The Washington times., 1895-05-30
DEBTORS TO Be DUNNED
Novel Scheme Of the Trades
Collection Agency.
WAGON WITH A RED SIGN
1t VIII Stop in Front of a Delin-
quent's House and Curtain VIII
Fail, Disclosing the Fact That the
Wagon Only Stops to Collect Bad
Bflls-Law Officers Opinion of 1t.

Bills-Law Officers Opinion of 1t.
The attention of Assistant District At
| toruey Pugh who is stationed at the po-
police court was called yesterday afternoon
| TO novel and rather rageproyoking scheme
for collecting what are known in the bus
iness world as bad debts" II has
just been introduced into Washington By
company known as the Traders Coliec-
| ton Agency. The Times learned of this
| innovation yesterday, and at once made
searching investigation OF the methods
which viii be adopted to make obdurate
debtors come to time aud pay their bills.
The motive power of the concern, ,inwhich
lies all its strength, is light covered
wagon, of the Dayton order. When not
in active service, or more properly speaking,
on the war path, this vehicle appears
harmless enough, but it is in reality moral
gatling gun. The outer covers ON the
sides of the wagon are of plain black and
unettered.
CURTAIN WILL FALL.
But whenever, at his pleasure, the driver
OF the vehicle, who is also a collector
of antique and age-worn debts, touches a
little button, the black covers, which are
attached to springs, roll up like flash,
and disclose on each side of the wagon
broad white field, on which is inscribed
in large letters of a blood-red hue this
startling legend:
THIS WAGON ONLY STOPS
TO COLLECT
BAD BILLS.
The letters can be read for long dis
| tance, and are calculated % strike terror To
| the heart Of the luckless debtor in front of
whose residence or place of business the
bad debt wagon stops.
1t is explained that the vehicle is only
used by the company as last resort.
Before 1t Is brought into requlsItion the
party who has long been indebted to a mer-
chant or others receives a printed noti-
fication, at the heaGof which is pictureor
the wagon with the above inscription on
its sides. Then follows this statement:
Mr.. -. Your account amounting TO
8 is past due, and as you have paid
no attention TO our request for settlement
of same, shall place it in the hands Of The
Trades Collection agency, If you do not
calland see usto arrange aboutthe pa yment,
The agency can then use their own means
to collect same. Yours respectfully"
TOUCH THE BUTTON.
To "use their own means" meaus to send
around the wagon in front of the debtors
door, touch the button, and let the curtains
ron quickly heavenward, disclosing the
legend:
This wagon only stops to collect bad
bills"
Then while curious crowd gathers
about the vehicle with its odd device a
stalwart and muscular collector, armed with
the bad bil- " steps briskly up to the
front door and demands payment OF the
amount due. Should the debtor become
pugnacious, and want to wipe up the
street with the athletic and perhaps pugi-
listic collector, il viii be all the better
for the company's purpose, for large
crowd Will bc attracted by thescene, and the
person who owes the money might repent at
leisure afterwards, aud decide To settle
up before the wagon rolled around in
front of bis premises again.
The printed no. A'ations. beaded with
large picture of the bad debt wagon, are
sold to business men, at so much per
hundred. They are used as the forerunBers
| of the vehicle, which is more dreaded than
a visitation of the smallpox.
Assistant District Attorney Pugh said
lastevening when shown acopyofthe notifi-
/ cation and anilluStrat ION of the wagon, that
/ he considered such methods OF collecting
debts, bad or otherwise TO beunlawful and
| believed the promoters OF the scheme
| spector Hollinberger. chief of detectives
was OF the same opinion.
MANAGER ELLIS EXPLAINS
| The manager of the Trades Collection
Agency. Mr.. J. c. Ellis, of No. sos East
| Capitol street, was seen last night by a
| Times reporter. He is a tall and rather
! handsome young man and talked freely
/ about the '1euterprise, as be termed it.
/ He said the wagon would he ready for
! business by Saturday, and would then be
driven about town for the inspection of
| merchants and prospective customers.
! Mr.. Ellis regarded the scheme as g legitf-
mate one, on the theory that when a person
entered the dead-beat category by per-
sistently refusing to pay his or her honest
debts, any reasonable means Of collecting
such debts were justifiable, even If they
did result in an expose OF the Teeaicitrans
debtor These bad-debt wagons, he added,
1 have been in successful operation in New
| York, Chicago, and Richmond, and their
use has resulted in the collection of nearly
80 per cent. of the supposed defunct bills
placed in the hands of the hustling col
lectors.
| "You would be surprised" said Mfr.
| Ellis, 'to know of some of the so-calied
| big men in this city, some OF whom hold
| high governmental positions, but whose
names are blacklisted on the roll of dead
| beats kept by business men. They owe
just bills, but persstently refuse TO pay
! them. Imagine what a salutary effect
1t would have for our wagon to drive up
! in front of their palatiai residences and
| display there for a half haur or more, the
big red sign: This wagon only stops to
! collect bad debts 1t would, perhaps, be
/ a revelation to the neighborhood and
bring the black sheep into the fold OF
| honesty"
SOME EXPERIENCES.
Mr.. Ellis also stated that every means
| would be exhausted before the last resort
the red-lettered wagon-was sent to dun
man. He described the recent experience
| of bad debt wagon in Richmond. The
1 collector had left the vehicle standing in
| front of the door of had debt" with the
signs exposed He was at the basement
door of the house talking to the wife, when
| carrying an old mattress saturated with
| the husband came out of the upper door
| coal OIL This he placed in the vehicle
while the big collector was arguing with
| his wife.
Then he applied match to the mattress
| and the next instant the team was in a light
| blaze, while the horse, taking fright. dis
| appeared down the street at breakneck
/ speed, envelopedina cloud ofsmoke. Other.
/ cases were mentioned where the colec-
| tor and team were roughly handled.
1t was the purpose of the Trades Col
lection Agency to have their wagon in
| the rear of the Memorial Day parade to-
| day had the inscription been finished in
time. Mr.. Ellis promises. however, that
it win be seen on Pennsylvania avenue on
Saturday without FAIL
o
Allen Quartermafn
| is oDa ~ tho most fascinating ST orfes