Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27
LPUBL|SH|NG
HOUSE IS RA|DED
H. Kirkus DugdaIe Company
Charged With Using Mails
to Defraud.
POST OFFICE INSPECTORS
TAKE BOOKS AND PAPERS
Three Officers Furnish a Bond Of
S2,OOo-President Claims Bust
ness Is Legitimate.

ness Is Legitimate.
Post office inspectors and detectives Of
the District police department today raid
ed the music publishing business OF
The Fl. Kirkus Dugdale Company, In
corporated. of the District of Columbia,
at 1425 L street northwest
on "A charge of using the mails to de-
fraud they arrested II. Kirkus Dugdale,
president of the company; George Dug
dale vice president. and Mrs NJ. e. De-
VoIl secretary and treasurer. and they
carried away books and papers by
which the government hopes to be able
to fortify it's case.
The three arrested officers of the COM
pany We're taken before United States
Commissioner Arson S. Taylor, where they
pleaded not guilty, and were released on
Observation-Disclosures bond of $1,000 for
further hearing to be held before Commits
sioner Taylor at IL am. October Ii. The
bail was furnished by DR.. W. W. Stewart
Of 9Th and d streets northwest, following
an arrangement made with him by the
Dugdales, who own the property at l4So
street In which their business has been
conducted. as well as other real estate.
Three Letters Are Cited.
The warrant of arrest charges that
the music-publishing concern placed
in the mails letters with intent to de-
fraud-one. June 10. 1912, addressed to
Joseph Smyth. 1913 North 18th street
Allentown. Pa, another, dated August
20, 1912, addressed to William Schaefer,
l6 Rankin street. Newark, n. j.. and
another, dated September %. 1912. ad-
dressed to Miss Gertrude BufrouSns,
ST. Michaels. Md.
H. kirkus Dugale. the president of
the concern, is twenty-three years Old,
married. and resides at 1888 kanawna
street. Chevy Chase. His brother, the
vice president of the company, George
Dugdale. is twenty-one years old. mar
rieu. and resides at 1909 Huntington
street. Chevy Chase. Mrs Devon, the
secretary and treasurer. Is said to be
a salaried employe without interest IN
the business. and to reside on Euclid
street. George Duggale is said to De the
editor of a journal devoted to music,
published in connection with the bust
ness of the company.
Claims Business Legitimate.
AT the hearing following the arrests
H. Kirkus Dugdale expressed astonish-
ment at the raid, and declared to a re-
porter for The Star that the government
has no real case against him or his COM
pany.
I'VE have been established and in bust
ness for six years. he said. land during
the last six months We published and
entire previous year. Our business Is es-
sentially a mail-order business. We ad-
vertise for song poems, and publish them
for the writer's, after having our COM
posers set them to music, charging the
writer's of the song-poems certain
amount for printing and publishing. and
agreeing to pay them half OF the royal
ties If any are derived In the way OF
profit.
In all nail-erder business there Is
certain element Of dissatisfied Gus
toners, q certain percentage or COM
plant. So far as the three specific In
stances of complaint against US are
concerned. I have not been able to
that q mistake has been made rs to
one, that OF Mr.. Schaefer Of Newark.
N. J. He came here not long ago and
was . visitor to my brothers house.
complaint. or. II he had one at the
time. II was Strengthened out.
Came Here From Baltimore.
I'VE came here from Baltimore some
years ago, and the business was estab-
lished by my father. now dead. 1t has
steadily grown, until now We employ
about twenty-five or thirty persons, clerks,
stenographers, composers, music ar
rangers etc. The actual printing Of the
songs we publish is done in Cincinnati
as our books now in the hands OF the
police will show.
I'VE have built up quite business. on
legitimate contracts, and have invariably
made IL a practice, whenever there was
complaint that royalties had not been
earned. according 10 expectations, II
there was any justice in the complaint, to
return the compliments money The
books will show it. Our business has
oeen built up by fair dealing. and we
built the premises we occupy at 14S5 L
street northwest.
Il greatly regret the arrest of Mrs
the company to any extent, and was
made secretary and treasurer because
she was familiar with the business and
because we had 70 have some one act
with the law OF incorporated companies.
Thousands of Testimonials Seized.
The police and post Office inspectors
seized thousands of testimonial letters
from satisfied customers. We will pro-
duce them in evidence when the cases
coine 10 a trial
The case against the Dugdales has been
III charge of Post Office Inspector j. R.
bdTcIdy. re lcd the party winch made
The arrests today, the other raiders being
l'ost Once Inspectors Everett Partridge
md V. L. Martin and Detectives Corn
well. Bernan and Mullin of the District
police.
The hearin, before Commissioner Tay-
Tor was pcrfunctory, and consisted mere IL
" rating ths warrant. pleas Of not
suilt!. fixing a date for 4 further hearing
tIiid c.ptance 81 bali.
The post office Inspectors and police
.eciare that the case is similar to thai
tIey recently conducted against the Hay.
worth music pub ism ng house OF this
city. which so corCuCte9 business oil
;trransing BY mail Tor the publication OF
lnusic. The 'Harwortn concern recently
sought an inJuHc..on to prevent the
Postmaster General irom earring IL from
the mails