The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-31
FOrger Sold Dictionaries to
Well Known Topekans.
Attorney General and u. S. At
tOrney Among Victims.
DRESSED IN HEIGHT OFFASHION
Appealed to Men Who Are Con-
sidered Well Versed.
Dapper Seller Left Town With
$4,000 in His Pocket.

A dapper young man, smooth of
tongue. with a proclivity for making
his auditors believe what he said.
came to Topeka recently, visited about
fifty prominent lawyers and public
officials, sold them dictionaries. and
marched out of town with his Golfers
filled with approximately $4,000 hard
money.
This gentleman with the highly de-
veloped instinct of salesmanship was
none other than J. II. Phillips. a forg-
er and swindler wanted in many
parts OF the United States. Some of
his victims are Attorney General s.
NJ. Brewster, Fred Robertson, United
States district attorney, John Waters.
J. S. Dean, and Major A. NJ Harvey.
These men, and many others whose
names have not yet been divulgcd.
bought Funk & Wagnalls una
bridged dictionary from Phillips and
paid sums ranging from $40 to S35
for the book.
Salesman Phillips came to Topeka
on August and on the very same day
a telegram came from New York to
Harvey Parsons, chief of police, tell
ing him to look out for a man who
was representing himself as an agent
of Funk g. Wagnalls, but who was a
nerve of a skillful worker, walked
fairly into the jaws of the law with
his scheme, accomplished much and
left town before suspicion began to
take wings and spread as it does in
the story books.
Right to Court House.
The dictionary salesman went to lhe
county attorneys office first with his
plan. He was armed with all the
charts. subscription lists. and neces-
sary literature to make his errand take
on all the airs of a legitimate transac-
ton. He did not have much luck in
10 Judge G. h. Whitcomb and Judge
a. w. Dana of the two divisions of the
district court. but they were not in
the market for dictionaries United
States District Attorney Robertson and
Attorney General Brewster were Just
looking for a dictionary of the kind
Phillips was selling and readily pur-
chased the book, paying down cash
dictionary.
To Prominent Lawyers.
After getting these two officials on
his staff Phillips made the rounds of
all the prominent lawyers in the city.
Many who did not buy turned the
young salesman down with tears in
their eyes because they felt that they
could not afford to buy the book
Others who had more spare change,
however, jumped at the chance and
bought the dictionary.
Phillips was well dressed Ustn.
wore clothes of the latest cut. u smart
cravat, a new straw hat and was be-
decked with diamonds. His tan sh lcs
were highly polished and his nails
correctly manicured. He had the air
of q gentleman and worked with he
accomplishment of a skilled artist.
When he had finished his work about
August s he folded up his tent like he
Arab and stole away.
Not until today did the Topeka men
bought dictionary know
had become duped. One lawyer who
began to wonder about not getting yhe
book wrote to Funk & Wagnalls and
here's the letter he received in an
swer:
Dear Sir: Your letter of August
"a just received. We learned that a
j. II. Phillips who is wanted in sew
eral states for forgery and swindling,
was operating in your neighborhood.
claiming to represent us. on August
we wired your chief of police. re-
questing him to look out for Phillips,
stating that it was his habit to APP
proach lawyers and prominent Off
Gals and asking him to caution such.
We sent the same telegram to chiefs
of police of other cities in kansas
Books Didn't Como.
Several lawyers who have not yet
received their dictionary learned for
the first time today that they had oesn
swindleJ.
The telegram sent to Harvey Par
sons read:
y. II. Phillips. representing himself
agent Funk & Wagnalls Standard die
tionary is operating in your neighior-
hood, using our name to swindle peo-
pie. If he visits your city. detain
him, wiring sheriff, jerome. Ariz..
who holds warrants charging forgery.
Also chief police, Cheyenne His GUS
tom is to visit prominent off cials first.
also leading lawyers. Warn such in
your city. Within thirty days he has
visited Wichita, Salt Lake, Portland
and Boise"
Not on Hotel Registers.
Harvey Parsons. chief of police,
stated this morning that his officers
looked at the hotel registers but did
not find anyone by that name and thai
nothing more was thought about the
matter until complaints began to come
in from the men who had been
"stung."
1--WE get so many stcreotyped teie-
grams of that kind stating that such
and such a crook is coming your way
that We have became hardened. said
Chief Parsons. land after looking into
the matter let it drop What Funk
& WagnaIls should have done was
notify newspapers and put Ad in
their magazine. / did not think any
thing about the telegram, except 70
take the usual precautions. could
not call up every lawyer and prorni-
nent official IN town to let him know
that he might be worked"
List of Sixty Men.
When Phillips was here he showed
a list of sixty prominent men who had
su described for the dictionary. Some
of these men do not yet know that