The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1920-03-05
SINGH ''C|NCHEs"
HOTEL BILL AND
SKlPS OUT TOWN
VISITOR ALSO FoRGETS TO PAY
LIVERY BILL BEFORE DEPART.
lNG-REWARD OFFERED,
SELLS GROCERIES TO NEGROES
Stranger Sold Groceries Below Whole
sale Cost to Negroes, Giving Them
Twelve Months to Pay for Same.
Got Cash Deposit.

Got Cash Deposit.
| Tuesday evening well dressed
/ stranger stepped briskly up to the
I counter at the Bethel Hotel and regis
tered Fred Sinch, Flint, Michigan"
/ He was assigned to a splendid room
! The next morning, dressed in a natty
4 brown business suit he lesurcly ate
breakfast and dropped down into the
4 lobby where he chatted with guests
/ before beginning his days work.
| Going from the hotel the stranger
went to Watson's livery stable, and
introduced himself as f. Wilson,
salesman of the great Michigan Gro,
| Gerry Company" and secured a rig to
| drive through the country.
His was a house to house plan, and
he intended to make thorough can
vas of the county. Business evidently
| was brisk, and it is understood that
Mr., WilSon-Sinch "cinched" quite
number of orders, and also cash de-
| posits on each order 1t IS understood
that he called upon no white people
at all, combining his activities to the
colored population, which, perhaps.
explains how he was able to sell gro
| onf.inc of 11,l-a Ia lnu ria
This morning representative of
The Herald secured one of the orders
taken by Wilson.Sinch. It was for $149
worth of groceries. Among the items
was liz barrels Of -four SIS, SO
pounds of lard $40, 5 boxes of soap S.,
| one free. / bushel of beans So, and
other groceries in proportion. At the
bottom of the list was one good hat
free, and four yards Of bleached do
mestic for wife, free. or course on
such Large ordersit was necessary to.
secure "a small cash deposit, the Gus
omer being an unknown party with
hpSoiuttiy ho JdtiH6' AbS Cuotubitt
deposited S. with Wilson-Sinch, and
was given twelve months time in
which to pay the remainder
A duplicate copy of the order left
in the hands of the customer" bore
at the top these words, THE Mich
igan Grocery Co., Battle Creek, Mich"
Blanks were left for the name of the
customer, shipping point, postoffice,
and buyers name. In filling in this
order, Wilson-Sinch gave the shipping
place at "Clum, Mich, and where the
buyers should have signed his name,
the order is signed Fred Wilson"
Wilson-Sinch may have been an ex-
pert salesman, but when 1t comes to
photography, we cannot hand him
much. He enters III barrels Flow
ers," and "2 SIX Sugger-but this spell
ing did not worry him in the least, for
he made. good sales during his stay
in the county. 1t is understood that
on ono sale he secured deposit of
$50, and on quite number, from 80
TO $10-in other words he did flour.
ishing business, he was prospecting,
and in a most happy frame of mind,
AS he lonuged around the hotel lobby,
he laughed and joked with the guests, !
,,l Ia tLD tbvno dave f;,nn hn xua.,
there he had learned to call some Of
the most prominent citizens by their
first names-it was Joe and Jim, Bill
with Mr. Wilson-Sinch, he liked every
body, and thought everybody should !
like him. he was doing great deal
to bring down the high cost of liv-
ing. Wasn't he selling groceries for
less than they could be bought whole
sale? Was he not philanthroplst?
He became so popular that Former
Mayor Dedman took notice. Why the
cause for this popularity? Was It be- /
cause of this fellows $50 pounds avor-
dupois? Was it because of his slight
ly stopped posture? or his neat brown
suit, or because of the Elks pin he
wore, or because of the brilliant horse
shoe diamond pin in his tie. or be-
cause OF his jocular mood? What was
II that made him so popular?
And then came Friday afternoon,
Mr.. Siueh told the clerk at the Bethel
that he had planned to ruin UP TO
Franklin for few hours and then re-
turn, and would settle his four day
hotel bill then. This, OF
coudsc, was agreeable to the clerk,
and Mr.. Sinch departed. Up until this
time he has not returned. aud former
Mayor Dedman has gotten SO in tho
habit of offering rewards that he just
could not help Offering a reward for
Information as TO the whereabouts OF
Mr. Sinch. Mr. Watson has not been
consulted. but II is thought that he
would he willing to donate something
10 the amount offered by the ex-May-
or Dedman. and 1t is known that sew.
oral of the negroes who purchased