Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-09
.LAN|Z SENT The NOTES
Chicago Attorney Talks Of Paper
Sent to independence, Iowa,
for Collection.
Says the Aggregate Amount OF
Notes will Reach About
$4,000.
Intends to Push Collection If
Client Came by Them
Honestly.
Special to Times Republican.

ence. Ia. is interesting. The Iowa
men, as indicated in the dispatches
from independence, claim they were
the victims of confidence men, When
| they called at the bank Tuesday they
| found their names attached to notes
aggregating $4,000. The notes had
been sent to the bank for collection by
Attorney Walter A. Lantz, of this city.
| 1t is understood the farmers got to-
| gether and began n replevin TO secure
possession of the notes. The chicago
lawyer, when seen in his office yester-
Jday, said he had ben forced to give up
his trip to Iowa because of illness.
| Notes obtained in similar manner
against Iowa farmers amounting to
$35, 900 have been sent to bank IN
| Jesup, Ia, for collection. The farmers
Ihaye obtained counsel and will make a
Thorough investigation.
| Advices from Iowa say that last
summer stranger giving the name
bearing on local political matters.
were obtained and the farmers who
signed find that printed above their
/
| December IS, 1901.
| Attorney Lantz explained yesterday
| that the notes were given him for col
lection by mysterious client whom
he is now unable to find. He says.
however that he expects that client
to appear, and that he will insist upon
the notes being paid il they come into
his possession for any good and val
liable consideration.
| w. G. Jennings, Mr.. Lantz says, is
| the name of the client presenting the
notes. The attorney says that early
in December a we'll dressed man came
| into his Office and requested an inter-
view.
Il am recommended to you by a
friend and l want you to collect some
notes for me-" the stranger said, &C
cording to Mr.. Lantz.
| The visitor then stated that he was
in the mining business, and that the
notes had been given him In exchange
for mining property. He produced
three notes. Two were for $4,000 each
and the third for $4,000. They were
signed by sixty three persons and
made out to Henry Miller, William Da-
wis Charles Brown, John Williams and
Andrew Anderson.
"Mr. Jennings handed me the notes
and said that he was staying in one
| of the down-town hotels and was go
ling to New York for couple of
weeks" Mr.. Lantz said last night.
| He assured me that he would be
back soon and that he would then call
for the money. forwarded the notes
to the bank and expected to be in In
dependence today, but II was i'll and
| did not go. The bank informed me
that the notes had been replevined,
and l replied that the case would rest
until my client returns.
Have you made any effort to find
Jennings?" was asked.
Yes. went to the Great Northern
hotel today and looked on the register
but could not find his name there"
Did you not think 1t odd that a
tstranger would intrust $4,000 in notes
and pay your fees for collection when
he might as well have collected them
| thru his bank?"
| mo, this man was sent to me, he said,
| by a friend who youched for me. l don I
know the addresses of many of my eli
| ents, and there was nothing to excite
my suspicious in this man not giving his
address. Frequently men holding notes
give them to lawyers for collection in
stead OF to banks"
4 When asked If he had not thought 1t
odd that the notes bore go many sigma
lures andindorsements, MIR. Lantz said:
When some people give notes they get
| their friends to sign with them and in
| the course of time the notes may figure
lin trades and pass from one mans
hands to another, each man indorstng
! the notes. may have wondered at the
| number of signers at the time, but l
4 made no remarks to Mr.. Jennings re-
| garding them.
| II expect Jennings to appear, and if
he can show that he gave some valuable
consideration for the notes, not knowing
| them 20 be irregular. l will go ahead
and collect them. The supreme court
has held that the notes must be paid
however Signatures were obtained. pro-
viding the holder came by them honest
| ly. II Jennings does not appear the
matter will rest just where 1t is
! Mr. Lantz said that Jennings did not
| tell him the name of the friend who rec
commended him. He added that he had
| no 1ucd WHO tle llleHu might De, as
many persons are sent to him for legal
advice
\ The Iowa farmers are very angry and
reports from Independence state that
had an attempt been made to collect the
notes yesterday serious trouble might
| have followed. More than 200 farmers
signed the petitions and they fear that
additional notes will be brought for
ward for collection
! Altho the notes We're due Dec. is no
attempt was made to collect them until
recently when Mr.. Lantz forwarded
| for not presenting the notes on or about
the date of maturity. The farmers
| whose names are signed to the notes say
| that they protested to the mysterious
John Smith at the time the petitions
were circulated that there was no head
| ing to them. Smith told the signers that
the subject matter of the petition was
being prepared and would be filed in
| later.
| Attorney Walter A. Lantz Is well
known in democratic political circles
| Until recently he was the democratic
member of the county civil service com
mission. He was indicted for malfeas-
ance In office and removed.
Celebrated Jackson's Victory.
Special to Times Republican.
| Waterloo. Jan. 9.--The local democ-
| racy held their celebration last even