The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-30
TREY TOOK Her CASH
MARY LEES EXPERIENCE WITH
THE LOAN SHARKS.


Made Her Pay Interest ut the Rate Of
Something Like Five Hundred Fer
Cent.
The Augusta Chronicle Is making
an active campaign against the loan
sharks of that city. Among other
transactions of this gentry, The
Chronicle chronicles the following:
Mary Lee, 1920 Pine street, a
negro washwoman and seamstress,
whose monthly earnings, according
to her story, told the representative
of The Chronicle, average about S12
per month when she Is we'll, but now,
that she is suffering from rheuma-
tism and not able to get to the tubs,
she earns about IS from her sewing.
She has had much experience with
the money-lenders for the last sew
en- years in trying to meet expenses
by borrowing from them.
"'Seven years ago, or about that
long she stated, she borrowed 50
from J. B. Chapman, who runs. a
money-lending shop. She had plenty
of furniture then, and was living In
a large house which her mother had
helped her to furnish. She gave a
mortgage-or some paper-on part
of that furniture and agreed to pay
Chapman $1.60 per month for the
use of the money she had borrowed.
These payments of s1.60, she said,
she has made on the first Of every
month since the original date, until
the first of February, when she got
sick and couldn't pay it. In the sev-
en- years, she said, she has paid
Chapman $134.40 for the use Of 81
for that length of time.
Three years ago, according to her
story, the same woman, Mary Lee,
she borrowed $5 from the Central
Loan company, agreeing to pay, for
the use of the SIS, $3.50 per month,
and giving a mortgage on bureau,
bedstead, four chairs, rocking chair
and a center table, which furniture
she had purchased from the HolT'ss 8
Furniture company, paying them for
the same sS5. She had paid for &c
furniture.
Getting sick in February, 81:
states that she left her home and
went to the home of her sister IN
South Carolina, where she remained
several weeks. Upon her return she
found from another sister, who lived
with her in this city, that consta-
BILE from Magistrate Rouse's court
had come with papers in her absente,
entered the back door of her home
and seized and took away a new
dresser and a washstand, purchased
! from the Rhodes Furniture company
which she did not own at the time of
| the giving of the mortgage ard which
has never been included in mort
gage to the Central Loan company,
| the pieces being parts of handsome
suit on which she had paid $S8 on
! the cost price to her Of S105. This
furniture has been sold by Magistrate
Rouse, and not cent Of money has
been paid to her, she said, as differ
ence between her debt to the loan
company and the court costs, ana
the amount received from the sale of
the furniture.
MARY Lees last experience with a
loan company was begun on the new
year of 1910, when she borrowed 81
frcm the Washington Loan company,
agreeing to pay them $1.60 per
month for the use Of that amount.
Taking sick after I months pay
ments had been made, she said the
company foreclosed on her and took
| bureau, washstand. four chairs, d
rocker and center table, which her
sister had purchased from the Cul-
pepper Bros. paying $50 therefor
and which belonged to her sister
instead of to her, and we're not in
cluded in the mortgage the Washing
ton Loan company held on her, and
sold the same to satisfy the debt Of
$3.50 and court expenses.
Mary Lees three experiences in
the financial maniDulatlons Of the
money lenders Of Augusta stands as
follows fer net results: For seven
years she had he Use of 81 and paid
for the same S134.40 to the CHIP
man concern: for three years shs
had the use Of IS and paid for same
S64S0 to the Central Loan compa,
ny; for | months use of s. she paid
the Washington Loan company
S17.60. making total Of S21 $50
paid these three in the past seven
years for s13."
EAJSED RI(, RI'NpUS