The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-10-15
Had Driver Deliver a Ton at
Rear of Empty House, Got
Change for a "Twenty" and
Beats Retreat.
SAID HE LEFT $50
BILL IN THE HOUSE
After Driver Had Given Him
$15.75, SWindIer Said He
Would Go Get His "TWenty"
is Still Gone.

Gimme change for a twenty and
unload the coal as soon as possible
and I'll bring you the BILL" said a man
giving his name as John Balm; to Ben
jamin Martin, driver for Hackman,
klehfoth & Co.. yesterday afternoon.
Fifteen dollars and seventy-five
cents was produced by Martin, as a
ton of coal and bag Of cement ordered
over the telephone by Balm totaled to
the sum of $4.25. Balm took the
money. stepped into a shed where the
coal was to be delivered, disappeared
and one of the neatest swindles that
MAS ever been worked in Richmond
had been accomplished
The affair took place at $40 North
Eighteenth street. vacant house.
The man called the office of Hack
man, klehfoth & Co., on the telephone
ordering a ton Of Hooking Valley coal
and bag Of Portland cement. He in
structed the clerk who answered the
telephone to bring the material to $40
North Eighteenth street and also said
to bring change for a $50 bill. The
name given was John Balm.
Left the Coal, However.
Martin delivered the coal, in the
rear of the house. Balm having met
him at North Eighteenth and E street.
The man went into the shed to open
the door for Martin to throw the coal
in. He reached out his hand to re-
ceive the ticket. bill and change.
Supposing that he had gone to the
house after the $50 bill Martin un-
loaded the coal without giving the
matter any particular thought When
it was thrown in he went to the house
after the money, but it was found to
be empty. Inquiring OF the neighbors
he found no one had lived in the house
! for some time, but that large man
! in light suit had been seen lettering
/ in the yard yesterday afternoon.
A man who was thought to have
been guilty of the swindle was arrest
ed last night by Patrolman Bundy
but released after Martin failed to
identify him as the man to whom he
sold the coal. Superintendent Gormon
is on a sharp lookout for the thief and
it is probable he will soon be appre-
hended
Similar attempts to swindle coal
dealers were made on several local
coal merchants yesterday including
Mather Brothers company. To Math
er brothers a woman giving her name
as Mrs. Welsh, sent in an order for
the same address as given by the man
who victimized Hackman, Klehfoth &
Co. She told the company to bring
the, coal about o'clock, but it was
not delivered until about six o'clockk
When the Mather Brothers wagon
arrived at the house no one could be
found and the coal was returned to
the company's yards.
The swindle yesterday was the sec
ond attempted in Richmond during
the past few months. In the first af
fair forged check was used. A mar
believed to be the same one who work
ed the swindle yesterday, came into
the coal Office of Ora Little and laying
a bundle down on the counter, pro
duced a check for $40 and ordered q
ton of coal to be sent to SO North
Seventeenth street. He received the
change, but when an attempt to de
liver the coal was made no such ad
dress as that could be found. The
check was afterwards found to have
been forged.