Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-25
HAS MANIA FOR BUYING
Marshall County Farmer SPEND
ing Money Lavishly and
Foolishly at Omaha
BUYS EVERYTHING IN SIGHT
Invests in a $1,000 Stock of Musical
instruments and Six horses and Bug
gies-Rank Account Estimated at
s5o,ooo-Heavy investor in Mining
stocks-Actions Create Big Stir.

Alex Schurman, said to live in this
lcounty. is creating a big stir in Omaha
financial circles by his strange ac-
tons in buying everything In sight.
Schurman has bank account, estimate
ed at about $4,000, and his mania for
buying has resulted in his accumuiat-
ling a vast amount of useless property.
| He spends his money right and lett,
| He pays by checks and the paper is al
ways honored, so that joy has come
| into the financial circles of Omaha
| thru the visit of the modern Croesus.
Word from Omaha says that as re-
| suit of Mr. Schurman's visit to Omaha
he is richer in worldly goods by one
SIS, 600 music store stock, which he mas
stored; any amount of gold. silver ana
copper stock in western mines, SIX
horses and six buggies. stored at sew
eral livery stables; four horses, bought
but not collected, furniture adequate z
stock hotel; eight or nine overcoats
obtained from the wearers because
they pleased Mr.. Schurman S fancy. and
a vast lot of small collateral distributed
at various points within the city Linz
its.
An Omaha paper says of the actions
OF Schurman:
Mr.. Schurman made his debut In
Omaha by suddenly appearing In =
popular bar one day and walking up
TO a we'll dressed man, whom he tapped
e,l,a adj cd
Al beg your pardon, but l like your
overcoat, How much do YOU want for
it ?"'
The individual addressed was Of
Tended and made an irritable remark.
oh, that's all right, said the Iowa
man. and he pulled out a card about
four inches square. The conversation
closed by Schurman buying the coat,
which cost possibly $50 or $40, and
then declining to take 1t for the pres
ent, saying that to deprive the original
owner would be a hardship to him,
But the transaction was ended by the
usual check.
The same day he went out on the
street and bought two horses for round
sums, presenting checks and telling the
sellers that he would call for the prop
erty later. To circumstances from bus
mess acquaintance he said: oh. God
is with them. They can't get away
from him. Ny property Is perfectly
safe as
".Other things he bought in the same
way, postponing delivery, but paying
cash. Some of the parties he dealt
with insisted upon turning the goods
over to him, however. and as a result
the livery stables and storage houses
were called into service.
The JOY that Sehurman brought was
not restrained to the few and when he
left the city there We're at least a doz-
en- volunteers at his hotel offering to
pilot him to the station. He seemed 20
be incapable of refusing any of them.
but local business man finally induced
him to run the gauntlet and got him
safely on the train.
LAS nearly as can be ascertained
Shurman made his snug fortune on q
ian science, leased his farm and move!
into small town. He has wife and
family and contemplated going into the
music store business. That is what
induced him to come to Omaha In
quiring of persons from whom he had
made purchases brought the story out
and which was related by business
man whom Schurman had made his con-
ffdant. am not positive that Schurman
is the mans right name said he. but
his checks are honored Immediately
and I have been told that he has at
least $4,000 in the bank"
Cannot be Placed.
The name Alex Schurman is not
known to local Christian Science work
ers, and others who have extended ac-
quaintance turnout the country fail to
reveal the residence OF the man. AS
stated in Omaha, Shurman may not be
the mans correct name, but his money
is banked in. that name and that sig
nature is affixed to the checks.
oANINE is cnMpl ErEn