Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-09
THAT STEIN PIANO STOCK,

THAT STEIN PIANO STOCK.
sonseAing Il the 2ssAsds Of tAs n,sslng
InseruDsas Dealse.
The Davenport Democrat throws
additional light on the transactions
Of the missing piano dealer. John
Stein, who resided in this CITY, but
who conducted . store 1t 307 BRADY
street, Davenport. Speaking Of the
taking possession Of the stock Of
pianos and organs BY the manaiac-
turers, the Democrat says: ..Mr.
Stein was not taken In possession or
custody of them, for the good rea-
son. that some two weeks ago he left
these parts, with his family and q
lot Of mortgaged property. and has
not been seen since, neither does
anybody here know where he 10 now.
Mr.. Stein has been . resident of
Rock Island for quite . number OF
years. He has . reputation % Q real
genius in the tuning and repairing
Of pianos. He stuck to that business
and made some money. Something
over . year ago he came to this side
OF the river. and at the place named
started q piano store. He bought no
stock, but took pianos on consign-
ment and sold them % . commission
agent. He was . very sanguine
man, always confident that he was
going to win out, though often en-
com passed with present difficulties.
About three weeks ago he was forced
to give . mortgage to his landlord.
F. o. Davis, to secure him on the
unpaid rent Of his st0reroom. which
had amounted to quite figure. An
attachment was issued against him
at that time. and the papers had
items ready for the press giving the
facts in the case then, but they were
withheld at the last moment, % it
appeared that Mr.. Stein had adjusted
the matter to mutual satisfaction.
But this adjustment Was only for the
time. It 10 Judged now that he
knew then that there was no posi-
bility that he could extricate him.
self from the whole into which he
had got, and 80 went to work at once
to get together enough money to
leave the country on. At any rate
he disappeared from here two weeks
ago. the mortgage on account Of
rent having been given three weeks
ago last Friday. The mortgage COW
cred the tools, an outfit Of some
value, and his household goods. ct
his home in Rock Island. When he
went, however. he took the tools
with him. 1t is supposed that he is
retaining them, ss they are likely to
be more valuable than the sum Of
cash they would probably bring.
The household goods have been dis
posed of. The house in Book Island
has been stripped Of everything but
big range and big sideboard. and
doubtless these would have gone.
too. if there had not been SO much
difficulty in moving them. Mr.. Ds-
Wis has taken possession Of these
things under his mortgage. He has
also unearthed horse. buggy and
harness in Rock Island uninsum-
bered save for . 90 livery stable bill
against them, but this claim is not
nearly covered BY these items"
The dealings Of Stein with piano
factories involve great loss to those
who have done business with him. to
say nothing of the small claims
around Davenport. It Is asserted
that his aggregate liabilities are
8. 900.
Mr.. Stein was 50 or SO YEAR, old. 0
pleasant man, and % long ss he did
not venture out into deep va Ter with
commercial enterprise which he
was in no manner fitted to handle,
he was straight, and we'll regarded.
with good credit and . comfortable
living. He was . German. and often
talked Of his native country. believ-
ing that it was the best place to live,
and that there was more pleasure in
1t than there is here. 1t is believed
by one or two that he has gone to
that country. This is only . sur
mise, however, and there are others
who do not think 90. It 10 said that
there is no doubt that he is in the
United States yet, and that if the
money is produced for the expenses
Of following him he can easily be
found.