Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-07
AID
IS CALLED FRAUD
DIR. kaspar Gottlich, Alias Richard
vollmar, Finds Many Victims
in the Tri.Cities.
ONCE RESIDENT OF ROCK ISLAND
Leaves Unpaid Board Bill in Moline
and Collects Various Sums OF
Money From Sympathetic.


DIR. kaspar Gottlich, alias Richard
Vollmar, self-elected aid to the Pad
erewsh party in collecting funds for
suffering Poland, who left Moline ow-
ing the Manufacturers hotel bill OF
s35 and taking with him money con-
tributed by various people, among
them a priest, is not stranger to
the tri-cities, according to Mary Lind
say-Oliver, we'll known music critic
and instructor.
Gottlich first met Paderewski in
Milwaukee and from him secured the
sum of $3.50. He followed him to Mo-
line and here secured considerable
more money. Miss Oliver is in re-
ceipt of a letter from John Smulski.
head of the Chicago Polish relief
committee, branding Gottlich as a
fraud. A party believed to be him, is
reported to be now under arrest in
that city
DR.. Gottlich, according to Miss
Oliver. lived in Rock Island five years
ago. He remained here six months.
During that time, however, he was
known, not as DR.. Gottlich, but as
Richard Vollmar, she says.
Soon after his arrival in Rock Is
land, his wife became pupil of Miss
Oliver, studying music. Acquaintance
ripened and Mr.. and Mrs Vollmar
eventually met James Lindsay Oliver,
Miss divers brother, who is mining
engineer. Here is Miss divers story.
Claimed to Be Mine Promoter.
Richard Vollmar was a promoter of
mines-so he said. He had mining in
terests in the west and a party from
Rock Island, Davenport and Moline
went there to inspect them.
About this time Miss Oliver was
| persuaded to intrust to Vollmar the
sum of 5000, which he promesed to
invest for her. She has never realized
on the investment.
| Later, Vollmar employed James Oil
yer to go with him to Europe, os-
| tensibly on mining business, but, in
reality, Miss Oliver now believes, to
use him to gain acquaintance with in
1uential people in Europe whom
young Oliver knew
They arrived in Scotland and Voll-
mar made a hurried trip to Paris
What happened in Paris is a question
At any rate, young Oliver, left in
Scotland, failed to hear from his en-
ployer, was stranded there and had
to send home for money to get back to
America
! Then Richard Vollmar was heard OF
no more in. the tri-cities
| But, early in January of this year
Miss Oliver was surprised to receive
a letter from Des Moines, which
proved to be communication from
rowing Richard. He was contrite, il
seems, that he should have taken SC
long to make good on his investment
for Miss Oliver, but he would be in
Moline about Jan. IA, when he would
repay the 5000, with interest. 1t was
on that date that Paderewski appeared
there.
Preceding the appearance of the
Polish pianist at the Moline theatre
Mrs. Frank Gates Allen entertained at
her home at Allendale, where the dolls
made by the soldiers were on Gale
Miss Oliver, with hundreds of others
attended the reception.
AS she was leaving she saw Voll-
mar. He was at the far end of a
large room, however, and the crowd
was so dense that she did not attemp,
to speak to him. She also saw Voll-
mars wife and two children.
She had not been home a half hour
before she received a telephone mes.
sage from Vollmar That evening he
his wife and children called at Miss
divers studio.