The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-25

power has lost" I might fill the col
umns of the Beacon day after day with
a recital of the nefarious schemes, ways
that are dark and tricks that are vain,
as practiced by the lately insolVent,
lately reOrganiZed Jarvis -COnlxlin Mort
gage company as related to me during
the past year by their employees, men
of sound judgment and broad Sympa-
thies, in their Wall street Office. New
York. might fill column after col
umn Of the Beacon with well authenu-
Gated instances of the Jarvis -Conklin
system of robbery as practiced here in
Wichita and throughout the west.
Nine-tenths of our population have
been defrauded by loan companies. But
I will cite only one case, as special
prominence has been given to the mat
ter by this syndicate of organized greed
who spare neither age nor sex
Owning property very nearly in the
center geographically lOcated) of the
city of Wichita, 1 was because of the
destruction of my home by fire, COM
PEELED to obtain a loan. In the spring
of 1889 at the office of L. w. Clapp of
this city, 1 signed papers for a loan OF
81, 100, but received but a little more
than $500, as a commission for a local
agent, cost of abstract, etc, was de-
Quoted from the ST. 100. Upon this $500
and the $500 retained by the company,
/ paid interest semi-annually till the
JarVis-COnkling company went into vol
untary insolvency to cover up their
dark deeds ana get q new purchase on
the western people. At that time I was
notified by the branch office in Win
field, Kan, to pay them, and none 9th
er. At the same time 1 received a sim
liar notice from the New York office to
remit them. Being in doubt, / waited
for them to adjust their family row, and
kept steadily improving my prOperty.
Bear in mind, I did not handle or use
one dollar of the loan obtained. It was
placed in the hands of Mr.. Parrot, the
lumber dealer. who paid it out on order
to the architect and builders of my
home In addition to this, I papered,
painted, Vanished and beautified the
house, built out of my own earnings
2 large rooms and chimney additional,
built large barn, coal house, grape
arbOr, planted a large variety of trees,
vines and flowers and in various ways
improved and beautified at great ex-
pense my property.
Then came notice from the New
York company that the owner of the
mortgage was deceased, and demanding
immediate settlement. asked for time;
made every legitimate effort to obtain
delay, and raise the amount, which they
had increased by the necrOmancy of
compound interest from $500 to 81 400
While absent in the east, standing with
enfeebled health between my four chill
dTen and poverty, my home was sold.
The Jarvis-COnklin company, alias Jane
Marsh bid it in for $500, and obtained
the usual judgment for the balance
Now, in this case. what is the balance?
The $500 loaned by them was invested
by them in a house OF which they are
in possession.
AS the house has been enlarged, i'm
proved and beautified, and I have paid
interest on the loan more than the rent
now demanded for it, it would look as
if the Jarvis-Conl1lin company had re-
ceived their full equivalent But this is
not all The property upon which the
house stands has some of the finest
fruit trees and vines in the city Sub
stantial barns and Outbuildings and hy-
drants have been placed on it, all out
of my earnings. This property, with the
house, the company has also taken pos
session of. My two-thirds equity in my
home, my earnings and toll of years.
have been stolen from me by a legal
process as dishonest and as infamous
as that which permitted the sla ave-hold-
er to sell flesh and blood at so much usel.
pound on the auction block.
Yet JarviS-COnklin & Co., alias Jane
Marsh, through their little pack-in-the-
box attireny here, want more, and the
poor, pitiful little fellow, upon whose
pallid face moral death and dishonesty
have placed their seal, prates about
putting me in Jail. If inprisOninzr a
woman, after they have stolen her
! home and her earnings is necessary to
enlighten the people of the west as to
| the methods used by the ShyIock loan
companies, why proceed. MARTYRS have
/ been needed in every age of the world
/ TO arouse the people. But they should
/ be warned in time that the material for
/ doclle. submissive, saint-like martyrs, is
/ not found plentiful in Kansas.
Cordially.
u ~ A r1T -7rrvTT A