The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-03-18
TROUBLED
Kaufman & Yezner Not Quite
Through With the Au-
tiOrities.
MORE GOODS FOUND.
A Brief Review of the Case as
Presented by st. Paul
Newspapers.

|
ped to Kaufman & Yezner, the bank
rupt merchants of Ely, Mimi, who
were indicted by the Ramsey county
grand jury on the charge of obtaining
goods under false pretenses, were
recovered Wednesday afternoon at
the house, part of which is occupied
by j. B. Geiss, $50 Charles street, st.
Paul. 1t is a coincidence, merely,
that Jacob GeiSs was the man that
the St. Paul creditors of the firm sent
to Ely to take charge of the stock.
Mr.. Geiss does more or less of similar
wolk. He now has charge of stock
in North Dakota for the wholesale
grocery firm of j.. H. Allen & Co. He
was not at home when the goods were
stored in his house, aud his wife
thought that there was nothing
suspicious in the circumstances.
a brief review of the case Of Messrs.
Kaufman s. Yezner may not be out
of place. Last fall the firm purchased
a s12, 900 stock of general merchandise,
largely of ST. Paul wholesale houses.
The men were considered reliable and
but little cash was paid on the
purchases. On Nov. Is a bill of sale
transferring part OF the newly
purchased stock to a relative was
placed on record at Virginia, where
Kaufman & Yezner also had a store.
When the news Of the transfer
reached the ears Of the st. Paul
creditors they became alarmed and
sent an agent to Investigate. He
found only small part of the $4,000
stock on the shelves of the Ely and
Virginia stores.
The firm made an assignment and
Leonard w. French, secretary and
treasurer of the house of Kellogg,
Johnson g. Co., jobbers in shoes in st.
Paul, was made receiver. He found
very little to receive. Kaufman &
Yezner were arrested on state
warrants and brought to St. Paul.
They spent some time in the county
jail. The grand jury took up their
case and returned bills against both
men, charging them with obtaining
goods under false pretenses. Judge
| Willis heard the cases on one of the
counts and discharged the men. 1t
was shown that their representations
of financial reliability were made to
mercantile agency, and not to the
firm alleged to have been derauded.
On another count stay could not be
obtained for the return to the city of
the principal witness, Ambrose Gutter
man, and the case wasdismiSsed.
just what had become of the $4,000
worth of goods was the question that
puzzled the creditors If the firm. An
investigation at Ely and Virginia was
not without results, however. It was
learned that the draynan at Ely had
been instructed not to haul any
goods consigned to the firm from the
depot to the store unlsss asked to do
so. Accordingly, as fist as the cases
Of goods arrived at Ely they were
redirected to Virginia. The drayman
at Virginia had similir orders regard
ing the consignments. Agent Nelson,
of Virginia, told the detectives that
the names on the toxes were also
obliterated. New addresses were put
on. These goods cane back to st.
Paul in the original packages. Itwas
found that new names were given as
consignors and consignees. The rec
ords of the railroads from Virginia
furnished sufficient information for
the establishment of this fact. The
boxes were sent to unknown names in
St. Paul. A few cases at time were
shipped, and as fast IS they arrived
in this city some one having in his
possession the bill of lading called at
the freight house and took them
away. 1t is estimated that $4,000
: worth of dry goods, boots, shoes and
notions was disposed of in this
manner.
Four cases and a trunk were found
in the Charles street house, and there
is no doubt they contain part of the
s12, 900 stock that was never paid for
The rest of the stock is supposed tt
be stored at different places in ST
| Paul.
Two more CASES of goods alleged tx