Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-04-07
BOOK AGENT
IS ARRESTED

By causing the arrest of |. !. Yocum.
a representative of the Keystone Pie
MUM Book Company of Hazleton, Mr..
Catherine DeShay, D. l.. & ". avenue,
chs city. believes that she has exposed
swindle and incidentally las saved
her townspeople lots of money, al
though her own experience has cost
her the sum of $3.50.
Yocum was arrested Friday might.
The facts as brought oat ut the hear
ing before Justice Of the Peace Dalton
are as follows:
Some weeks ago the individual ar
rests made his Appearance in Dan
willie and callel at the residence of
Mrs. DeShay where lie tried to sell
her a lot of books dealing in fction.
The scheme employed was nnique. AL
though but one story was embraced
5ho narrative was cut nj iuto books of
pamphlet form of about 3 pages each,
the division mostly occurring at points
where the interest WAS su Ii as to ma
5urally carry the mind of the read,r
forward According to the PROPOSE
ton when 100 of these books, whith
cost 10 cents a piece, were p 'oGured the
subscriber was to have the choice OF
lot of very valuable premiums. In
case the purchaser was do bttul when
he had paid for sixty -eight books lie
was to have pc mission to make sell
ection from certain class OF the pre-
miums aud the article would be sent
him by the CO upany, which was will
ing to make the slight sacrifice in o.
ler TO slow its good iaith. Among the
premiums that Yocum assured Mrs.
OeShay that she was ent'tlel TO fer
,ixtS eight books was a Morris chair,
four dining room chairs. pnrlo' Ian p
If long arr,y of other articles of like
value. For l25 books the premiums
we're pIiuoely and in' luded gold
Watches. folding beds and tie like.
Mr.. Yonum was fine talker;,s Mrs.
DIS ay put it lit was pleasure to
us Gu to him" So persuasive was the
nan tlat Ms DeShay did not see how
lut OF justice to herself she could DE.
l:no the Comrauy's generous offer.
| The "agent' assured her that after
| pre- erved the Keystone Premium Book
| o upany would buy them back" at
| me half their value or five cents n
piece. In the matter of premiums he
| ;oemoi likewise fair and in case of
| lissati, faction promised to lc lccm
hem at good price.
| The long and short of it was that
| Mrs. De5hay entered in'o contract
| aud in due time the books, sixty eight
! III number, were delivered. The de-
| livery vas made by two ttler IN II, al
| though it wa Yocum whom Mr.. De-
| Shay paid for the books What papers
sete employed in the transaction were
IL loosely signed BIZ the Keystone Pre-
Mum Book Company of Haz!etor.
Miss Susau DeShay howev, r,was PIES
ent with her mother when Yocum' 5
visit occurred aud will be a witness as
to his alluring representations. Un.
der the circums tauces t. retora il the
scheme is crooked, it is not likely that
the attempt to prosecnEe will fail
through.
A word as to the books Tine povel,
which Mrs DeShay selected is enIitl-
ell: "Maryaune, the Outcast, or In
pocently Executed. The .orrowful tale
of Betrayed Woman" The style seems
to he revival of the old lurid, dime
novel style ana at times becomes al
most hysterical. Miss d, Shay states
that the books as arranged carry with
them hut little interest. Topographic
ally they show up badly I'd are print.
ed On the poorest paper. Their real
value is only nominal.
The concluding paragraph, which i:
cunning'y arranged to whet the read
er's appetite from fresh installmeI II
of the story reads ai follows;
"The silence was broken by scream
so terrible. so htaIt ending that il
turned the bloc of the spectator tt
ice. aud thel. -
Mrs. De 5iay's interast in th) story,
however. was not 50 intense but thai
she was de.irous of satisfying herself
that everything was all light tefort
she put any more money int1 iha en-
rprise. She accordingly deti1ed t,
test the Company by sending for 6
Morris chair as one of the premiums tt
which she was entitled as a purchaser
of sixty eight books. LII due time re.
ply was received stating that the Com
pany did not give Morris chairs fol
sixty-ei sht books, but only with hun,
drcd or over aud she was advised tc
keep on until she got n hundred hooks
Mrs. DeShay then sent for less valu.
able premium in the form Of foar din
ing room chairs, explaining that if the
Company proved its good faith by d,
vering these as promised she would
gladly continue patron aud order !,
! hundred books In a few days n reply
came embodying an excuse for not
sending the dining room chairs. AT
this juucture Miss Susan DeShay wrote
the Comp my erSel, demanding TO
know what was uu tho list az rr =
miums for sixty-eigtt boots. Af,er a
time a repif CANE winch instead OF
bringing the dosited informstiun, ask :
ed her what she would like To have
Mrs. DeSnay says that the pr MUM
articles which showed up very nicely