The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-27
FLEEUEU MANI
Kansas Fruit Company Is No
More.
Did a Big Business in North
Topeka.
MAN NAMED LAWRENCE
He Appeared to Be Head of the
Business.
People Who Shipped to Firm
Got No Returns.
PrOprietOrs Vanished Suddenly,
No One Knows Where.

Commission men all over Kansas and
neighbOring states are looking askance
at Topeka just now on account of the
fraudulent dealings of a commission
firm known as the Kansas Fruit com
panys which had it's headquarters at
Frank Collins commission store il
North Topeka, opposite The Union Fa-
cif1c depot
The connection of Mr. Collins with
the swindling concern is not definitely
established. He asserts positively that
he had no connection with the firm ex-
cept to rent It desk room in his store
and buy such produce of It as he need
ed in his business.
The proprietors of the Kansas Fruit
company were E. A. Lawrence, a man
named Grant. and a man named A b.
c. Dunn. whose headquarters were in
St Joseph. It appears that the Kansas
Fruit company was a most elaborate
scheme to defraud fruit shippers and
produce men. 1t advertised in the COM
mission papers. and secured shipments
Of produce for which it never paid the
shipper.
1t is claimed that E. A. Lawrence
worked in Topeka once before, under
the name of the Topeka Produce COM
pany- This was a year or more ago,
and at that time he had his headquart-
ers with Frank Collins. and appeared
to be in the business for the purpose of
fleeing farmers.
Several Topeka lawyers have been in
vestigating the status OF the Kansas
Fruit company, and suit viii likely be
comm enced IN the state courts to try
to collect some of the money which was
lost by shippers. w. Q. Walters, of
Denver, shipped $167. 10 worth OF stuff
to the Kansas Fruit company, for
which he never received a cent
1t is also thought that the federal
officials are looking into the case, and
will likely prosecute the concern, if
the members can be located, on the
charge of using the mails for fraud
ulent purposes
Letters which now come to the Kan
sas Fruit company are sent to the dead
letter Office. For a time It is said that
they were forwarded by someone to
Kansas City. Who did the forwarding
is not known.
The credit of the first expose Of tho
Kansas Fruit company belongs to the
Kansas City Packer, a weekly paper
issued by l. n Barrick who publishes
natl. The Kansas City Packer says:
e. A Lawrence, who seems to be
the main offender, claimed that he and
another man named Grant were acting
Dunn. of ST. Joseph They rented a
corner in Frank Collins place in North
Topeka and worked night and day
sending out letters to shippers. The
express company had an order from
them to let Collins take all of their
stuff he desired onto his wagon from
the cars. What he did not take they
reShipped, and if the shipper got any
return at all he was lucky. Those who
did receive a dollar or SO got the old
message Your berries were soft boxes
only half filled, market crowded.
Along toward the last of July the KAN
sas Fruit company got SO mouldy that
Lawrence and Grant slid out, leaving
the ethereal Dunn unexplained
Just what Collins connection with the
was not very creditable- He denies hav-
sThey came here and rented desk room
of me and claimed the firm itself was To-
Gated in St Joseph he said to the Hacker
That was all had to do with them
profit [ bought of them: the rest they
reshipped. / heard Lawrence debating
would send him some money as he was
going to close up That was on Thurs
stood he was going to Georgia to buy
peaches. I don't know where any of them
collins took all their consignments that
ne could get rid of and alloWe.i the gen
Fruit company was the main Ehing at his
place. The letterheads gave their location
which was and is the Collins shanty
When The Packer man struck North To-
he met as to Collins whereabouts, his
shanty was pointed out; when asked
about the Kansas Fruit company. the
man said. That's him. they're the
same
iiColIins may be correct in his afaruna-
tion. but this does not put him in any
better light. lie certainly knew long be
fore the Lawrence crew lit out that their
methods We're not such as any honorable
man in the Frade Would allow barnaclcd
to his business. ami he WAS in position
10 save innocent shippers. &c will be
made a partner in The suit to be brought
by Walters
cence which doesn't fit him nicely. il was
in Collins shanty that Lawrence operated
last year as Topeka Produce Co, ana the
Windup was along the same line. He can
hardly claim ignorance of Lawrence 6 rep
utatiOn. When this deal was started ne
sailed right in and became n buyer CT
stuff from a man whom he knew had in
the past skinned shippers To make 1t a
little clearer Collins, to be sure Os Getting
hold of some of the stuff. rented desk
room to the outfit. And to ma Ike it q IT.
tie more plain Collins put himself in
with the gang-because he was in a posi-
tion to save innocent shippers from being
Sbinned-and he ueNar raised a =inoer to
do it Collins is still in business and his
shanty numbered 7O1 N Kansas avenue.
Topeka, Kan
1T is these innocent buyers who make
and his gang to operate. Legitimate ruer-
chants who value their good names re-
fuse to deal with operators whom thev
suspect of sldnning shippers. As matters
should very promptly demand that Collins
should be put on the stand in their cases
T. =. Lawrence is well known in Tope-
lza- Tie is also known in Wichita. where
he operated in 1894 in the poultry business
1T is stated that he did a very large bust
ness there and heeced farmers out of