The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-10-31
Woman's Suit Club Worker Ar.
rested in Chicago on Com.
plant of Mayor German
CAUGHT MANY WOMEN HERE
Lived in Luxury While Kenosha Wo'
men Contributed to His Expenses
but Failed to Deliver the
Goods as Promised

James F. Greer, suit club worker
who formerly worked extensively IN
kenosha, was arrested at his Offices IN
the Masonic Temple in Chicago on
of Mayor James German of this city.
The action of the Mayor will probably
result in Greer being forced to make
an accounting with the scores Of Ke-
nosha women with whom he has been
doing business during the last year
and'a half. For most of the custom
ers it might be remarked that Il
had been a losing business and women;
in all parts of the city will rejoice to
learn that the Mayor has at last taker
drastic action against the Chicage
man. The date for the hearing of the
evidence against Greer has not been
set as yet. The warrant charges him
with swindling and it is though,
probable that the Grand Jury will re-
turn ar indictment against Greer.
Greer first made his appearance ii
Kenosha in the summer Of 1866 and al
that time the suit club fad was at its
height here. Greer had little troubls
in landing goodly number of Keno
sha women for membership in hi
suit club. He gathered them in fr9
every class of people in the city aYl1
when the first drawing was held fac
tory girls touched shoulders with wo-
men not unknown to the exclusive
circles of Kenosha society. Many of
the wives of city officials went into
the club and altogether it is claimed
that Greer and his aids working over
time wrote more than hundred con
tracts here.
The women were to pay 81 week
for thirty-6ve weeks and each week
there was to be drawing and the
fortunate woman was to receive her
suit without further payments. For
few weeks all went very well. The
drawings were regularly conducted
and the agent of Greer came to Keno
sha and collected the money. Then
the drawings were shifted to Chicago
but the collecting of money in Keno
nosha went on. The ladies failed to
learn who had drawn the suit and un-
less very strenuous kick was made
no suits were delivered. The bauble
burst about the first of last March
when the ]. ]. Greer company gave
up their fine Offices in the Masonic
Temple and went to the Busch
Temple. Then the Kenosha women
began their fight to get their money
back or to get the suits contracted for.
A few of them got the suits but many
of them are still waiting for Greer to
fulfill his contract.
Greer has maintained regular cor.
respondence bureau since that time,
and the women of Kenosha have been
handed out all sorts of ''bunk" in the
year that has passed since the suits
stopped coming. Prosecution has
been threatened, and at least once one
of the outraged women brought a
civil action against Greer. She got
Judgment and check for the money
she had paid in, but when the bank
got the check it was returned.
Threatened with criminal prosecu-
ton Greer settled up this claim IN
coin of the realm, but it was not the
last one, and the fight among the wo-
men was continued. Dozens of suits
were alleged to have been made in a
Chicago shop but there was no money
to get them out. Greer has plenty of
excuses but no money for suits. May
or German has been pushing the mat
ter for his wife, and finally thinking
that there was no other way to bring
Greer to time he made a complaint
against him in the Criminal Court
charging him with swirdling.
It is claimed that Greer has money
behind him, and it is expected that
the prosecution will smoke out some
of this money.
Kenosha is not the ouly city affect
ed by the Suit Club, as Greer and his
agents did business in many of the
cities along the North shore, and at
many inland cities in Illinois. So far
as can be learned the same plan was
used as in Kenosha. 1t is claimed
that civil actions against Greer would
not live IN court on account of the
fact thai he could secure a defense on
the ground that the Suit Club was a
gambling transaction.
There is little reason to believe that
even with the drastic action taken by
Mayor German the Kenosha women
will get their money or the promised
suits, as It is claimed that the Greer
company is unable to meet the de-
mands upon it. Many months ago
When the Kenosha women threatened
to sue the company its agents stated