New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-13
Government Searches the
Office of Elmer Dwiggins
and Seizes Papers
Sold on Instalments
More Than 100000 Worth
Went to School Children
and Clerks

On complaints that have come to the
attention Of the United States At,cr.
ney from time to time, and on request
of the Liberty Loan Committee, post.
Office inspectors yesterday weai to n.
local offices of the Bankers Life lnsur.
ance Company. Of Des Moines, Iowa
in l65 Broadway, and seized the books
and private papers of Elmer Dwisgins.
the company's general manager in this
city.
John c. Knox, Assistant United
States Attorney, who ordered the seiz-
ure, said he understood Dwiggins had
sold more than 100000 worth OF Lib.
erty Loan bonds on the weekly pay
ment plan, and that the search Of his
books and papers was made 10 aseer-
tain how much money he had collected
and how many bonds he had disposed
of. Officials of the Federal Reserve
Bank of the Second District also
urged the examination.
The postoffice inspectors also made
an effort to have talk with Dwiggins,
but reported they were unable to ind
him either in his place of business or
in his home, 20+ West Seventeen
Street.
A representative of the company said
yesterday that whatever transactions
Dwiggins may have had in Liberty
bonds were entirely apart from the
business OF the Bankers Life Insur-
ance Company.
Dwiggins was manager and organizer
OF the Liberty Loan Extension Clab.
The avowed intention of the club was
to permit persons of moderate income
to pay for Liberty bonds on the weekly
instalment plan. Several solicitors were
employed, and, it is said, more than
six thousand persons were enlisted as
members of the club, many of them
school children and others employees Of
shops and stores. Ii was estimated last
night that about 100000 worth Of
bonds had been sold on the instalment
plan through the club.
Club members, many Of them women,
thronged Dwiggins's Office throughout
the day. Some had almost completed
payment for their bonds. Some of them
( wanted to make another payment be-
! fore Thursday, which is the date for
the second installment under the gov
eminent partial payment plan. They
were received by half a dozen women
clerks who were as bewildered a. they
! by the absence of the club manager.
Many of the clerks had themselves sab-
scribed to the loan through the club.
J The Liberty Loan Extension Club
was organized for the first Liberty
, Loan. Of the first issue Mr. Dwigyins
/ bought S350000 worth of bonds. He
: paid the required 2 per cent Of the
purchase price on subscription, and is
believed to have sold most Of the bonds
on the weekly payment plan through
/ the club. When the books were opened
for the second loan he bought 100000
worth in the same way. On Thursday
/ Is per cent Of the purchase price will
be due.
Stores or Broadway between Union
Square and Seventy-second Street were
covered by his canyassers. Employees
of the stores were asked to subscribe
| and the shopkeepers were asked to
make their business places depots FOR
the selling of membership cards in the
bond club. Many of them agreed TO
the proposal. Each club member got
yellow card "a certificate Of member
ship after paying a dollar. =,
Dwiggins is about rrty-nve years old
/ and is married. He was educated for
/ the ministry but went into the real
estate business with his brother in
/ Chicago more than twenty years ago.
/ They started stock brokerage firm IN
I New York in 53 Broadway in 1888
under the name of ]. r. willard Co.
/ The firm failed after an investor had
accused it's proprietors Of running a
bucket shop. One of Dwiggins's sons
Is in the navy.