The sun., 1897-01-17
TRACKERS OF FURNITURE.
WORK OF THE MES WH0 LOOK UP
DELINQUENT DEBTORs.

stailment plau has TO use great knowledge of |
human nature In dealing with It's customers. IL |
las to look out for crooks who buy furniture, |
mako one payment, and then sell II. sometimes |
before the delivery wagon 10 back at the store; |
and Il has also to maze allowances for persons |
who are unfortunate rather than dishonest |
and md IL more convenient TO move than to
make . second payment A tracing depart |
ment is Indispensable In overy big concern VI
this kind. A tracer gives his whole time to
looking for people who have eloped with furni-
ture bought on timo and not paid for. Nine
times out of ten he Is jolly. whole-souled fell
low and not the overbearing chap one might
expect him TO be.
I'VE employ eight tracers" said the man.
ager of one Of the biggest concerns of the kind
In tho city. land they are kept constantly on
tho Jump. IL 10 q rule that every person who
comes hero to buy furniture shall furnish us
with . reference or We must know that he IL
regularly employed In some lcgitimlte business.
Twenty years OF this business have taught us to
read human nature rs literary critics do tho
latest books. A glance. q word or two. and even
" tho customer can't give q single reference We
often know that he is honest and trust him. IL
he should prove dishonest we don't run much
risk Of losing on furniture. Again. somebody
comes in. gives references rs elibly as preachers
do Bible texts, and yet the salosmsn will feel
that something Is wrong.
There 10 a large band Of crooks In this city
whose sole business is to cheat furniture houses
run on this plan. Women are detailed to make
all the bargains. the men take charge OF tho
stun M soon as II leaves the store almost, and
49,, .o-r,, 90 a., 4, hr, thar. ar. n numb.r Of
auctionsers In collusion with these crooks. and
the goods fall into their hands next We've
actually caught these auctioneers selling our
goods before o'clock In the morning. which s
. adirect violation OF the law. but as Jet we have
hsan unah,s 70 convict thom.
These crooks are Just Hs much In the iurhi-
ture business as we arc. The perfectly sys-
,.mo,;,.1 ,ra,in, a.nar,m.nt has scar.d than,
snn'iAou fao'nk uepAi'na."s "a' aSae 49,
on somewhat. but every few days they come
which we can spot them Is .hat no.h,ns ever
su,h With cash ,ns wouldn,t buy furniture on
.s.r r.vn.r,. Whsn an honest woman comes
around and then brings her husband. He
.si.ets. say. a chair ,h., he t.nelo.. and .ho
GET ses in debt and ho Immediately says yes.
hs shespep spe' No. us 40 With the dishonest woman
She never eIohan &c, words about the price OF an
article True. sbe begins by making a small
XIII and GENERALLY makes every payment on
the tirsi OF The month. Then shc goes In deeper
Ss.t s., s and % II ,h. ,sseers AREN'T on
~ hsr onr ynrnl,npa In. di.enpsered a, In by
S.sle may Ss y he nsI. day; Whsa tho 10, ,.@. 5.
the nnrshsscr cannot he found Now persons
Who aro honest never sell tho furnitnre but
ofte n when they are In hard luck and md that
,hsy Sanmot Inn nsst The psyments on IN. they
choose the easier way OF moving. leaving no
ef,eT many months and t,nish their payments.
This is where the tracer somes In, and his work
rivals that OF many detectives who. are ec.
soead soesk Tor s Himself" he e"n,inued as taii,
! slender man entered. lie had honest blue eyes.
sasIiW have BEEN tai ksn Tor an artist. am an
artist in my line. hope" he said when told so.
Thai mjaht spoii INV game. yoa Know, cali
mo Brown. Brown Is good name Trsesrs
nr,. snd most importsnt |. the crook class; the
next consists OF the really honest, but, appa.
ssaIs. sssa ,bsy Change 70 and
the last 10 a class Of people who buy furni,urs.
and srys 4 behind then sS W. ns.s
hine and sneats out Of my territory fnd out
territory. We don't dog them, but they
Ss,s,u,s ss,s 'hs % .ss is,,..lep. sep pan S1s
Intentionally dishonest. They ar. oftsner ie.
no.sn Sow when Ts9t into this h.
rowp s some peoEe Sae IN dsret @ on the
east side bought a lot Of stun over three months
Their name is Saith. Look 'em up and teil 'sm
| 10 get a hustle on | toog ths necessary docu-
| msnts and started for the Smiths. The address
brought me TO a rather pretentiou iooki ing ten-
| rment hons, moi far from the East River Tho
| door stood wide open in the accepted tenement
| house fashion, but the place was above tho
average in point OF cleanliness, light, and air.
AS cisttered through the long nncsrpetei
| hail tho head OF a woman poke ed ont of every
door and watched me curiously. Finally
picked out the kindest looking ono and said
'".Can Won tsli me which apartment the
Smiths occupy ?
Won mea n which one they did live In p she
nnswersa. with A smile They dii live In ths
Iop floor back: but. bless you, they've gone from
hers long AGO Wh,r,p That's what the bak er
and the butcher and tho grocer ana the milk
man all want to know. Them smiths was q
ancer LOT. They WAS quite uppety with every.
Sodv in The honss and wouldn't have no.hin' "a
do With us. So they didn't happen to tell where
, they WAS coin' 10 move to, Arc you a relative
| Sot hid they Vst into you for much then p
-" saw INTERRUPTED a shriii voice from an
other door. Why don cher tell de gent dat d,
Smiths TOOK q sneak in de middle OF de nightT
"'That's 80, my boy, and thank YOU fol
bringin' It to mind resumed the pleasant
| faced woman II you 20 to the grocer's on til,
corner may be you'ii hear OF them. He's beer
| after 'em hot and may be s's on to 'en by now.
80 Thank you said to her, and followed hel