The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-01-10
Financial Vampires.


trated than in the case Of Frederick
Baker, who stole from the New York
Shoe and Leather bank for ten years,
then committed suicide. TWAS the log
ical ending Of his career Baker was a
shining light in plymouth church,
Brooklyn, the one over which Beeoher
was formerly pastor. He was the most
estimable, devoted, tender and faithful
father and husband that could be con-
structed on any principle. He never
staid out nights, never drank or gam.
bled. Once when a man suspected him
Of dishonesty and would have declined
to invest his money with him the mans
wife persuaded him nothing Gould be
wrong with that good old man. .
Yet he had probably never done an
honest days work in his life He, the
highly respected citizen, the model hus,
band and father, was worse criminal
than the highwayman who holds up a
train, The very last act Of his business
career was crime After he had made
up his mind to commit suicide he took
out heavy insurance policies on his life
They so to his widow, and the creditors
| whom he has swindled SO pitilessly and
outrageously will not get a cent Of the
money unless she gives it to them. The
| various assurances he had effected on his
| life amounted to not less than $50, 600,
it is believed. One company alone will
have to pay $40, 900.
In every way known to an unscrupu-
lous intellect Baker had robbed those
| who trusted him. It was his favor
tie way to get charge Of investments
for his clients He would purchase
doubtful securities, or estates in whose
title there was flaw or properties heav-
lily mortgaged cheaply, put the good
money of his clients into it at high
price and pocket the difference Once
he sold some stock belonging to an in
weston and kept the money, paying the
investor the dividends regularly, so that
he never knew until Bakers death that
the property had been sold
Baker owned handsome town house
and beautiful country place. He kept
blooded horses with the blood money he
drew from his clients. He was gen
erous, hospitable, popular man and gen
tleman. Oh, yes!
If the roof could be lifted off the
transactions Of all the so called bust
ness men in our rapid American cities,
how many would there be who pose as
rich men and good citizens living on
| the fat of the land but who swindle their
| way through the world along the line
pursued by Frederick Baker? There are
thousands. The array Of them would
astonish their fellow citizens, whom
they gull continually, if they could be
known. 1t comes out now and then
when one Of these robbers commits sui
| eide, runs away between two days or
dies. IL
They are vampires who suck the life
blood out Of community. They are pro
moters Of false schemes for quick en-
richment, people who are always find
ing some great Investment for sother
peoples money. They are apt to be Of
fine appearance and suave and agreeable
manners. Often, as Baker did, they
connect themselves with some promi-
nent church, the better to steal Then
we wonder why hard times and crashes
come periodically. They como more than
anything else because people live beyond
their means and allow the financial
vampires to get their money from them
The common thief or tramp is caught
and punished. The great thief who
swindles widows and orphans, who de-
iberately coaxes away by fraud the
money he is too cowardly to knock it's
owner down and take by force, is apt
to go unpunished.
Yet the investors who lose are them
selves to blame for their mental lazi-
ness. Why do they not investigate care
fully the man who wants to take charge
Of their funds, the scheme which prom
ises big returns? Why do they not use
their common sense? They are too lazy
and careless Therefore they are swim
died, and they often deserve to be. They
will continue to be. Bakers will flour
ish and grow fat and bloated off the
gulls who. trust them till the gulls
wake up and learn to attend to their
own finances.
"A melancholy interest attaches to the
case Of DR.. Charles Graham, bacteriolo-
gist of the Startling Medical college,
Columbus, O. DR.. Graham is wasting
away with consumption caught from
cultivating and handling the microbes
Of the disease while he was studying it.
He has fallen a victim to his zeal for
science. After all the inoculations and
experiments that have been made with
the tuberculosis bacillus it looks as
| though some wav Onrht To have h,nr