The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-14
ELLIS MADE BIG PROFITS
WHILE CONDUCTING AN EMPLOY.
MENT BUREAU IN THIS CITY.
All Was Serene Until the Police
Swooped Down ON His Place of
Business-His Arrest.

ment ONCE at 3612 East washington street.
was arrested yesterday by Detectives Du-
gan and Asch and charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses and witt as
sault and battery upon C.. w. Gearhart, OF
Lafayette, Ind. The arrest of Ellis was the
direct result Of the assault and battery.
Gearhart Immediately thereafter making
complaint to the police. He said he came
TO the city Monday, went to Ellis's Of
fee in answer to an advertisement and paid
him 81 upon a guarantee" that a place to
work would be procured for him. Gearhart
was then sent to John Guedelhofer. a car
rage manufacturer. who told him he mac
no need Of further help and that though
other men had come to him from Ellis. he
had not asked him to send men to him.
Gearhart returned to Ellis and asked for
his money, telling him he had but little and
could not stay in the city If he did not get
work. He claims Ellis positively guaran-
teed him a position but Gearhart finally de-
manded the return of his money, which
was refused and instead he was elected
from the Office.
Detectives Asch and Dugan were put on
the case and they went to the office to look
into Ellis's dealings. Finally after watch
ing for some time Ellis was arrested and
taken to police headquarters, as was
Charles II. Wright. who claimed he was a
clerk In the office. Wright said his home
was in Chicago. that he left there with a
theatrical company which stranded at Del
phi and he met Ellis as the result Of an
swering advertisements. Wright has rela-
tives In the city n his nome is in Dayton,
o.. from which place Ellis recently came.
Ellis is also thought from papers found in
his Office to have conducted employment
Offices In layton, Cleveland. Columbus
and other cities.
DETECTIVES ON WATCH.
After the arrest Of Ellis and Wright the
detectives returned TO his office and waited
there for the purpose Of seeing and inter-
viewing the people who came there. During
the afternoon about 100 persons called at
the office. many of them for the first time,
I'm answer to advertisements in the papers.
Others had been there before and had been
promised positions. OF those who had pre-
viously visited the Office the following
claimed to hav paid Ellis money upon his
positive promise to secure for them a place
to work. A few Of them paid 81 while others
paid only 81:
G.. Britton. 1908 Howard street. 81; s. G.
Gulley, 636 West Pearl street. 81; Ira Wor-
ldflQt loUO NOTIu DGldWdIG SlICGl, 60 u
Josie Barber. 221 North Delaware street. 81;
Adam s. Larson. 20 Lincoln street. e;
Ellis Ferguson. Cumberland, Ind, 81: II. @.
Heck, 1928 Garfield Place. 81: III. Ball, 216
Oxford street, 81: ]. Weber, 40 North Del
aware street. 81: G. w. Curry. 10 West Mar
ket street, 81; ". G. Berry, 924 North Me-
ridian street, 81; William Bond. lilo Sheldon
street. 81: otis Conrad, 6lS North East
street, 81; IL. Fisher, 1022 Eugene street, 81;
C.. Ross. 22 Bicking street, 81; B. +. Nor
ris. IS South State street. 50; J. p. Collins.
250S North Delaware street, 81; H. Smith,
365 Arizona street, 81; o. II. Bochwite, $125.
When the detectives returned to the Of
flee from the police station they started to
look through the place, but were cautioned
by an elderly man named Fisk, who
claimed to have been the first official short
hand reported in Marion county. that If
they continued he would send for a police
man and have them arrested. FISK nnaly
told that he had been there two days en-
ployed as a stenographer at SIS per day.
but as yet had received no money. Though
Ellis and Wright had been taken from the
office by the detectives, Fisk did not know
they were under arrest.
ELLIS'S SCHEME.
According to the investigation of the de-
t~ectives, Ellis's scheme seems TO have been
to insert advertisements in the papers tell
ing of desirable positions which might be
| secured by answering them. One of these
advertisements is said TO have been one
| which was at first attributed to E. III. Will
lard, recently returned to Milwaukee for
trial on charges of grand larceny. The adj
| vertisement called for a young man to
| accompany an elderly gentleman on a trip
| occupying about a year at a salary of 40
per month and found" 1t Is said that fol-
lowing the day of the appearance of this
advertisement Ellis's office. which was then
in the Phoenix block on East Market
| street, was crowded all day by men who
| stood in the railways awaiting their turn
to pay him 81, 81 or s., for the privilege or
| securing this place. 1t is said that all were
| advised that the man for whom the COM
| panion was wanted lived in Cleveland, o.,
and that a personal letter would be neces-
sary, I'm addition to the m OF the
fee. In some cases, applicants were referred
to r. II. Willard. GA Law Building, as the
! financial representative" Of this elderly
| gentleman" B.. r. Morris, whom the de-
| t~ectives saw yesterday, was one or the fp-
| plicants and he said he was finally told
| that a man in Cleveland had been success
full in procuring the place.
Temple o. Altland and another young
man answered the advertisement, but
| thinking. after talking with Ellis. there
was something wrong. paid him no money
| but telegraphed the chief OF police at Cieve-
land, o., inquiring about the persons named
by Ellis, but received no response.
| Birdie RaffenSperger, living at 92b for1
Wayne avenue. claimed she answered ar
advertisement and upon appearing at the
employment office was told that all she ha6
to do to secure a position in a doctor
office at Sc per week was to register pay
81 and return Monday, which she did bu'
did not secure the job she was looking fol
and which had been promised. The detec'
tives say they learned that at the time the
young woman was in Elliss office, hel
mother entered and inquired for her daugh,
ter. Ellis misunderstood the word, ant
thought she asked about the doctor H'
then proceeded to allay her fears OF no
getting the place, as he thought, by sayinl
Il would be all right and that she should
have the place but IL would be necessary Il
come again
PROMISED A PLACE.
II. G. Heck said he had been promised
job at the Cerealine mills and was sent b!
Ellis to the stockyards. where he hunteC
a long time for the mills and then returned
TO the Office and made complaint but wa
informed that though he might expect
job he should not expect to be taken Il
the place where he was to work.
In the office at S61a East Washington
street. to which place the business was re
moved the day following Wizards arrest
were found several thousand letters, man.
OF them indicating that money had beer
paid by the writer's. The detectives sa,
they have a good case against Ellis
Though he claimed not to know Willard, 1
1 has been learned that each visited the of
flee of the other frequently and that per
sons were sent from one place TO the othe
in search of work. Ellis first came here
it is said, about JAM ?, since which time h
has taken in a large amount of money