Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-04
BRATTLEBOR0 LOCAL.
$1,000 BAIL.


Conn. last week was announced in The |
Phoenix, vas brought to Boston Friday and
held on a warrant of seven counts of OBJ
tanning money under false pretences, the
AGGREGATE amount involved being 5000.
Mr.. Langley pleaded not guilty and was
committed to Jail in default of $1,000 bail.
Soon after the arrest of Langley was made
public nine complainants appeared in adj
dition to those named in the prosecution.
Langley's principal scheme was the Nation
al Contract and Supply company of Brat
tleboro, but he was also prime mover in
the Boston Leather goods company and the
Niagara Frontier Land company.
L. j. Wilder of Midway, Mass, who now
claims that Langley swindled him, thought
Mr.. Langley was good man because some
of his friends told him so, and he accepted
without question Mr.. Langleys statement
that of the $500, 900 capital OF the company
$175, 900 was paid in in cash. Mr.. Wilder
claims that his money was obtained from
him by false pretences, because OF the
falsity of this latter statement.
The National Contract and Supply COM
pany is incorporated under the laws OF Yer
mont, its charter having been allowed Dec.
1S, 1895 The first meeting OF the corpo-
ration was held in Towns Hotel, Bellows
Falls, Jan. 1, 1896. Beside Mr.. Langley
there were present, according to the records
of the meeting w. II. Dewey of ST. Johns
bury and d. Henry Morrison of Bellows
Falls. The final record of the charter was
made by F. A. Bolles, town clerk of Rock
ingham, Jan. 16, 1896.
Early in January the company entered
into a conditional agreement for the pur-
chase of the large Centreville factory in
Brattleboro owned by the Estey Organ COM
pany and known as the sewing machine
| factory. The National Contract d Supply
company never fulfilled its part of the
agreement, however, and the transfer OF
the property was not made.
The corporation organized Jan. IL with
the following officers:
Directors-H s. Belknap, formerly Of Morgan,
Belknap & Co, bankers, New York warren T.
| Fairbanks wholesale dry goods, Chauncey street,
| Boston, Caryvile, Mass; 2. II. sumner invest
ment barker and insurance New 1ork;J' n Ci,'
/ Mass. J. II. Langley, trustee, estate OF Nelsoh
| Willoughby Boston, Mass; DR.. Eugene ,. Iaylor,
surgeon dentist, Park square, Boston, Mass; w.
| H. Dewey, lumber ana building materials, st.
Executive committee. n. Clifford, W. E.
Finance = committee9H S. Belknap, P. H. Sum-
| ner. L. Tnghast.
and state treasurer of Connecticut; Rufus G. Fair
banks, trial justice Norfolk county, Mass.
Ohicers--President, H. s. Beknap first vice
president. J. II. Langley; second ice-presidents,
| j. N CLIFFORD. superintendent New England div
| ision; Z. n. Sumner, superintendent New YORK
division; D. Henry Morrison, clerk; George Z,
| Bonney, super intendent contracts, undertakers'
| department; o. f.. Moulton, superintendent con-
struction, manufacturing department,
The letter heads of the company showed
that the factory was in Brattleboro, and
that there were offices in Boston, Provi-
dence, Hartford, Manchester, Portland,
New York and Albany.
Mr.. Goodwin, the Albany agent, is Ha-
verhill man. He kicked over the traces a
short time ago. Mr.. Wilder, the Provi-
dence agent, has followed suit. He says
that he knew nothing of Langley, but felt
confidence in the concern because OF the
high character given Langley by Judge
Fairbanks and his brother, Warren f..
Fairbanks, both of whom are highly re-
spected citizens of the community in which
they live.
The very first snag in the affairs of the
company came, however, from Insurance
Commissioner Merrill of Massachusetts.
He decided that the plan which they wish
ed TO carry out in that state was an insuT
ance plan, and he refused to permit it.
The name of the company gives no in
tmation of the kind of business in which
it proposed engaging. 1t was intended
however, as a sort of an instalment system
for burying the dead. Special prices were
arranged for, and the person who wished
to invest paid out so much weekly, oil
monthly, as the case may have been. Th'
= contracts ranged all the way from $50 Il
$500. For $50 burial contract the ap
j plicant paid 81 down on signing the appli
= cation and 80 cents monthly. For 500
t contract, SIS was paid down and s
9 monthly.
The action of the insurance commits
= sioner put an end to the hopes of the com
: pany in Massachusetts and the office IL
the Five Cents Savings bank building a
Boston was closed. Mr.. Wilder made hi
a complaint in September. Mr.. Langley di'
not appear and the grand jury found an in
dictment against him and he then disaI
. peared.
y Mr.. Langley was also interested in tn
Niagara Frontier Land company, cor
a Germ which was selling lots near Magyar
/ Falls, and which sent out some splendid
illustrated literature showing the power I
8, be generated from the falls. Mr.. Langle
IS was interested in promoting the affairs c
Chaplin, Randolph IL Co., a corporatlo
N formed under the laws of the state of Me-
he Jersey, and he sold POO shares of TIL
stock to a Dorchester doctor, who hs
p asked the police to get his money back fc
n him. The 200 shares cost him $1,000. III
q corporation was said to be large tannin
70 and leather importing concern, intereste
,t in the manufacture of satchels, handbag
u pocketbooks and such articles. 1t VIZ
n supposed to be capitalized for $4,000
w and was said to have factories in Newarl
N. j., and Bridgeport, Conn, and war
rooms in New York and Boston.
Il Il. Is
a trustees of the estate of Nelson Willoughb
a whoever he may be. His brother trustee
r. are Theodore d. Webster, who is suppose
n to be Mr.. Langley's partner in the Ne
~ York banking house of Webster, Langl
" & Co., and T. Fl. Lyons, who is said to
ne the secretary of the trustees.
he Whether this estate is connected wi
en- the Willoughby Improvement company
Dr. not stated. Mr.. Langley claims a come
)ss ton with the latter concern, however.
'ot claims to have boundless resources in {
in state of Kentucky, in the shape of 200
rs: acres of land. This land is said to be We
ew valuable, but as 100000 acres of tract
INT which it was originally part sold for $50
it'll there are some who are inclined to acct
III. some of the large stories with few graf
of salt.
Geo. W. DeCosta of West Brattlebo
mas who came here to take charge of the u
en- treville factory, says that he knows lit
am about Langley. DeCosta now has no CT
of nection with Langley's concern. Mr.. l
ost Costa was simply engaged to run the +
on, tory here. He has had much exporter
mn in the manufacturing of collins and und