The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-08-07
CLAIM AGENTS
NOW CHARGED
WITH EXTORTION

Richardton, N. D., Aug. IA case Of
alleged extortion occurred in Richard
ton, stark county, on July 81. which il
probably of interest to most Of the in
habitants of the slope country. George
Davis, agent of the Occident Elevator
company, was accused of being short
in his shipment accounts, at first to
the amount of about $500, at first to
$500, and on July 81 F. A. Cousins. an
other agent of the Occident concern
went to Richardton together with G
f. Jennings, who claimed to be claim
adjuster for bonding company, which
was surety for Davis. 1t is alleged
that Cousins and Jennings charged
Davis with embezzlement and demand
ed SITS of Davis in settlement Of their
claim under threat Of jail, threatening
Davis also with various personal dam
age to his reputation and future, and
loss If he failed to settle with them at
once, also threatening Davis family
with damage to Davis IL he did not
pay and chiefly by this last means
forced Davis to pay them 1923 in set
Element OF their entire claim. After
getting advice upon the subject Davis
explained his difficulty to the justice
and Cousins and Jennings were ar
rested on criminal charge Of extortion,
extortion being described in law as
the obtaining Of property from an
other with his consent, induced by a
wrongful use Of force or fear, or I'M
der color OF official right. The next
day they were released on change of
venue after depositing $4,000 cash as
security for their appearance In court,
Cousins and Jennings went to Dick
inson. where 1t is said that one of
them boosted that they had fixed"
the states attorney
Davis is young man of excellent
reputation amongst both farmers and
town people and 1t will be very hard
for either the elevator company or the
bonding company to prove that he has
embezzled. He was engaged In buy
ing grain for the elevator company
and shipping 1t to them at Minneapolis
and Mandan, and 1t is said that his
shipments were found short upon arr
rival It is on account of this claimed
shortage that he was charged with
ernbezzlement, but as evidence against
his guilt he has made no appearance
of concealing anything, and has made
no effort to get away at any time.
1t is highly probable that every
agent for large grain buyer is con-
fronted with this same difficulty, and
1t appears to be the plan of some con-
Germs to always charge their agents
with being short in their weight in
order to have them make sure Of get
ting very liberal weight from the farm
ers to cover such loss. 1t would be
possible for a grain buyer to pay 5
cents a bushel more for grain than
the market price If he could be al
lowed to INK his scales so as to more
than meet the amount overpaid, and
in the purchase OF 1000 bushels of
grain 1t might be an easy matter for
an agent to steal twenty-five bushels,
hus it Is hard to see what advantage
one buyer can gain over another buy
er, If both buyers practice the same
scheme of theft, and a third buyer will
ing to give honest weight would sure
liz secure the most Of the business and
enjoy larger gain from a just profit
than either OF both dishonest buyers.
However, the largest concerns set the
example for the small ones, and what
theft one succeeds In without danger
the others initiate.