Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1903 — MADE ANOTHER “KILLEN.” [ARTICLE]

MADE ANOTHER “KILLEN.”

OH Refliwry Praneters Killen and Rlchmlra Again Heard Pram. India* apol is Sentinel: Susan Snoddy, by the wording of the complaint, “a widow of slight experience in business affairs, living in a community remote from any one to consult,” asks damages in the sum of sll,000 from George I. Richmeierand James E. Killen of this city and the Southwestern Oil Refining company of Los Angeles, Cal. All but SI,OOO of the amount demanded is alleged to have been taken from her fraudulently by Richmeier and Killen, described as "men of large business experience, wide knowledge of men and affairs, keen insight into human character and great persusaive powers.” The complaint recites that the defendants came to her home in Fountain county near Covington last April for the purpose of selling her stock in the Southwestern company. She knew Richmeier from previous dealings with him and he was acquainted with the fact that she was the holder of an endowment policy worth SIO,OOO. The men represented that the concern in which they were interested bed been paying 6 per cent on common stock semi-annually, she says, and Richmeier said he had invested

$60,000 himself, while Killen went him some better, declaring that he was drawing dividends from $75000 invested. She claims that they were willing to accept her promisory note, due in ninety days, for $9,500 and SSOO in the stock of a manufacturing concern which she held. For this she received 40.000 shares of Southwestern Oil Refining company’s stock, nicely engraved. Killen and Richmeier sold her note to the Covington bank, she says, and she was compelled to pay $9,700 to get it back. Then she investigated and claims that the following are some of the things learned: The stock certificates, eight for 5,000 shares each, were not worth the expense of engraving them to her. There is out-standing one million “paid up” shares of capital stock, common, she claims, and $200,000 shares preferred stock of the Southwestern company. The property of the company consists of a barren ten-acre tract near Bakersfield, Cal., and altogether the company does not possess $15,000 in real estate or other property. Messrs. Richmeier and Killen issued stock to themselves and paid nothing for it. The scheme was a fraud in all Particulars, she alleges, and she as been damaged in the sum of SI,OOO besides the loss of her $lO,000. Neither Richmeier nor Killen could be located in the city yesterday. Killen formerly lived in the Vendome flats on Delaware st., and was a traveling agent.

These are the same parties who some time ago sold Miss Cordelia Monnett of this city $6,250 “worth” of the same kind of stock, $5,000 of which was recovered by the victim through the alertness of her banker, J. C. Harris. Richmire started his downward career, it is said, as clerk of Benton county, which office he is alleged to have left short in his accounts.