Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-01-22
ARREST DEALER
FOR CONDUCTING
FAKE SALE HERE
Held for Grand Jury for Fraud
uIently Advertising Goods
Lynch Acts for Interests of
Merchants for Bd. of Trade.

Charged with fraudulently adver-
tising and selling cotton sweaters for
all wool and cotton handkerchiefs
for 'linnen" handkerchiefs, and de-
luding the public into believing that
he was only selling out the stock of
goods which he purchased from
Bert We'll, formerly doing busi-
ness at 80 Smith street, Louis Backer,
of No / West One Hundred and
Twelfth street, New York, was placed
under $500 bail for his appearance
before the grand jury by Recorder
Pickersgill this morning. He was
charged with violating Chapter 31S
of the statutes of New Jersey, pro-
viding for the punishment of crimes,
approved April 8, 1918.
The prosecution of the merchant
was made by Hugh Lynch, secretary
of the Board of Trade, representing
that organization. Through Mr..
Lynch evidence of the mans alleged
violation of the statute was secured.
Mr.. Lynch had received complaints
from members of the Board of Trade
and took immediate steps to protect
them.
The following Smith street mer-
chants were at the hearing before
Recorder Pickersgill this morning:
John X. Sheehy, Sol Rubenstein,
Henry Mccullough and Fred BRIGGS
and Mr.. Watson, representing Louis
Briggs
Complaint Made by Lynch.
Tho 1Inf int st "a
Lynch and when Mr.. Backer was ar
ralgned he pleaded not guilty Mr.
Lynch then produced sweater
which he declared he had bought at
the mans store yesterday, which he
was told was all wool and worth not
less than IS. Mr.. Lynch purchased
1t for $1.85, and claimed that little
or none OF the article was wool. Mr.
Lynch produced a shirt purchased for
eighty-tive cents which he said had
been sold TO him as a two-dollar
.r4hist.-- He ~-deel5 red u Is hAsstthi
dollar shirt.
Mr.. Backer would not say that the
sweater In question was all wool, de-
olaring that 1t had been sold by a
clerk. He maintained that the shirt
was in box marked 50 by Bert"
We'll, whose stock he purchased Mr..
Lynch also produced a newspaper
advertisement and said that sign In
the window also represented the
mans stock as being that purchased
from "Bert" We'll. and claimed that
Mr. Backer had not been selling only
Bert" Wells stock as Well did not
handle clothing and other articles
sold by Backer Mr.. Lynch said that
while he was in the store patrons
came in to buy handkerchiefs at one
and one-half cents each, as adver-
to come back tomorrow, and when
they wanted other articles they were
told the supply was sold out.
Recorder Pickersgill seemed to be
impressed with the fact that the
man had come here to sell cheap
goods from New York on the
strength of representing 1t as Bert"
Wells stock being sold, and asked
the man If he were not II ng thesfact
that he purchased Bert Wells
stock to delude the public into buy
ing other cheap goods, which did not
form part of the stock of Bert
We'll. Backer acknowledged that he
was selling other goods besides those
purchased from We'll.
The statute under which the
charge was brought makes it mis-
demeanor for any individual, cor
poration, firm or association to sell
or in any way dispose of merchan-
disc or anything else, by making,
publishing, disseminating or circu-
lating or placing before the public
any untrue, deceptive or misleading
statements either by assertion or di-
rectly. The penalty is one year In
prison or 81 900 fine or both.
s. Mr.. Backer announced that he
would continue business, but Secre-
tary Lynch declared if he continued
doing same by the old methods that
he would swear to to another COM
plant against the merchant. Re
corder Pickersgill told the New York
man that he could continue business
If he would introduce honest and le