South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-24
BUNCO ARTISTS
FILM MERCHANT IS
Business Men Buy Pounds of
Worthless Theater Tickets
For Advertising.

Tickets for the oliver theater
were almost as free as the air last
Saturday. only it was discovered that
the said tickets were of value only
for their weight as old paper.
Sixteen. maybe more South Bend
merchants were approached 10y two
strangers Thursday and Friday Of
last week with an advertising propo-
sition. Upon the payment of SIS
the merchant was allowed 20 issue
tickets that would be recognized at
the Oliver for matinee performances
TO witness the williams Stock COM
pany either Tuesday or Thursday.
Oct l or g. According to the tickets
even the war tax was already paid.
The merchants were supposed TO
issue the tickets TO their customers
when making their purchases and
the quantity of tickets allowed the
merchant was unlimited.
Monday morning s. w Pickering,
manager Of the Oliver theater. re-
ceived a telephone call. The voice
said: Mr.. Pickering. 1 have given
away the 500 tickets that you left
me and I wish you would send me
out 500 more" Mr. Pickering tried
10 ask a half dozen questions all at
the same time, and finally replied:
Tickets? What kind Of tickets?"
The story was out.
Consult show Managers.
Ii develops that the strangers ap-
preached Mr. Williams last Thurs
day and inquired if a matinee per-
Torrance of his company could be
purchased. Being told that it could,
the would-be purchasers informed
Mr. Williams that they would make
a partial canvass of the town and
see if a sufficient number of the mer-
chants could be interested in the
proposition.
Friday morning the two strangers
again saw Mr.. Williams and told
him that they had secured almost
enough TO guarantee the proposition.
but had not made a contract, either
verbal or written to cover the mat
ter They produced four checks
that were made out 10 the Oliver
theater and asked Mr. Williams If
he would cash them so they would
have the cash TO 90 to the news
paper Offices and pay for the ad-
vertising they had promised the
merchants.
This was refused and the checks
were left with Mr. Williams TO hold
These checks have been returned to
the merchants.
Strangers stories Conficted.
The strangers, in making the So
licitation. told several conflicting
stories. To one merchant they claim
ed the merchants matinees would
last for three weeks, and to others
they said it was only the two days.
Some merchants were charged SIS.
others $40, and some got in as low as
So And all Of them were to have
all the tickets they wanted, and
along with this advertising was to
be carried in al South Bend news
papers and a slide put on the screen
at the theater In fact. the mer-
chant was told anything 10 make the
story look as bright as possible.
To some it was represented that
the Dldu ldu the Sdutl4OU VI the
Chamber Of Commerce. but Howard
Emmons. secretary # the Chamber
of Commerce. from whom the en-
dorsement must come. knew nothing
of the affair until Monday night.
Several hundred dollars was col
lected by the men and the last seen
or heard of them was Friday after
nOop ubnp they GRO cunnoca1 70
have left for other green pastures.
Hundreds of these tickets have
been distributed by the merchants in
good faith Neither Mr.. Pickering
manager of the Oliver. nor Mr.. Will
Jams. manager of the Williams
Stock company. knew anything
about IT, The merchants have lost
their money. except the four who
were thoughtful enough to make the