The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-01-15
HE OPERATED IN BATES.
Strange Developments 10 Case of a
Book Agent Fraud.

One W. u. Lawrence, a book agent
fraud, was recently convicted at
Trenton, No., and sentenced to two
years in the penitentiary. His scheme
was to sell libraries to county dis
trict school boards. He operated
somein Bates county and the follow.
ing respecting him from the st.
Joseph Gazette will be read with in
terest by those directors who were
taken In" by him:
"Few people outside Of Cameron
know that W. B. Lawrence, who has
just been sentenced to the peniten.
tiary from Trenton, Mo-, for alleged
school book swindles, is one OF the
strangest characters known to legal
annals. Whether he is criminal, or
an innocent misiudged man has nev-
er been satisfactorily settled by the
people of this section with whom he
has passed the greater part OF his
life.
For years Barney Lawrence, as he
was familiarly known, taught in the
country schools, and came to be re.
garded as one of the brightest and
most talented citizen. Some time
ago, however, it began to bs rumor-
cd that he possessed a mysterious
magnetism, and that his pupils and
Others were frequently victims OF his
hypnotic influence. Lawrence aban-
doned school teaching, and engaged
exclusively in inducing his friends
here TO stake him withsmall amounts
OF capital in various enterprises of a
scheme character. Though his
operations along the line apparently
brought him little income, he main
tanned one OF the most luxurious and
cxtravagant homes in Cameron.
Lawrence's first sensational news
making was in connection with hyp.
notism and suicide. That was when
he begun the selling of libraries TO
country school boards, for which
Lawrence was convicted in the crimi-
nalcourt in Trenton last week. Law
renee induced the editor OF the Cam.
eron Sun" to become his partner in
the enterprise, with the contract, the
former was to sell the books, while
the deliveries were to be made by the
latter. After time purchasers be-
gan to demand OF the editor that he
deliver the books for which Lawrence
had been paid Presently the editor
was found dead presumably having
committed suicide. Lawrence is said
to have held and collected insurance
carried on the life of his partner.
The next man to fall beneath the
strange influence OF Lawrence was an
eX prosecuting attorney OF Dekalb |
county, who had recently come with
his family to Cameron The Law
renee method had now become "A
theme of public gossip, and the at
torney's family plead with him to
sever his partnership with the book
salesman, but despite his own will he
continued to accompany Lawrence
on his book selling trips. One cay
the wife OF the unfortunate man re-
ceived a telegram from Lawrence
stating that her husband was ser-
ously i'll in Topeka, and that money
was needed to care for him. The wife
sent transportation and demanded
the return OF her husband. Hearriv
dsick and few days afterwardshot
and killed himself in bed. The widow
then found that her husbands life
insurance had been transferred max
iDg Lawrence the beneficiary. The
insurance company with held pay
ment and the matter is now in litiga-
tion.
Though arrested several times be-
fore on charge of swindling par
chasers of books. Lawrence has al
ways been able to squash the indict-
ments on the ground that not him.
self, but the man who committed
suicide had contracted to deliver the
goods. He made the plea at his re-
cent trial in Trenton, but it is claim
ed that tetuni.ali:ies we're ignored
and the matter raiiroaded 10 the
jury.
l. Lawrence the victim o! circum.
stances ana things only apparent, or 4,
is he n remarkable hypnotist and |
This is what the people
are now asking" -