The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-03

ers of a $50 called collection agency
located at Alb Kansas avenue and that
as owners of this agency it has been
their practice to attempt to collect ac-|
counts against parties by sending
threatening circulars through the
mails. These circulars by inference
are sent with defamation and libel
and to ruin the confidence of the pub
lie in their honesty and integrity. The
committee claim that the Wilson's
have not only used this means to at
tempt to collect accounts entrusted to
their hands, but have made threats of
libel followed by personal abuse and
by threats of advertising the parties
against whom the accounts are held,
as swindlers and dishonest men.
Fourth-This count deals almost
entirely with the letters sent by the
collection agency to Mayor Tom
Johnson of Cleveland threatening
him with libel unless a $4,000 ac-
count which he was not responsible
for was not paid Immediately. The
sending of these circulars to Mayor
Johnson was simply an attempt to
blackmail him to eXtort money from
be published s dead beat if the
matter was not settled. This case was
reported to the federal authorities
and was under investigation at the
time that the committee commenced
their investigation though no report
has been made by the agents of the
government.
Plan of Operation.
F'ifth-This count appertains to the
land department and charges that An
thony P. Wilson and A. p. Tone Will
son, Jr., while practicing as attorneys
at law, maintained a so-called real es-
tate business, in the operation of which,
by a brazen, misleading and deceptive
system of advertisement through news
paper publications and pamphlets they
assured the general public with great
confidence that they could sell real es-
tate for cash wherever located, and in
which it was their practice to charge a
retaining fee of $40 for each property
listed with them. This business was not
carried on In good faith, but for the
purpose of securing the retaining fee
of respective sellers of real estate, and
was intended and designed to swindle
and defraud persons who should list
property with them. The postmaster
generals department & Of the United
States detailed inspectors to investigate
the business, and A. P. Tone Wilson,
Jr., was called upon to show cause why
a fraud order should not be issued
against him, denying to him the use of
the United States mails. In response
to the order A. P. Tone Wilson, while
claiming that his business was a legi-
innate one, and while the investigation
by the postoffice department was pend
ing, he sold the business to Charles A
Wilson.
Got Some easy Money
Sixth-The committee alleges that af-
ter an order had been issued by the
postmaster generals department in the
year 1905 A. P. Tone Wilson sold Chas.
A Wilson, formerly of Sedgwick county,
Kansas, a half interest in the co-called
real estate business for $4,000 and that
in making the sale to Charles A. Wilson,
who is not related to the Wilson family
whose methods are under investigation,
A P Tone Wilson, Jr., fraudulently
concealed from him the fact that he was
under investigation by the postmaster
generals department. that thereafter,
while still concealifg from Charles A.
Wilson the true condition of the said So
called real estate business, he sold out
to Charles A. Wilson the remaining half
interest in the so-called business Tor
the further sum of $4,000. -
Charles A. Wilson-was a farmer who
had never been engaged in the real
estate business and knew nothing or IT.
in making the purchase of the business
he traded and turned over his farm in
Sedgwick county, which he occupied as
his homestead for himself and family,
and the entire value of the farm was
absorbed in making the trade. In Au-
gust, 1906, c. A. Wilson sold the business
to David P. Taft, a former employe OF
the Wilson's for $1,000.
BY the terms off the sale, Charles
A Wilson received from David +. ran
an unsecured promissory note signed
by Taft for $4,000 with the under
purchase the note for cash at its face
value after the sale was contaminated
David P. Taft is a person who by MS
own admission owns neither real or
personal property of any sort and is
wholly execution proof. The DR.. Mar
tin is a parsonage about whom 1t Is
difficult to secure information, put
who has been heretofore associated
with the Wilson's in transactions of
questionable and disreputable charac-
ter. The net result of the transact
tfons between Anthony P. Wilson, A
P. Tone Wilson, -jr-. David P. Taft, DR..
Martin and Charles A. Wilson has
been that the last named person has
lost a farm, the value of which was
more than $4,000 and as the sole re-
turn therefor he holds note for So
600 against person who Is execution
proof and c. w. Wilson is now earning
his livelihood by his daily labor in the
Santa Fe shops in this city.
Seventh-The committee further
finds that it has been the practice of
the Wilson's while engaged In the
practice of law, to solicit and secure
from newspapers in Kansas and else
where contracts for advertising for
supposed clients who are in fact dis
reputable and irresponsible and to Sc
cure such advertisements upon state
ments and representations which were
in themselves invitations to publishers
to aid in cheating, defrauding and
swind1ing the supposed client; where
by II mas T0Sull6Q IIdI lAlO WIS
and the supposed client have succeed
ed in cheating and swfndling the pub
fishers Of numerous papers.
Assault on Levitt.
Eighth-In this count the commit
tee alIege that Anthony P. Wilson and
A. P Tone Wilson, Jr, while engaged
as attorneys have commonly used vio-
lent, threatening, intimidating and
ruff1anlv language towards attorneys
having claims against them, or who
were engaged in proceedings adverse
| to tenn personally. In this connection
the committee charges that in Octo-
Der, 1906, while engaged in taking a
danosition at the Office Of the Wilson's