Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-23

St. Louis Commission Firm
ASKS ottumwa Clients for
Much Cash.
TALK OF SIGHT DRAFTS
Letters Sent to Supposed "Easy
Marks" Including Women.
DRAFTS DO NOT REACH oTIUnVA
What Looks Like Long Chance Game
of Bluff on the Part of ,rhos. A.
cIease ct al. is Sprung on the Com
pany's Quondam Investors.

After digging little hole deep in
the ground somewhere in the 1904"
city, the Cleage Commission Co. finds
that the $4,000 which was sent it by
Ottumwa people who liked it's "get
rich quick" scheme and the additional
cash from many other cities does not
near fill the excavation and confident
ly draws sight drafts for more mon.
ey. Ottumwa people who invested
their savings in the Cleage scheme
and talked puts and calls with easy
familiarity until the crash came few
months ago are getting little yellow
letters now in which they are notified
that they have been drawn upon f
just 1929 per cent OF their Origin /!
contribution. OF course, the Cleage
people hope that their clients will not
make any trouble about the honoring
of the drafts, and who can blame
them? Nevertheless, there is little
doubt that some trouble will be met
in the work of collecting the money
even at the risk of 1.-THE costs and
embarrassment incident, to an enforc-
ed collection" which are referred to-
In the letter received by several OF
tumwans who handed in their part of
the $4,000 or more that was invested
In the Cleage scheme in this city.
Picks the Easy Marks"
If indications count for anything,
the Cleage company is endeavoring to
pick cut the easy marks" for the lat
est attack. Although there are prob
ably 100 people in Ottumwa who were
caught by the failure of Thomas A.
Cleage to corner the corn market on
the Chicago board of trade, only about
half this number have received the
notification that they are still in debt
to the company. Nearly ali the wom-
en- who had money in the scheme
have been notified, and some of the
men also, but others, whose names are
better known in business than those
who are now asked for cash, have not
been approached with a request for
another ANTE"
The yellow Letter.
The letters are all the same and in
closed with each is neat statement
showing the clients standing with the
company. One Ottumwa woman who
invested $100 in the scheme received
the following letter with statement
showing that she owes the company
S162.75.
"Dear Madam:
..Your account, as per enclosed state
ment, has been for some time past due
therefore we have this day drawn on
you sight draft. which we hope you
will see fit to pay, otherwise we shall
place the account with the Barr 4
Widen Mercantile agency, who make
specially of collections.
'You are urged to give this matter
prompt attention, for it is not our de-
sire, unless forced to do SO, to cause
YOU the costs and embarrassment in
cident to an enforced payment.
Respectfully,
s'The Cleage Commission Co. !"
Are the Drafts Lost?
Strange to say. the drafts have not
put in an appearance at Ottumwa and
although some of the women have been
busy transferring their earthly goods
to relatives no call has been made up
on them by any of the local banks The
whole thing looks like well planned
game of bluff which might take" on
as many people as does a gold brick
scheme but which will probably buy
little corn.
Is Not Afraid, But
I'm not afraid that l will have to
pay any more money" said an Ottum-
wa woman who had 5000 in the deal.
"Of course, just now, don't own any
thing but got poor just to see how
it would feel. have consulted a
lawyer and he says that in his opinion
nothing can be done by the Cleage
people in the way of collecting the
$325.5O which is the amount of my
assessment
What some of the men said has no
place in family newspaper, but all
are of one mind on one proposition
and that is that they will not pay any
more money into the Cieage treasury
unless they are forced to do so by
something stronger than the risk of
the embarrassment incident to an
enforced collection" by collection
agency.
What the company is now seeking
to do is to collect 1921 per cent of
the amount that was originally invest
ed by the customer. For instance
suppose the customer invested 500
cash with the company. The compa.
ny took Immediately SIS commission
for handling the money and then
charged for investments made after.