The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-10-17
VICTIMS ~ the THOUSANDS.
CHICAGO MAN CHARGED WITH
TAKING PEOPLES MONEY
UNLAWFULLY.
REALIZES A BIG FORTUNE.
CREATES MYTHICAL MILLION. .
ARE, WHOM HE SETS 20.
LICE AFTER.

chicago, OcC. IL. - search for n
missing millionaire who, not satisfied
with his own vast fortune, was said to
have embezzled $385,O0O from a Chi
cago concern, came to an abrupt stop
yesterday when the government Sc
cret service men discovered that no.
such person as F. M. Bartlett, the.
man they had been seeking, ever ex-
listed.
There was an arrest, nevertheless,
and John H. Dalton, North side poll
tician and saloonkeeper, was taken:
into custody by deputy United
States marshal. Dalton, who has been.
under arrest on similar charges BEFORE.
was taken on a capais issued immedi-~
ately after the federal grand jury had.
returned a true bill charging him with
misuse of the mails.
The story told the grand jury re-.
vealed clever swindle by which
Dalton is said to have realized sew.
eral hundred thousand dollars. Thus
far more than $500 victims have been
found and they lost amounts varying
from S. to $500.
Among These Victims
are numbered some of the largest
newspapers in the country. Three
years ago Dalton organized the Inter-
national Aural Clinic and began to ad-
vertise to cure deafness by mail
Money came in so rapidly that Dali
ton decided to add another branch to
his establishment. This he christened
the United States Distillers' Distrib-
uting company. This second organiza-
ton advertised to send four bottles of
whiskey to any address upon receipt
of $3.50.
Hundreds bit at this bait, too. The
whisky" was decoction put up by
Dalton, and was made Of high wines
| and fiavoring and coloring extracts, it
is charged. This company also adver-
| tised whisky certificates" for sale at
price so low that no saloonkeeper
who thought he was wise refused to
| buy them. These certificates set forth
that a certain quantity of whisky, as
described on the document, would be
delivered to the bearer of the certif-
cate upon payment of $1.1O per gallon.
For time
Business Was Slack
with the United States Distilling com.
pany and the, international Aural
Clinic, and Dalton organized the hide
pendent Advertising agency. 1t had
offices in the Schiller building, and
Louis Ogle was president and Dalton
was secretary and treasurer The
agency sent letters to nearly every
newspaper in the country, offering to
States Distillers' Distribution COM
pany and the International ,Aural
Clinic, provided terms could be agreed
upon.
This was last December, and big adj
vertisements Of the two concerns be-
gan to appear in newspapers all over
the country. The result was stream
Of letter, every one containing money
for whisky or the
Cure for Deafness,
poured into the two establishments.
This continued until the beginning of
April, when bills for the advertising
began to come in. They we're not
paid. Instead, President Ogle an
nounced in letter which showed
pathos in eyeery line, that the bills
could not be paid. He explained that
in January Mr.. Dalton had retired
from the agency, disposing of all his
stock and holdings to Mr.. F. M. Bart
i lett, a new York millionaire. Because
Mr.. Bartlett was man of such great
wealth no watch was kept on his
books, which he, as treasurer, had sole
access to. On March Is, as President
Ogle said, he found Bartlett missing.
With him, he said, had gone $685., 900.
Then he went to Harrison street po-
lice station and swore out warrant
charging Mr.. Bartlett with embezzling
5000.
i Search for the missing millionaire
was begun, but it had not gone far be-
fore the government officials found no
such person as Bartlett ever existed.
Other detectives were not so wise, and
not until the grand jury's Indictment
Of Dalton became known did they
cease their search for the mythical
millionaire.