The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1901-11-01
SWINDLING FARMERS.

No matter how often the farmers
and others may be warned against
smooth swindle1s, several times each
year comes the report of some new
game that has been worked with
success in the neighboring country
district A very smooth cheme is re-
ported to have been worked in some
of the adjoining counties, and as a
result man named Bentcliff has
been arraigned in the municipal
court of Owatonna in the charge of
assault in the second dergee
It seems that some little time ago
man visited several farms in the
western part of Steele county work
ing the game. We would commence
operations by asking if the farmers
had a horse for sale. If this was the
case, a. happend in one or two in
stances, and the farmer states his
price, the man would complain but
add that he might make a trade if
the farmer could take photograph
in part payment. In the cases re-
ferred to the farmers consented to
do so and signed an order for a
monograph and the necessary at
tachments.
The man then 'departed and last
Monday another fellow who claim
ed that he had purchased the order,
appeared on the farmers place asking
for the horse and payment for the
photograph which they were ready
to deliver. Then the farmer found
how he had been swindled. The
wording Of the order was''l hereby
order one photograph, one horn,5
one sounder, SO many records, and
SO forth for which l agree to pay
fifteen dollars EACH
Consequently when the farmer
came to settle he discovered that the
bill for the talking machine which
he thought would be fifteen dollars,
figured up to something like $3.50.
As farmers, like most other people,
are not, as a rule, angels, such
tlickery would tend to provoke, and
in this particular instance such was
the case.
The Steel county farmers who
signed the order was Merritt G.
Scoville who lives in Meriden town
ship On Monday last a party
came to his home and presented the
order for pament calling Mr. Scovill's
attention to the amount. Mr. SEQ
vile became angered to thi"k that
he had been the victim of so bold
and clever a swindle and demanded
that the party give up the paper.
In fact ne refused to let the man out
of his house until he had given the
order up. Some hot words ensued
and some language of the we'll
known dark blue tint was INDUCED
in Finally the man started to
leave and Mr. Scoville stood in the
door declining to allow him out
Mrs. Scoville also stood in the way
and when things we're waxing warm
the fellow evidently thought it was
high time to leave He pulled his re
volver and demanded that MI. and
Mrs. Scoville stand aside or he would
shoot Finally he made his way
from the farm and afterwards SUI
rendered the order to Scoville for
five dollars. The man was later az
rested a nd brought into the munich
pal court, and the case disposed of.
In this connection it is se:sonable
at this time to warn farmers against
the steel range men, who usually
operate just before the cold weather
sets in. These men and the light
ing rod men work the most persist
emily, and find new victims each
year. There numerous other schemes
that are worked with success, and
the farmers cannot be too careful.
-Winona Republican.