The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-05-04
WERE THEY SW|NDLED
Or Did Schleswig Farmers Beat
An Innocent Man?
STIR UP A SENSATIONAL AFFAIR
Arrests May Follow Farmers Say They
We're Swindled by Stock Food Agent
Case Will be Aired This Week

SchleSWlg farmers are wondering To-
day whether they are victims OF a
smooth swiEdle or whether some OF
their number are guilty of assault upon
an innocent vender of reliable stock
food
The facts as we gather. them are
these:
About April Goth one Welch of Patton
Iowa went to Schleswig to canvass for
stock food He first secured the
services of Andreas Hollander to ac
Company him and later those of G. G..
Walters. He went about among the
farmers and had great success in selling
from 200 to 500 pounds of stock food to
many farmers. 1t must be confessed
his methods we're trifle peculiar. He
had a book containing alternate blue
and white leaves. The blue was a
peculiarly worded guarantee signed by
the party ordering. 1t said that -
had purchased -- pounds OF stock
food, and that if any of his hogs should
die OF cholera before Nov. he need
not pay for the food given them, if fed
according to directions.
On close reading this would seem to
read that the farmers need not pay for
the food given the hogs that died. but
must pay for the rest. But be this as
it may, the second slip was a straight
promissory note at per cent from date
of order 1t is said by some that WEIGH
would read the guarantee but not the
note. and then casually ask them par
ticularly about their address and get
them to sign the white slip as if they
were merely giving their right address
Others say they signed a note. knew ii
at the time and expected to pay it
whan due.
1 A few days after the first MIR. WEIGH
left Schleswig there appeared in the
Schleswig paper a clipping from some
paper in the northern part of the state
exposing swindling scheme operated
by a stock food agen6 in that part o.
the state. About the same time, 8
second Mr.. Welch appeared Oh the
scene to deliver the stock food which
had been contracted for. He explained
to the farmers that there seemed to be
some dissatisfaction concerning tie
food and as it was lying on the depot
platform he would be wiling to settle
for half the amount of the notes. HI
was quite successful in settling the &C
counts in this manner, but on Saturda,
night while he was collecting from Mr.
krohnke ia the latter's livery barn. h.
was attacked by several Of the farmer
who had become convinced that the
were the victims of q swindle, and il
the scuille they took away from him th
money which he had already collecte,
and the rest of the notes.
"A result Mr.. WEIGH has caused tn
arrest of one of the men who attacke'
him aud the case vii probably be trie'
next week VIXEN the matter will re
, ceive thorough airing.
: Mr.. Walters has been severely criti
cised by some for his connect on wit
the affair, but he has always been
man OF high standing in that comnuntt
; add we do not bslieve that he would be
come party to q swindle. He says h
knew nothing of the nature of tn
papers which the farmers were signing
supposing, them to be merely the con
/. tracts for the stock food, and that b
would not Knowingly see his friend
defrauded.