The Portland daily press., 1899-05-03
Alluring Advertisements
and Circulars
w hich Caused the Company All
the Trouble.

The Fairfield Floral company's ca ses
commenced yesterday afternoon in the
United States court before Judge Webb.
There has been SO much newspaper COM
ment and so II any attempts made TO keep
these cases from being brought to trial
that the announcement that the matter
wo uld come up before the court yesterday
bi ought many people ont to hear the
case. The first case brought up for trial
was that of the United States against
George Fred Terry Of Fairfield. The in
dictment charges him with having
opened correspondence with and sent to
Miss Gertrude a. Marr of Portland, and
divers other persons, certain circular
advertising u scheme to defraud and did
defraud her and divers other persons by
means of sending advertising matter
through the United States mails.
Mr. Terry was srraigned, pleaded not
guilty and the trial then commenced.
The counsel for the respondent was as
fine an array of legal talent as has been
seen In the United States court in many
years on a criminal case. There were Will
liam L. Haines of Waterville, MIR. Vause
of New York city, Hon. Clarence Hale, A.
F. Belcher Esq, and George Il. Bird,
Esq. The government was represented by
District Attorney Dyer.
District Attorney Dyer opened for the
government. He said that 1t was not In
oumbent upon the government to show
that George Fred Terry had devised the
scheme which he mad used to defraud
many people with but 1t was only neces-
sary to prove that he had put this
scheme into operation. Mr.. Dyer then
went onto state the natureiof the.business
transacted by the Fairfield Floral com
pany. They had advertised in many
newspapers in this country that they
could give work to people by which they
could earn from IS to Sl5 a week in their
own homes. They stated that they did
large business In manufacturing artificial
flowers and because of the great increase
in their business they were obliged to en-
ploy extra help. Ii the person reading
this advertiser would write TO the
Fairfield Floral company and incloss two
(2) cent stamps they would receive In
tructions free. This letter If sent to the
company with four cents would be an
swered by another circular asking for "
cents for which sum the full instructions
of how to make artificial flowers would
be SO 1t. The thirty two cents sent to the
Fairfield Floral company would bring
few sample artificial flowers pamphlet
with Instructions of how to make the
flowers and a notification that 1t would
be necessary for the beginner to purchase
an outfit costing two collars from the
Fairfield Floral company before they
could do any work. This was the cur
tain, rung up little at time,anu nnaIIy
the statement that a 50 outfit was re-
quired was made although the offer In the
advertisement had been for a $25 course
of INSTRUCT ON free of charge Finally
$ll0. so would be required as "a guaran-
tee that the sender would not sell the ar
titicial flowers made to any milliner OF
other floral company" and as few people
had many $l10 laying around loose the
sum already expended would be lost.
MIR. Dyer said that ha would connect
OeOfR6 pTeu IcIEy WAui WIS SOf4'PA'y
and show that he was the manager of it
when the people mentioned in the indiot-
ment were defrauded.
John d. King, post Office inspector,
was the first witness called. He said he
had talked with the respondent relative
to the Fairfield Floral company. Thu
first time was on the first of April year
ago, The first conversation was held. AT
the house of W. 4. Haines in Waterville
and subsequent conversation was held
ut the office of the Sawyer Publishing
company of which he was the manager.
. Mr.. Terry told witness that he started
the Fairfield Floral company as u side
issue to the Sawyer Publishing company
and that he was the sole ownsr of it. He
said that he had disposed of the mdnag-
ing of this comp any to Frank j. Good
rich on February 2lst. 1898. Terry said
he placed the advertising for this COM
pany and that the testimonials came with
them. He said that the testimonials
came with the advertisements and that
both were written by Mr.. Marks. .
Later witness had further converse
ton with the respondent in which Terry
said that he did not know whether the
testimonials were true or false but he
did say that he employed Mr.. Marks to
write the testimonials.
Cross ss-examination by W. t. Haines-
Mr.. King said that he had seen ths place
of business of MIR. Terry at Waterville.
He saw ut this place about forty or fifty
young ladies who seemed to be manu-
faoturing flowers. He did not know
what was done with these flowers.
'Didn't they tell you" asked MIR.
Haines, THAT George Fred Terry had
nothing to do with the Fairfield Floral
company"
a.