The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-14
THOUSANDS OF Victims
Endless Chain Watch Swindler
Makes SIS, 900 In One Month.
0asees AIobbed by His pupes and EN-
pIoyes Assaultei-A Clerk Arrest
ed, Bat Released Becau&e Ignorant
OF the FraeG-operated in Penn
syIvaasa and Nevy Jersey Towns.

PHILADELPHIA. Dec 14-TboUsands
of people who hoped to get a geId-isled
watch for % cents and the sale of five
tickets yesterday awoke to the fact that
they had been yietimized, and for hours
they made things lively in the vicinity of
the Office of J. C. Mason & Co, II13 Arch
Street. who operated the scheme The
eompan5, 1t is said, consisted of but one
man, James McAann, who by a clever ap-
plication Of the endless chain system col
lected. in less than month, over s15.-
coo. He had liked yesterday for the sec
ond distribution OF watches, but he failed
to turn up, and so far nothing has been
heard Of him or the money
When the conhding investors began to
arrive AT the office to get their watches
and found that McMann had disappeared,
they almost mobbed the Office employees.
For two hours the ezpeetant crowd OF
over 500 men. women. and children be-
sieged the Office, awaiting McMann's ap-
pearance. When at 10 clock he had not
turned up the investors became angry
The crowd blocked the street, and form
ing dense line, rushed through the
building 10 the third floor, where were The
concerns offices. The five girl office as
sistanIs were forced to bear the brunt Of
the verbal assaults for over an hour,
when police help arrived
When the police arrived, the crowd
which had up 20 that time vented its
wrath in words, assaulted one of the girls
and Charles B. Collins. The latter had
pushed his way through the crowd OF vic
tins and directed that the door be closed
Someone started the cry that he was the
-a--fe- V,I IN a 2 b1.1 se-~ q
orous Of the victims were upon him. The
police were forced to take him from the
rooms under guard. As they escorted HIM
up Eleventh Street 70 the stationhouse,
at Eleventh and Race Streets, the crowd
followed
The disorder at the Office kept up until
II O'Clock, at which time the police locked
the doors Long after that hour other
victims turned up. AS they started up
the stairway leading to the Mason Offices
they were confronted with g piacard OF
brown Taper. bearing the words The
watch place is closed"
This card, printed by a humorous po-
Hceman, covered the firms sign. 1t told
q tale Of disappointment to many poor
men and women who had invested. some
as much as s.. in the scheme.
The desire for revenge seized the VIC
tins. Mrs. Ida Moylan and Kate Ham
mOld caused the arrest Of Collins. charg-
ing thai he was a member Of the firm. The
cToSd Gsaeked 10 the Office where, while
awaiting the arrival of that official, the
air was filed with such expressions as
SwiBdleF!' +ViIIain." and Thief Upon
le2rning that McMann had made an as
signn ent to Collins who is a notary pub
lie. and that Collins knew nothing of Nc
Mani prior to Wednesday night, The mag
istrats ordered his release
By the time the City Hall was reached
the crowd Of victims had increased, and
amor g the latest additions were found
man. City Hail clerks and minor officials.
Court Interpreter Joseph Samson, it de-
yeIoped, had spent So in tickets, expecting
to present FIVE watches to his grandchiI-
dreu- William A Sturges a fireman. Of
1929 Chestnut Street had also invested Sc
Among tho most excited victims was Rob
ert Cruce. a City Hall employee, who was
also heavily swindled. Over seventy-five
persons offered evidence that McMann,s
were Investors there from Camden, Wood
bury, Haddonfeld, and other South Jersey
towns
The clerks employed by the missing cp-
orator estimated that the number of Vie
tins viii reach 10000. The scheme had
been in operation over month. and dur
Ing the past three days the
daily returns from the endless
coupons averaged $500 The num-
Der Of victims is largest in New Jersey
The company made q specially of workiSg
the scheme IL the great Industrial estab-
lishnents, which By the large number OF
hands employed offered splendid fields.