The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-22
INDICTMENTS OF
OHIO men warn
-. OTHER !VI0lhT0RS

The following statement Is issued
by the Bureau Of Internal Revenue:
The action Of the Grand Jury at To
ledo. Ohio, in, bringing indictments
against John w. Compton and Chester
G. Compton Of Findlay, Ohio. doing
businesses as the United States Audit
Bureau. Washington, D. c." and as the
Income Tax Record Bureau, Wash
ington, d. c., and various of its
agents, is warning to all private con-
Germs advertising in a way to lead to
the impression that they are govern
ment agencies.
For several months agents Of the
bureau of internal revenue and post
vestigation the methods Of the So
called United States Audit Bureau"
and Income Tax Record Bureau, a
private concern which has no Wash.
tngton office or place Of business. The
Investigation developed that many Of
its agents represented themselves to
be officers or employees of the govern
ment, and by reason Of such pretended
official character, effected sale Of
books to farmers. Not only the book
itself, but the literature and letters
Of instruction furnished by the Comp
ton brothers to their agents appear
to have been carefully prepared with
the deliberate intent to create in the
minds of the prospective purchaser
false impression that the book was
issued by or under the authority of the
treasury department.; that the law re-
Quires the use of the book; and that
the agents are officers or employees Of
the government (although in the
printed instructions furnished them
they are warned not to so represent
themselves).
+. Fake Letter Heads
One of the most obnoxious features
OF the selling plan was the so-called
j Letter Of authority" with which each
agent was supplied. which was type
written or printed on the letterhead
washington, D. c.. bearing an i'm.
pressive gold seal Of the concern, and
which read:
This is to certify that the bearer
Of this letter. whose signature appears
below. is a duly appointed and author
ICED representative of the Incline Tax
Record Bureau Of Washington, D. C.
He is instructed to install and explain
this system to every farmer in his
district
Trusting that he will be treated
with due respect, we are
VERY truly yours,
Income Tax Record Bureau"
On the advice Of the assistant
United States Attorney of Toledo,
John w. Compton and Chester G.
Compton were arrested on a charge
OF conspiring with certain Of their
agents to commit an offense against
the United States, such offense being
that the agents falsely assumed to be
officers or employees of the govern.
ment. They were granted hearing
before United States Commissioned
Crane Of Toledo. Ohio. and placed un'
der bond in the sum Of $4,000 each
Many agents have been arrested
among them being one in Tennessee
Who was indicted. pleaded guilty. and
ontenced to serve a term of eight
2onths in Jail; 1t is the intention to
"oceed in the prosecution Of other
cents as rapidly as possible.
In addition to the Compton brothers,
0dictments have been returned
against Charles H. Sidener of Cincin
natl, Ohio; Lee r. Marvin of Ander
son. Indiana; Frank A. Shafbeau oil
st. Paul, Minnesota; w. J. Russell, Of
: Minneapolis. Minnesota; w. c. Fuqua
Of Stonewall, TENNESSEE: John w
Kenyon, late of Vermont; c. JOSEPH
Lonsdorf, Jacob Lonsdorf and w. B
TAR Of Scranton. Pennsylvania Bruce
Quick of Dewitt, Iowa: La Bert P
Sohr Of Bennett, Iowa; Ward R. Ellie
man Of West Milton. Ohio; Ross ]
Shaffer and ]. Wesley Borton Of Wau
seon. Ohio.