very sick there.
Yesterday Mr.. Hill returned to the city
from Virginia, and an examination of the
business disclosed to him the fact that
the concern was insolvent, and he at once
took legal counsel His interest seems to
be only nominal. and he had salary con-
tract with Davis, SO that he knows almost
nothing of the details of the business done
by the house. At the banks it was simply
said that the firm had overdrawn.
Some Money Collected.
1t was learned that last Saturday night
Davis collected a bill of $3.50 from c. NJ.
Johnson at the Hotel Johnson, receiving a
check for that amount, and, as 1t was
after banking hours and he could not cash
so large a check at that time, he borrowed
$50 in cash, giving Mr.. johnson a ticket to
be presented at the store Monday for either
cash or goods to repay the loan. Ihls
transaction was not reported to the office
of the firm. and it is supposed that Davis
took the check with him, intending to cash
it in New York. From all that can be
learned there is outstanding in protested
checks upward of 1000 and there are
other accounts for which checks We're re-
Gently made out to the amount of another
$1,000, while the salaries and commissions
of the fifty or sixty agents of the firm
now due will probably reach the sum of
$1,000.
Today it was learned that the New York
correspondents of Davis, Hill & Co. had
been communicated with since Davis left
the city, and, in obedience to kilograms.
had paid to Mrs. Davis several hundred
dollars in settlement of their account with
the firm.
The store shows a very limited amount of
goods on hand at present, but shipments
are coming in hourly, and great embarrass-
ment is likely to be caused to innocent con-
siSnorS. The store was at times today
thronsed with creditors, expressmen and
fle!ghtmen. all asking to have bills paid,
for which there were no funds in sight.
Mr.. Hill stated today that he was re-
fusing to receive goods consigned to the
firm and turning them over to other COM
mission merchants to sell, in order that
there might be no loss to the consignors.
What MIR. Hill Says.
He expressed himself as very much dis
tfeSSeQ Dy the SITUATION, out wholly pow
eriess to improve it, and without informa-
ton as to what the trouble was He said
he felt disposed to give Mr. Davis the bene-
fit of doubt until he could hear from him.
All that he knew was that he had gone
to New York to see sister, who was des-
perately ill. He could say nothing as to
the assets or the liabilities of the firm. but
he considered the dilemma one in which he
ought to take legal counsel and had done
so. Further than this he could only say
that he would like to have the public sus-
pend judgment until Mr.. Davis could be
found.
Mr.. Hill is a Virginian from Roanoke
county, and he is well spoken of among
those who know him. 1t is generally be-
lieved that he knows little, if anything,
about the business, as he was away from
the city nearly all the time since the busi-
ness began.
Davis is d handsome man of fcrty, deb
onair in manner and prepossessinS in
speech. He wears a flowing black mus
tache and dresses stylistly, and notwilh-
standing the seeming incongruity, consid-
ering his business, there was always a
diamond evident on his tinted shirt front