The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-25
MANKATO FREE PRESS.
SWINDLlNG FARMERS.
A Scheme for That Purpose, But One
Time it Did Not Materialize.


Winona Republican
No matter how often the farmers
and others may, be warned against
smooth swindlers. several times each
year comes the report of some new
game that has been worked with sue
cess in the neighboring country dis
tricts A very smooth scheme is re-
ported to have been worked in some of
the adjoining counties, and as re-
suit man named W. Bentcliff has
been arraigned in the municipal court
OF Owatonna on the charge of assault
in the second degree.
1t seems that some little time ago a
man visited several farms in the west
ern part of Steele county working the
game. He would commence opera
tions by asking if the farmers had a
horse for sale. If this was the case,
as happened in one or two instances,
and the farmer state his price, the
man would complain but add that he
might make a trade if the farmer
could take phonograph in part pay
ment. In the cases referred to the far
mers consented to do so and signed an
order for a photograph and the neces-
sary attachments.
The man then departed and last
Monday another fellow, who claimed
| that he had purchased the order, ap-
peared on the farmers place asking for
the horse and payment for the phone
graph which they were ready to de-
liver. Then the farmer found how he
had been swindled The wording OF
the order was 81 hereby order one
monograph, one horn, one sounder,
so many records, and so forth fol
which I agree to pay fifteen dollars
each.
Consequently when the farmer came
, to settle he discovered that the bill fol
the talking machine, which he thought
would be fifteen dollars, figured up tc
, something like $3.50. AS farmers, like
most other people, are not, as rule,
| angels, such trickery would tend tc
provoke, and in this particular in
stance such was the case.
The Steel county farmer who signed
the ,sorder was Merritt G. Scoville
who lives in Meriden township Or
Monday last party came to his home
| and presented the order for payment
calling Mr. Scovill's attention to the
amount. Mr.. Scoville became angered
,, to think that he had been the victim
of so bold and clever a swindle anG
demanded that the party give up the
, paper. In fact he refused to let the
, man out of his house until he ha6
: given the order up. Some hot words
ensued and some language of the wei
known dark blue tint was INDUCED in.
Finally the man started to leave and
! Mr.. Scoville stood in the door declin.
! ing to allow him out. Mrs. Scoville
.. also stood in the way and when things
were waxing warm the fellow evi
IDENTIFY thought it was high time tc
leave. He pulled his revolver and de.
manded that Mr.. and Mrs. Scoville
stand aside or he would shoot. Fin.
ally he made his way from the farm
and afterwards surrendered the order
to Scoville for five dollars The mar
was later. arrested and brought into
the municipal court, and the case hal
not yet been disposed of.
In this connection it is seasonable al
this time to warn the farmers against
the steel range men, who usually oper.
ate just before the cold weather sets
in. These men and the lightning roo
men work the most persistently, and
find new victims each year. There are
, numerous other schemes that are
worked with success, and farmers can.
not be too careful