The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-16
FAIR WOMEN
AS USURE|[:,.RS
Arrested iii tic Office OF - IL ll'.
J'o1nlan and Fined i1ns $500
Each.
I CRUSADE BEING WAeED
District Attorney Of New York TX
Pressing Vigorously to Pun
ISL T1igh-Ratc Lenders.

| The following article from tho; New
| York; SUN is Of special Interest mere, US
| ID. Fl. Tolmun has an agency III lSicll-
nlond:,
Two good looking young women were
| fined $40 each in Special Session ycster-
| day after hnving been cuiivicteu OF usu'y'
1Ecy gave the names oil Martha ltic l
ardson ana Leah Van Linda, but refused
TO give their addresses.
1t was the first conviction OF tho Kind
since the amending Of the usury law. IN
1885, and tho District attorneys first sue
cess in his efforts, begun nearly Il year
as,,, to break up the business OF q half
score OF firms In this town which are
making d practice of lending money at
usErous rates to salarled employees.
Tho young women were arrested some some
ti,to ago In tho Office Of y. II. Iolhnhh'
tl1on located at No. 500 Broadway, on q
complaint made TO Assistant District AZ
torncy Krescl by John Cox, railroad
brakeman, living at No. 424 Grove street,
Jersey City, Cox went to Tomans Office
after having secn the following advertise
mont. &.
Money loaned salarlcd people, retail
merchants, teamsters, boarding houses.
without securty largest p ,rs1 N 1870 90
broadway, isl Broadway, 373 Fulton Fulton
con was met there ond told to M out
certain blanss by the tWo yoarn ,s. "e enma
delay he got a loan Of sl7, giving four
notes for $3.50 each in. return, PAYABLE
a month apart, and assigning MS salary
% stjcna ,,r,stod McIteon and Hlns-
Dial > were OH the, bench when. the 1 Two
women came up for sentence Yesterday;
lnelr lawyer, l., Henry harris o1 on &c,
church attended by Miss Van Linda testi,
flying to her good character. and sad
thai. Magistrate Crane had known he e'
since shewns a little si1l lie was 10y t1aa
ai1lrsuale protested AGAINST letting the
prisoners OFF with a fine, adding:
"I ain is favor of lmprlsonmsnt; n no.
bit as a warning to others engaged in the
same kind OF business.
Justice Olmsted said that the next per
son convicted under the law would be
sent in prison. The fines were pald az
oilcs by Lawyer Harris.
There Is a. case now pending asalhst
Miss Van Linda. She was arrested ~, m
Lebtary, last year together with 4, MISS th
roln5an office on the complaint Of Hu ~,
Ne.son, superintendent OF the HARTFORD
Steam Boiler Inspection Company, at NO;
l6o BroadwaS Ne,s ,a aola $40 l1 for
loan Of s22s,fgr five five mo 9ni5 t. 1,st,ce
Wyatt for trial In the Special Sessions = ;
hateas corpus, This was dismissed and
the dismissal was upheld BY the Appellate
Division and the Court Of Appeals.
1T is this actiontof the highest Et e nd
ahead at last" said Mr.. kresel yesterday
"Wc have already dozen complaints On
nsnG, anu more will be forthcoming
Most of the complaints so. are "a dfe .eera
are about ten firms in al doing the same
kTli1 of business. In each case the prin-
cipal keeps out Of sight entirely. -.
'.When n mann applies for q loan, ne
has to give his whole life history, In
GLIDING the addresses OF his grocer. ms
butcher, his employer and at least two
friends II he fail in P pay neI1oot ar
rar gements are made for the COLLECTION
os the whole sum.
'"lhe first step is to send a warning to
the tradesmen with whom the debtor IS
dealing. telling them to look ,r out ~ ii n:i
| step Is to send a young woman to dun the
man himself In his home. This she does
| by calling out at the top OF her voice
when he or his wife apea rs; At inc uo wn
| owe us?' g..
employ women instead OF men. Ihey
| don't have to Insure the former. against
i accidents. The last step is to call on the
aertor's employer and demand the as
signed salary. This generally results III
the discharge Of the borrower. ! know
| OF several cases In which men have been
/ ruined in this way ~.
This man Holman Is doing, a tremen-
dols business. lie hns twp Offices IN TINS
| city and one In Brooklyn. He may
have others in other cities. His partner,
| i understand is a woman who signs her
4 self C. II. Williams. 5t
! 1.-The young women he employs receive e
| n,ucl, higher salaries than ordinary office
employees in return for their willingness
! 10 disregard the unpleasant and rather r
harassing features Of their work y ~, Ih e
interest charged amounts, IS a rule' y
100 per cent or more a year:
Usuly Is not a penal offcnse IN viz
giEla.