The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-03-24
Worked Marion County Too.


The stock food swindlers who recent
~ caught a number OF Decatur county
farmers, as mentioned in THE REPORTER |
last week seem to have reaped a harvest |
in Marion county judging from the fol-
lowing taken from the Knoxville Ex-
press:
"Look out for the itinerant fakir who
comes to your house representing So
called Stock Food Co., said to be located
at Sioux City but apparently having it's
base of operations at Algona. When he
favors you with call he doesn't want
to sell you anything, not he, but he is
introducing some valuable remedies,
just such that every farmer ought to
have at hand, including Heave Cure,
Poll Evil Cure, Hoof Medicine, Dehorn
ing Fluid, SPAWN Cure, Lice Killer and
if you will just allow him to ship to
your address consignment Of those
goods and sell what you can without |
interfering with your other business
an agent of the company will be around |
in thirty or sixty days and take up all |
that you have not disposed of, unless you |
desire to continue in the business. And, |
in order that there may be no room for |
mistake, and to insure you absolute
safety from liability, he produces an
innocent looking memorandum of agree
ment, which he fully explains to be
simply an appointment of agency, call
ing your attention especially to pro-
vision by which the company of agency,
calling your attention especially to a
provision by which the company will
take the goods off your hands at GER
tain date. This you sign in duplicate,
and in due time the goods arrive, and
when you see the smallness Of the bulk
of 800 worth There being sometimes as
much as S12 worth in box two inches
by four and one inch deep you begin to
think that perhaps there may be some
thing wrong, and conclude you will let
the stuff alone till the man calls for it.
The man does not come, but at about
the time you expect him you receive
polite notice from MIR. Swelling, of
Algona, Iowa, informing you that your
account has been assigned to client of
his and that payment is expected at
once, otherwise suit will be brought at
Algona, Iowa, where the contract by it's
terms is payable. Now the matter be-
gins to look a little serious. You take
the contract to your lawyer and are in
formed that it is no more than an order
for bill Of goods amounting to from
$50 to 500, payable in thirty days at
Algona, Iowa. If you do not respond to
Mr.. Swetting's polite notice, you will
receive from him in a short time an
other which will be handed to you by
the sheriff or constable, informing you
that unless you appear before a certain
justice of the peace at Algona, Iowa,
judgment will be entered against you,
in favor Of MIR. Swetting's client, for the
amount, with costs. 1t may appear a
little strange to you that the fact of the
assignment Of the claim of Mr.. SWEET
ting's client is in the printed notice,
evidently prepared before your con-
tract was made, but this is none Of your
affair. You must take your choice to
either incur the expense of going to a
remote part Of the state to defend or
walk up and pay. Such has been the
experience Of scores of persons in
Marion county in the last few months
and the whole state is overrun by
swindles OF like character.
bill was introduced in the Iowa
house of representatives allowing a
change Of venue to the county Of the
victims residence in such cases, when
fraud was alleged in the answer, but it
seems our lawmakers have too high
regard for the interests of this class of
swindlers to interfere with their bust
ness, and at the recommendation of the
judiciary committee the bill was indefi-
nitely postponed. Among others, the
objection was urged that such law
would encourage men to commit per-
jury, in order to get cases tried in the
county of their residence, just as if a
man would be more ready to perjure
himself in having the venue changed
and have the case tried in his owI
county, than he would in his defense il
| ORR ui In llI Slnd in his. at1,l