Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-01-16
A "GENUINE" SWINDLE.
The Game a Picture Frame Agent
Tried to Work.

Seized Mrs. p. A. Roberts by Throat
and Threatened Her With Violence
Was Forced to Make Settlement
before Leaving Town.
Because she refused to be swinded
an Elliot-street woman was seized by
the throat by a photograph agent Sat
urday and threatened with violence.
The woman was Mrs. p. A. Roberts,
who lives in w. G.. Doolittle's house
next west of the large tenement
house on the north side of the street,
and the agent was J. X. Galway of
Manchester, N. H., who said he was
from Burlington. Galway went to
the house week previous and ex-
hfbited a Photographic enlargement
in a handsome gilt frame. He of
fered to enlarge the photographs Of
Mrs. Roberts and her husband and put
them in a frame like the sample for
81. The offer was accepted and the
agent departed with the photographs.
He returned on Friday night and
handed Mrs. Roberts the framed pic
lures and asked for So in payment.
Mrs. Roberts noticed that the photo
graphs, which were mounted side by
side on dark cardboard, were oval
in shape, while the original photo
graphs were rectangular so she sup
posed they were reproductions. They
were no larger than the original pho
tographs, however, and the frame was
much cheaper in quality and more eX-
penslve in price than the one she had
bargained for For these reasons
she refused to accept the photographs
and the agent agreed to put them in
frame like the original sample and
return with them on Saturday. He
already had delivered a photograph
to Mrs. Clayton Daniels, who lives
in the next house. Mrs. Daniels was
not satisfied, but she had paid for the
work.
The agent returned Saturday after
noon, and then Mrs. Roberts realized,
if she had not before, that the whole
affair was a genuine" swindle. She
saw that instead of being photo
graphic engagements the photo
graphs were the ones she gave the
agent on his first visit. She told
him SO. but he denied it. Then she
asked him where her photographs
were and he said they would be
mailed to her. Mrs. Roberts could
see that the prints mad been soaked
off their original mounts and had been
cut oval in shape and then pasted on
a new mount. The cutting was poor
ly done. Words followed. during
which the agent threatened to do Mrs.
Roberts harm if she refused to pay
for the photographs. Mrs. Roberts
went into the woodshed TO call to Mrs
Daniels, but it happened that Mrs
Daniels had learned of the agents
presence and had started to see him.
meeting Mrs. Roberts in the shed.
The agent followed Mrs. Roberts to
the she'd apparently with the inten-
ton of leaving the house. Mrs.
Roberts took hold of the picture
frame. saying: II want my pictures
before you GO" Then the agent
seized her by the throat Mrs Dan
iels said she would break her picture
over his head if he did not let 60
Mrs. Roberts freed herself from the
agents grasp and locked the outside
door. Then both women went into
the kitchen, locking the door after
them. They had forgotten the wood
shed window, but the agent discov.
cred it, raised the window and es-
capped. After dark he returned with
the mutilated photographs. minus the
frame, and, without disturbing Mrs
Roberts. opened the front door and
left them in the hall. Mrs Roberts
has them as a memento OF the cpl
sode.
After the agent escaped from the
house Mrs, Roberts sent to the S. 4.
Smith Company factory for her hus-
band. He found that the agent was
staying at the American House. Mr.. /
Roberts reasoned that it would cost .
him a number of dollars to have the .
agent arrested and would not do him .
any particular good, so he arranged
terms of settlement, which the agent .
was very glad to accept. The agent
also paid Mrs. Daniels for the dam
age to her photograph.