New-York tribune., 1902-05-10
MORE OF SHARKS CRIMES
AGENTS REFOLTED AT HIDE
OUS PRACTICES.
a MURDER CASE RECALLED -COLLECT-
ORS FORMED UNION AGAINST
DEALERS.


sun another former employe of the instalment
sharks has come forward to testify against
their practices and to assist in breaking their
power The new witness is Bernard Weckstein
a resident of Newark n. J. y few years ago
Weckstein was employed by one of the well
known East Side dealers Later he went TO
work for one Of the best known of the East
Side instalment dealers. His own work was that
of collecting the money paid weekly. This work
he did until his own conscience rebelIed against
the hideous practices employed, and he finally
left the business. Weckstein's story. as told to
r. c. Ringwalt. OF the Legal Aid Society. and n
Tribune reporter follows:
"As agent for an instalment dealer" he began
Il went from house TO house collecting. In
doing this I the process employed by my
employer. When / reported that person would
not pay, then man was at once sent to the
house where the debtor lived. This was
known as fake puller-a 'puIler' Is a city
marshal This 'puler' a big badge. re-
sembiing that OF a city marshal. ON this badge
were the words Washington Instament Police;
this badge the 'puller' Informed his victims was
issued direct from the President in Washington
OF course. the ignorant Italian immigrant be
lieved this.
SELLING OF THE GOODS \ SWINDLE.
The selling Of the goods was another swindle
Agents would so to a mans house when he was
away and force some goods on the woman
Then they would find out her husbands name
and forge that the contract. or, II he
couldn't write they would make a cross for his
signature Then if they discovered that the
man could write they would swear that he
was attempting to defraud them. These con-
tracts were made in pencil usually so that they
could be erased and changed 10 suit the dealer
ITO give you good example of a case Of this
sort I'll tell you experience had once. \
man living at Avenue and Houston-st. was
said to have bought a watch. and l called to
collect When I went to the house the man
called his friends and started to lick me.
/ found out that agent had called and tired
to get the man to buy a watch.
% I don't want To buy watch said he, hut
| wish YOU would take mine and have it fixed
"'AH right said the agent Give me the
watch and quarter and just sign for 1t, and
III have il fixed
Then he took away the mans watch and
turned in the - cents to my employer, with the
mans signature as first payment for a watch
he had sold the man.
Sometimes instead of sending a fake mar
shall the dealer would go himself. He used to
tell stories Of his work boasting Of the things
he did His favorite story was Of the way he
handled an old Italian woman. Going to the
house. he demanded So from an old woman. She
couldn't speak English. she called in a little
girl, who explained. Then the old woman de-
clared she had no money. The dealer insisted,
and at last the terrified woman knelt down and
kissed his feet Still he insisted. Then she took
"a little by and put that at his feet.
"'Tn show you wnat I care for you and your
baby said he and with that he kicked the
baby out Of the way.
circumstance
the training of young girls to do the dirty work.
Nv employer had one little girl who in
structed in all the tricks of the trade | found
evidence of her work in cases like the following:
I got contract which called for the payment
of 81 weekly. When l went round to the man
found he had agreed to pay only fifteen cents
week, but that the girl had changed the con
tract to 81 a week. She was praised by my en-
pIoyer for this trick.
KICKED OUT WHEN HE COMPLAINED
Then there were other tricks about the sell
ing man came into office once and agreed
to buy "A watch and chain for $40. He paid SO
down, and then the agent took the watch AMI
said: There's something wrong about il. I'll
Just take II round TO the jewelers.
"Of course he never came back and when the
man started to complain my employer kicked
him out. The case of man who lived at No
II Thompson-st. furnishes another example. An
agent called and asked this man to buy Il watch
~ don't want a watch said the man; but If
you will bring me looking glass I'll take it
"'AIl right said the agent; just give me
order and I'll send it around The looking
glass never came, but a few days later the man
was arrested for refusing TO pay for a watch
OF course the man declared he had never bought
a watch. Then they brought in the signature
on the order for the looking glass, attached to
a contract for a watch. After short stay in
Ludlow Street Jail the man settled for $50
There was another method employed 10 ter
rify the ignorant people which ought to be told
Most of the dealers had what are known as
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