Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-12-14
DEBT DODGING.
Devices and Schemes of Debtors
to Avoid Collectors. 8g
uomors OF Peculiar Phase OF Life In tho
City -Swelis Who Put Fine
Appearance at tho Expense
of Their Tailors.

real humor, IL of n doubtful description,
edged about the shifts and devices
used by persons to avoid paying their
debts. No doubt such debtors might
be distinguished roughly: Those who
misfortune cannot cope with
their liabilities, and those who syste-
matically dodge their creditors because
it is not in them to do the other thing
pay; but, says the Boston Traveller,
they are identical in the sense that both
try to escape consequences by the exer-
else of curious kind of wit.
An indignant furniture dealer recent
ly ticlsled the risible faculties in po-
lice court by his statement of how in
credibly he had been tric!Scd by debtor
of long standing. Having obtained
writ for distraint upon the goods sup
piled and not paid for, he and his legal
agent reached the debtors house, to
fnd it apparently abandoned. The
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 u considerable
sum in fruitlessly trying to trace the
delinquent's whereabouts.
Finally it occurred to him that his
debtors late landlord might be able to
supply hint, and 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 to
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, smudgcd the windows and
impaired 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 cornercd, he had to pay, and was
now sued for the costs of the hunt
which, as no attempt ut fraud in legal
sense could be proved, he managed to
escape.
Rather neat, too, was a trick of diff
ferent kind played recently by a swell,
who was wanted" in the matter of an
outstanding tailor's debt. Tapped on
the shoulder as he went to enter a city
restaurant with party of friends, he
was informed that vehicle waited at
hand for his safe conduct to durance
vile. The situation was awkward, but
his wit and experience made him equal
to it. He left his friends with a cool
aside to the effect that he would return
and dine with them in few minutes
and was as good as his word.
He simply requested his captor to
drive to Ibis 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,
ushercd 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 cvince to squaring
pccuniary 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 cxtravagances,
spent half his time in dodging and
baking creditors to whom he owed
comparatively triaing sums-purcly, it
seemed, for the love of such dodging.
Some time back several writs were out
for the arrest of this person, but for
weeks he succeeded i'll eluding 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 clappcd into Il cab
and driven to Jail. On the way thither
he begged to be allowed to get
some light rcfreshmcnt before tasting
prison fare, and us he himself sug
gested that his coat sleeve should be
securely fastened to that of the officer
the latter consented, and accompanied
him into a hotel for that purpose.
The sequel, in some respects, was {
highly farcical ole. One glass Zap
parently without design led to another
and the defaulter spent almost as mucf
money in making both cab-driver and
capturcr intoxicated upon whisky a:
would have enabled him to settle the
debt in the first place. That done, ht
cut the fastenings and quietly walked
off.