The New York herald., 1921-12-31
Firms Sign for Advertising
and Find Slips Become
Cash Demands.
VICTIMS RATED AS SOFT
Fluttering Piece of Paper in
Business Office Starts De-
tectives at Work.

Fifteen years ago the Pinkerton
agency sent out the confidential warn
ing that gang was swindling busi-
ness houses throughout the country
for advertisements and other services
in business directories which never
were published.
Since then a business house here
and there In the United States. Canada
and Mexico has awakened occasionally
to the fact that it was out few hun
dred dollars, or perhaps a thousand.
for some sort of directory. and de-
tectives busted themselves for few
was actually made in California, and
the directory agent was sent to San
Quentin.
About a year ago a dapper young
man representing business directory
publishing house called upon a big busi-
Ees5 concern Of New York and acci-
dentally dropped queer looking order
blank, which q member of that Arm
picked up. The little slip of white paper
fiuttering to the floor grew into a ma
ton wide investigation by the Vigilance
ing Clubs OF the World. assisted in New
York by the District Attorney and city
detectives.
Two Indictments Found.
Quietly for a year they worked and
yesterday the Grand Jury Of New York
county returned two indictments for
second degree larceny OF s75 against
four men. But according to Joab H.
Banton. Acting District Attorney. these
rather insignificant looking indictments
are going to reveal ultimately that four
men. and possibly one more, have
cleaned up not less than $1,000. 900 in
New York during thirty years Of vir-
tually unmolested alleged swindlfng, in
addition to vast sums collected in small
amounts from business concerns in
nearly every large city in North Amer
ica-
The men indicted. all said to be
wealthy and to have associated in high
class business and social circles. are
James II. White, 617 West 142d street;
John +. White. 800 Bedford Park
Boulevard. The Bronx; Michael White.
156 Fifth avenue. all brothers, and
William b. Orr. 1715 Seventieth street,
Brooklyn. They were arrested yesterday
and taken to Police Headquarters, to be
held for arraignment to-day.
The fifth man involved Is Arthur A.
Bowen. S95 West End avenue, who was
indicted on a forgery charge week
ago.
The little white slip of paper which
started the inquiry, according to Jerome
Simmons. Assistant District Attorney.
who presented the matter to the Grand
Jury and Detective Joseph A DAILY OF
Police Headquarters. in charge of the
detectives who worked on the case, was
printed by a hunchback negro In a job
printing shop in Harlem.
It eimply requested that a copy OF
certain kind of business directory be
sent free to the person whose name was
signed at the bottom. The agen; OF the
directory" company presented this slip
to the head of business house and OBJ
tained the signature.
Then. It is alleged. the little slip OF
paper with the signature went back to
the print shop OF the Harlem hunch-
back. The top was cut off and a new
set of lines was printed on tho space
above the signature. These newly
printed lines constituted an order for
the payment of a sum to the bearer.
I.sving such an order over the genuine
slrnature OF the head OF business, ac-
ctrding to Mr.. Simmons, 1t was SIM
plc matter to insert a figure and to get
the money at the cashiers office.
Agent Appraises easy Marks"
Amounts obtained. Il Is said varied
according to the appraisal by the agent
Of what he thought could be collected
for advertising or other fake service.
Some clients" got off as lightly as IS.
while others were said TO have lost
5000 or more In sums running TO 500
or 81, 900 at a time.
That the operators found the graft
easy is shown by marginal notations
upon some OF the used order blanks
In the possession of the District At
torncy.
A series OF these bear the rubber
stamp OF a New Orleans lumber mer-
chant with the signature OF his secre-
tary. The slips bear dates or February.
1907, and call for amounts OF 500, $50,
s510 and $1,000.
Upon the 5000 order Is this penciled
notation: signature o. X. Sofa"
Written in ink on another order is
this:
Have agent discontinue calling. Sig
nature O. X. but don't like price. Too
high. VIII cut TO $500. and keep between
II and 5000"
But conditions evidently changed, for
a later order bore this pencil message
MAKE II si.500. Soft"
Mr.. Simmons and the Advertising Club
committee. which IL working under the
direction Of II. ]. Kenner. said they had
no idea how many concerns had paid
money to the operators. One firm Is said
to have contributed $4,000.
Among the witnesses called before the
Grand Jury were representatives Of the
Bradstreet agency. the u. T. Hunger
ford Brass and Copper Company. the
Continental Paper Bag Company and
che Pocahontas Fuel Company.
The District Attorney said that nu-
CONTINUED on Page Four.