Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 228, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1919 — SWINDLED, NOT SWINDLERS, SAY THOSE TAKEN IN NET. [ARTICLE]

SWINDLED, NOT SWINDLERS, SAY THOSE TAKEN IN NET.

That Charles W. French, alleged head of the . stock swindling gang in Chicago, had victimized him to the extent of at., least $2,000 was the declaration made in Chicago yesterday by John Ahlgren, indicted with French and twenty-three others. E. W. Bassett, who was algo indicted, said he did not lose any money, but was induced to become a trustee in the company that was supposed to buy SIOO,OOO worth of batteries from the Ahlgren company. Ahlgren is trustee and active head of the Ahlgren Electric Light and Storage company, of Indianapolis. Bassett is the head of the E. W. Bassett Grain company. “French and Levitt came to Mr. Ahlgren and me,” said Bassett,” and interested us in the overland trucking system and wanted to buy SIOO,000 worth of batteries, and assured us they would take the batteries as soon as the company was formed. The company was never organized and they never received the batteries/’

“They have received various sums in cash from me,” said Ahlgren. on the Libertyville State bank, of Libertyville, 111. I have never received the money. Mr. Bassett and I were pigde trustee in the same organization but never took any interest in it. “I cannot see how I can be anything but an innocent victim of a 'bunch of smooth men,” he added. It is understood that George V. Moss, formerly of this city and who was also arrested in connection with the affair, in a statement following his arrest asserted that he, too, was an innocent victim of the operations of French and his aides and that he was in no way connected with_ the illegal operations followed by French; that he was simply made a trustee in -the comnany and had no idea that he was connected 1 with a concern which was following so illegitimate practices. . « Mr. Moss’ many friends in this city are in sympathy with him and are hoping that it will be proven that he had no active interest in the alleged fraud.