Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-04-20

Drastic Regulation of Nations Foo

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GET BAD paper
FOR PRODUCTS
Warrant Issued for Arrest
Of q. w. Reed, Alleged
Promoter Of s G h . m Q
Which Was Cleverly
Operated in Southern
idaho.
MANY BOGUS CHICKS
GIVEN TO FARMERS
High Prices Paid for Eggs
and Butter and Big Sales
Made to Supposed Repre-
sentative of Commission
House.
The state farm markets
bureau announces the expos
ure of an alleged clever
swindle operated on poultry
and dairymen in southern
idaho. AS a result a war
rant has been issued by the
prosecuting attorney of Can
yon county and the Burley
Mercantile company of Bur
ley for the arrest of G.. w.
Reed. It is expected Reed
will be apprehended in
Butte, Mont, today.
In the meantime $1,000 worth Of eggs
and butter purchased by Reed and
shipped to Butte, where it was sold to
Wilson & Co., a commission house, has
been located and payment for the pro-
duce to Reed stopped. Merchants and
farmers who were swindled will be re-
imbursed, partly at least, for their
losses.
ISSUED BOGUS CHECKS.
Bogus checks issued by the whole
sale by Reed in payment for the pro-
duce he purchased have been turning
up the past few days from farmers and
merchants at Fruitland, Parma, Wei
ser. Nampa, Payette, Caldwell, Burley
and eastern Oregon points. Most Of
them were drawn on the Farmers 4
Merchants bank of Nampa. No funds
are there to the credit of Reed to meet
them.
The alleged swindle was cleverly op-
Grated. Reed is charged with going
Into the egg market In the southwest
ern portion Of this state April 16 and
II, offering q higher price than the
regular market for eggs and butter.
Eggs were quoted at $3.50 per case on
the market. Reed offered $S.75 for
them. Butter was quoted at 46 cents;
Reed paid 48 cents. He operated
swiftly through the territory, purchas-
Ing butter and eggs right and left ana
shipping the produce to Nampa. After
collecting 1t there he shipped the en-
tire consignment to Butte.
HOW SWiNDlER OPERATED.
When buying Reed made a pretense
of searching for his check book, dis
covering he did not have it with him.
He promptly told the farmer from
whom he had made the purchase that
he would send him a check from Nam
pa the same day. This he did But in
yariably the check was unsigned. The
seller, Of course, returned the check,
calling the attention Of Reed to the
fact he had failed to sign it. Reed
thereupon signed the check and again
mailed II to the man from whom he
had purchased the produce. This OPP
Grafton followed in practically every
instance, the authorities allege, gaining
time for Reed. BY the time his checks
started to get to the bank he had his
produce collected and enroute to Butte
The bank returned the checks to the
seller with the notice there were no
funds to meet ther..
STATE BUREAU GETS ACTION.
Suspicion was aroused when several
Of these checks were SO returned and
the authorities given the case. Local
parties informed the farm market bu- |
reau of this state first that some oper- |
Ator was in the field paying a price |
higher than market quotations for but |
tar and eggs. Az this was unusual and |
investigation was made. The depart
ment soon discovered that apparent
Wholesale fraud had been carried on. |
All Of the machinery Of the department |
was put into motion with the result |
the above facts were revealed. War.
rants were Immediately sworn out. |
The department learned that Reed