The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-07
John Dawson Seeks Surety
Loan & Trust Company.
Supposed to Have an Office in
Topeka.
10 AUTHORITY HERE.
Do Not Show 1t Exists
at All.
Complaint Is Received from Ok
lah0ma Investor.

Does anybody know anything about
the Surety Loan and Trust company of
Topeka? If so, Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Dawson would like to hear from
him.
Mr.. Dawson is not yet investigating
the Surety Trust and Loan company in
his official capacity, but only as the at
torney for one of his clients. but unless
he discovers soon that it is legitimate
concern he will probably make an Off
cial investigat gation-that is, if he cam find
anything to investigate. Thus far all
he has to investigate is an elaborate
Investment and Home Purchasing
Contract" and a receipt book which
states that all remittances shall be made
to the company at box 102, Topeka, Kan
sas.
Some time ago a man by the name
of Suplear Pecore, who lives in Okla
homa, wrote to the secretary of state
asking for information about this COM
pany. No record of it could be found
in the office of the secretary of state
and Mr.. Pecore was SO informed. Then
the Oklahoma man wrote back that he
had invested in the company. but was
getting suspicious of it, and he asked
that an attorney be recommended to
him to look the matter up. Mr.. Daw-
sons name was sent him, and in due
| time Mr.. Dawson received a letter from
PecOre, setting forth the fact that he
holds two contracts in the Surety Loan
and Trust company of Topeka, on which
he has paid $51,Nbut he has been unable
to secure definite information relative to
the company recently and would like to
have it looked up.
The address of the company was not
given and Dawson wrote back for more
definite information. Pecore then sent
him one of his contracts and his receipt
book. The contract shows that the
company is operating somewhat along
the line of the cooperative home build
ing companies. 1t states that the in
stitution is incorporated but does not
tell what state issued its charter. It's
capital is given at 100000.
The contract contains the picture of
a home and is called an investment
and home building, contract" A gor-
geous gold seal is attached to it, and
| it is signed by Charles M. Coker as
| vice president and Charles B. Garter
| as secretary.
The contract provides that the person
taking it shall pay So membership fee
and S5 a month for eighty months, after
which the company promises to pay
back $3.50. The loan feature of the con-
tract is that after six months the hold
er is entitled to borrow any amount
up to $1,000 at three per cent interest
home, but he has to give the company
trust deed for the property until he
pays back the loan on the installment
plan On the back of the contract is
printed a large number of minor pro-
visions which few people can under
stand. The contract sent Mr.. Dawson
was No and was issued July TO-
Mr. Dawson saws the officers of the
company NAV believe they are doing
legitimate business. but it is really an
outlaw as it has no authority to do
business in Kansas. Moreover the
fact that it does not give its place of
business anywhere, but does business
solely through postofice box, makes
it look SUSPICIOUS.
s.The COMPANY is not incorporated
under the laws of Kansas nor has it
ever been admitted to do business in
the state by the charter board" said
Mr.. Dawson today. "It does not re-
port to the insurance department as
an insurance company, nor to the bank
commissioner as loan and trust or
building and loan association. nor to
the attorney generals department as
surety company, so that it cannot
help being an outlaw in the state if it
| is operating here"