Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-30
WALKER TREATS ALL ALIKE
Umbrella Factory Booster Plays No
Fsvoritss in His soheming.
VICTIMS TELL STORIES TO sIABAUGH
County Attorney Gets Details of How
the Promoter Was Able to
swing His Deal in
Iowa.
VICTIMS TELL STORIES TO slABAOGH

Disappointed investors in the Omaha UNI
brella Manufacturing company. thronged
County Attorney Slabaugh's office Wednes-
day to tell how they were induced to toss
their savings into the hopper Some Of the
investor are young men and some are old
men. who have lost the savings of life
OF their efforts to get their money back.
Nearly all Of them come from small towns
around Omaha. attracted by glittering in
ducements held out in advertisements in
Omaha and Des Moines papers.
C. H. Walker. president of the concern,
was returned to Omaha this morning and
will have a preliminary hearing soon.
| Among those whose statements were
taken yesterday was ]. A. Rosslof .JoIley,
Ia. He was caught in the net in spite of
the fact he was cautious about going into
It, He came to Omaha to investigate and
was told of the fabulous profits in the
umbrella business. He was given to under
stand the Commercial club was to back the
concern for a large amount. The death
OF his father interfered with his investing
Immediately and lie went back home.
Walker wrote him persistently asking him
to invest his money and so to work for
the concern as bookkeeper.
He finally invested 500, all he could
scrape together but as soon as Walker
got the money he did not appear as anxious
to have Ross go to work. He was put OF
| from day to day. Ross went down to the
! factory one day and found It was not run
ming. He asked why it was idle and was
told some OF the machinery was broken
and could not be repaired until the fol-
lowing Monday. On that day he went
4 A.Nw.tw L.. 80 h. -l... Al
Finally after repeated delays, he grew sus-
picious and demanded his money back
He was put OFF again from day to day.
but finally his patience gave out and he
went to Walker personally.
Il am a poor man." he said, 'and 1 have
a family to support. have invested all
my money In your concern, and am going
to get IL back or die in the attempt"
Walker and Rumple finally gave him a
note, due In, thirty days. for the amount
OF his investment, but this note has never
been paid and. 1t Is believed. is valueless
Clerk Contributes Literally.
Charles. G. Brooks, "a clerk, OF Lorrel-
vile. Ia, il a victim to the amount OF
$50. He was attracted by the advertise
ment and came to Omaha June 20. He
subscribed for $500 In stock, paid in half
that amount and gave his note for the
rest Later he forwarded a draft for $50.
Walker told him OF the immense profits in
the umbrella business and declared he was
going to build up one of the biggest plants
In the west in Omaha. July Brooks
came back to Omaha and a few days later
he went to work on the road. He sold so
worth of goods the FIRST week and then
went home. but the goods he sold have
not been delivered yet. He wrote several
letters to Walker, both about the 800 a
/ month salary which he did not get and
about the umbrella order. for which the
customer was clamoring. He grew sus-
picious and wrote to Walker demanding
his money back. but could get no reply.
He has now come to Omaha to help prose
cute the case.
Miss Frederickson. a stenographer. who
worked for Walker two weeks without
drawing any salary. also added testimony
about people who invested. Lack OF salary
and suspicious as to the nature of the
business caused her to leave Walkers en-
ployment after two weeks.