The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-31
p. o. Inspectors Found Records
in MOunDay Offices.
Received S1O3,OS7 in Cash
From 593 Purchasers.
BUT RECORDS NOT COMPLETE
Officials Believe This Only Part
of Transactions.
Kansas, Topeka and Other In.
vestOrs in Company.

| When postoffice inspectors raided the
offices of Don A. MounDay and the
American Sugar Manufacturing & Re-
filming company in Topeka last week,
they seized schedules of land sales
showing that MounDay and his 1852
ciates have received S103, ,0S7.50 in cash
and sold New Mexican land contra cts
to 593 men and women in 25 different
states. This information is contained
in an affidavit filed in the supreme
court by Frank S. Sharon and Z. s
Brauer postoffice inspectors, who con-
Quoted the raid and seized at least
portion of the records and files Of the
sugar company.
While government officials are inc!ir-
ed to doubt that the raid on MounDay s
office files revealed the entire opera
tions of the sugar company which the
Topeka man promoted, yet it is cltir.l-
ed that the records of sales which were
secured by the inspectors will be of
great aid in securing evidence against
MOunDay and his wife, who have been
arrested on a charge of fraudulent us2
of the mails. With the use of the list
of nearly 500 land purchasers, it is
claimed that the government has been
able to secure from the purchasers
many new points of evidence concern
ing the operations and representa- t1ons
of MounDay and his associates.
Kansas was the particular harvest
field for the sugar company, which the
government contends never owned an
acre of land in New Mexico and at no
tine was in position to give to its Gus
toners title to the land which they
had bought. Practically one-third Of
the schedules seized by the government
concern Kansas investors Many Of
these are women. Some are merchants
NIL
farmers. One is a Catholic priest
In the months that MounDay was
selling his land contracts the affidavit
shows that he secured customers IN
California. Georgia, Michigan. Kansas,
Illinois, Missouri. Colorado. Iowa, Min
nesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ar1-
zona, Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee,
Oklahoma Maryland, Delaware In
diana. Texas, Nevada Arkansas 1dano
and Wyoming. over the entire length
and breadth of the United states,
MounDay seemed to ply his operations.
Colorado men and women were easy
victims, if the assertions OF the gov
ernment are true In California
number of people bought land con-
tracts The northern states of Michi- !
gan Minnesota and Wisconsin, Noun |
Days company reaped harvest; O Ouc
in Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming and even |
in New Mexico, where the land is 10
Gated. MouaDay and his agents sold
contracts Back east in Maryland and !
sugar contracts and a few were sold in
Georgia. Tennessee and Texas
The Sharon-Brauer affidavit, con-
tanning copies of the schedules. shows |
that MounDay's sugar company COM
pIeted 221 contracts and delivered 4
clearance receipts to the purchasers, /
emitting them to deeds to their land /
on the day of the mysterious open |
ing" In 273 instances, 1t appears that
contracts We're permitted by purchas- /
erS to lapse because of failure to COM I
plete the payments. Records seized
in the raid also showed SO open con- !
tracts which were being carried by I
the company and on which payments /,
were being made by purchasers. !
Several Topeka people appear to have
been customers of the MounDay Sugar /
Manufacturing and Refining company /
of the Topekans, Jennie J. Barker, S13 /
West Sixth avenue, was the heaviest /
investors. According to the schedules, /
she held two large contracts for the ?
purchase of the sugar lands The con- /
tracts totaIIed 81, 400. One of the con- |
tracts was for s1,050, while a second /
was for $3.50
Charles T.. Anderson. Alb Kansas av-
enue, invested $3.50 in the MounDay /
project. according to the allegations of |
the government inspector. Schedules /
filed with the affidavit snow that he
held one contract for $3.50, another for /
s400.
of their contracts are: H. NJ Abbott, /
127 Harrison street $175; c. NJ. Bryan,
box So, $500; E. a. Booth, 1131 Huntoon, |
5000; W. L. Davis, Throop hotel $500;
H. H. Gleason, 109 Exeter street, $40; |
Carl c. MaIinburg, 235 Fillmore, 5000; /
Mrs. S. D. Slayer, 1855 Lane, sl15;
George o. Gleason. 109 Exeter, $500;
Mrs. Maggie Gleason, 100 Exeter, S175; |
James Hickman, 1923 Garfield, S400; W.
a. Norris, 1923 Kansas avenue, $500.
The Sharon-Brauer affidavit charges
that the schedules filed with their tes-
shows that MounDay and his
associates have received S76470 on con-
tracts finally completed, s10742-50 on
contracts which have been permitted
TO lapse. S15,S75 on open contracts now |
pending; or total Of s103.Os7-50-
In the greater number of instances
the purchases bought but one or two
contracts for land These contracts
totalled $500 each, the records
show. But in a number of instances the
proposition seemed so bright and
promising that investors bought eight
or ten contracts One item shows
invested $4,000 in the enterprise. Henry
T VfIes another Muscotah man, bought
Is shares for total of s., 200.
Among the larger investors n the
company were: Lydia NJ. Merger,
Pueblo Colo, s1.050; David Elmaa,
Canton. Kansas, $500: DR.. William n
CaseIey. Colorado Springs. $500; Dr. n
s CIothier. St Marys. Kansas, $500;
Edward w Bosen, CoIlinsviIIe H..
3. 900; Arthur Kirby. La Junta. Colo.
$500; Memo A Olden, Muscotah,
Kansas, 81 400; Joe Penaz, Della, Kan
sas. $500; Henry T. Viles. Muscctah.
Kansas, s3.200;-and here appears a
nis-up on the schedules-for Henry T.
viles is credited with a purchase of