The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-04
KANSAS NEWS.
Misuse of the Mails is Charged
Against N. ID. Parker.
Ottawa Man Arrested and Placed
Under 81, 900 Bond.
MANY FIRMS MISLED.
Postal Authorities on His Trail
For Several Weeks.
His Attorney Declares He is
Perfectly Innocent.

Ottawa, Kan, Feb. An. D. Parker,
prominent citizen, was arrested yes
terday at the instigation of Postoffice
Inspector J. l. Stice, of the Kansas City
office, on a charge of using the mails
to defraud. Parker was arrested by
Deputy United States Marshal E. A.
Prescott and brought to Kansas City,
Kan, last night where he was arraign-
ed and his bond fixed at 81, 000 He gave
a cash security and waived preliminary
examination. He will be tried at the
April term of the federal court at To-
peka-
The postoff1ce inspectors have been
working on the case against Parker for
about eighteen months. Although there
is only a single charge against him the
inspectors claim they will produce evil
dence to show that Parker secured
goods from ITO mercantile firms in the
United States, and that he has failed
to pay most of these accounts, while
only small amount of the principal,
the inspectors say, has been paid on a
few. The aggregate value of the goods
obtained by Parker is estimated by the
inspectors at $4,000
The firms that will appear against
Parker are the SchwarzSchild 81 Sulz-
berger Packing company, the Armour
& Co., Streicher, the jeweler; the Mas
sey Iron works, of Kansas City; Mar
shall Field, of Chicago; Rothschilds, of
Chicago the Seigel-Cooper Dry Goods
firms in st. Louis and retail and Whole
sale concerns in New York, Pittsb1rg,
Baltimore and other Ncities. The COM
plete list is in the possession of Post
office Inspector Stice who is out of the
city.
Parker's letter heads bore the insn
print of the N. D. Parker Brokerage
company, Ottawa, KaS. His stationery
showed superior workmanship and in
one corner was printed this statement.
reference, by permission, Ottawa
office inspectors, Parker would send to
a big firm in Kansas City, New York
or some other city order for a bill
of goods. These orders ranged in
amounts from $25 to $500. The striking
appearance of the stationery, the bank
reference and the sincere and business
like tone of the letter nearly always
established confidence with the firms
credit man and Parker, it is claimed,
got his goods. Occasionally some firms
would send their orders G. o. D., and
when this occurred Parker, it Is
claimed, would send the firm an indig-
nant letter, calling attention to the high
standing of his firm in the community
of ottawa, and declaring against such
treatment. There are numerous in
stances, so the inspectors allege, that
this indignant letter brought the de-
sired result-an order from the firm to
the local express agent to withdraw the
c. o. D. tag and allow the Parker
Brokerage company to take the goods.
Parker said last night that he was
not guilty of the charges made by the
inspectors. William Deford, the Ottawa
lawyer, accompanied Parker to Kansas
City, Kas., and for the present will look
after his case. Deford says that Parker
stands we'll as a business man at OF
tawa. He stated that a year ago he
was given some collections against
Parker and on some of these Parker
made small payment, instrueting the
attorney to tell his correspondents that
he would pay the rest when he could.
Parker has done business in Kansas
City, Topeka and DeS Moines.i His
father, r. S. Parker is an old resident
of Franklin county, and is the present
clerk of the district court He was a
member of the Twentieth Kansas regi-
ment, enlisting as a second lieutenant
and being promoted to first lieuten-
ancy for bravery. He has borne an
excellent reputation in Franklin county.
N D. Parker located in Ottawa about
IS months ago. He had been engaged
in business in several places after leav-
ing his home town. He returned there
to open up a bucket shop. He got a
telegraph wire and for time made
money. He says that his profits amount
ed to $1,000 and $500 month for