South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-11
Anxiety Grows Among Credit
orS Since Real Estate Man
Filed Petition in Voluntary
Bankruptcy.
MATTER MAY GO UP
Before GRAND JURY
People Who Entrusted Money
to Him Are Dissatisfied With
Accounting and Want an In
veStigatiOn.

Incident TO the petition in voiun-
tary bankruptcy filed last Friday in
the L. S district court at Indianapo-
lis by Al G. Harlin of South Bend.
developments are coming 10 light
that may result in a number OF his
transactions being submitted 20 the
grand jury at its February session.
Among the obligations scheduled.
as is now asserted by creditors. there
are several that involve money re-
ceived by Harlin in a flduciary capa-
city. and which bankruptcy cannot
discharge. These creditors also
claim to the misapprOpriation Of
funds on the part Of Harlin may az
gregate a total OF more than $780,
600.
Two Of the largest creditors sched-
uled. in making up the $4,000 LA
bilities alleged in the petition, IS the
Thomas +. A. Byerley estate. $780,
00O and the Jason J. Damon estate.
$4,000.
The administrators Of the Byerley
estate is a daughter Of the deceased.
Mrs Matilda NJ Foster and it is as
serted in her behalf that every dol
lar OF the $4,000 scheduled repre-
sents misapprOpriations
The beneficiaries OF the Damon
estate is the widow. Mrs. Wilda Da-
mon. and her son. Fred Damon. both
OF whom now reside at 1890 Green
leaf av.. Rogers park. Chicago They
| tell a similar story To that Of the By
! erley estate representatives with re-
/ gard 10 money left with Harlin ro
! loan. but on which they have never
! received any return aside from the
| interest
The Damons claim the shortages
! in which they are concerned viii
4 r-rrv
RumOrs Long Anoat.
Rumors of queer business meth
| DDS on the part OF Harlin have been
[ in the air for a couple months. but
nothing very definite had come 10
| light until after the petition in
| bankruptcy was filed
! 1t now develops that the petition
was filed due 10 the efforts Of vari-
/ ous creditors TO get their matters
/ Strengthened up.
Harlin had acted as loan and real
| estate agent for Thomas f. A Byer-
I ley for some ten OF Is years previous
| 10 the latter's death. and but for the
( necessity of securing a schedule Of
/ his transactions, which proved them
! TO be faulty, the process might have
/ gone on indefinitely.
The first transaction Of Harlins 10
! arouse suspicion was a note for $1,000
! given by himself as guardian OF a
( young man named huulSflans 70
himself as Byerley's agent The in
( terest had always been paid, but
Kuntsman denies ever having receiv-
ed any benefit from the money; that
his estate ever received il. or that
| payment was provided for in settle
ment Of the estate. Further investi-
cation developed that numerous 9th
/ er loans made from Byerleys money
had been paid and never accounted
for. the interest. however. having
/ been kept up, in some cases. even
for a number Of years.
Damon Findings Similar.
The Damon people became wise TO
Harlin's proceedings in much the
same way as the Byerley's, the result
OF Mrs. Hattie ". Marble demanding
> discharge Of a $2.200 mortgage which
I she had paid upwards TO ten years
ago. II was Damon money loaned 10
I Mrs. Marble some years previous. and
on which they had always received
the interest, suppOsing, OF course. that
( the principal amount was still run
ming. The payments had always been
/ made TO Harlin. Mrs. Marble holds
"a receipt for the principal. dated May
%. 1903
/ INVESTIGATIONS following this dis
closure are reported 10 have shown
CONTINUED OK PAGE TWO)