Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1909 — WM. GUSS DRAWS A JAIL SENTENCE [ARTICLE]

WM. GUSS DRAWS A JAIL SENTENCE

Former Rensselaer Man Gets In Trouble With P. 0. Officials USING MAILS TO DEFRAUD Is the' Charge, ana at Trial In In* dianapolis Monday He was Found Guilty and Given a Fine of 910 and Six Months In Jail—Mayor Ellis and Mose Leopold Summoned As Character Witnesses.

A Washington dispatch in Saturday’s papers said: “A fraud order has been issued by the Postofflce Department against the Guss Sales Company, B. Guss Sales Company and B. Guss, of Syracuse, Kosciusko county. The department alleges that under these names William E. Guss and wife have been using the mails for fradulent purposes. They were promising to employ agents to distribute' "pain ease.” Every person who accepted the offer, It is alleged, was required to remit sl.” The Wm. E. Guss mentioned above was a former resident of Rensselaer and a few months ago went from here to Lowell, where he was employed for a time, later going to Syracuse, where he has since been located. For several years he has conducted as a sort of a side issue a mail order business, and so far as we know this is the first time he has ever had any trouble with the postal authorities, and his dealings have been straight and honorable so far as we have heard. He was arrested by the federal authorities and had his trial in Indianapolis Monday. Mayor Ellis and Mose Leopold of this city were subpoenaed by a deputy U. 8. marshal to attend the trial as character witnesses, and returned Tuesday morning. An Indianapolis paper of yesterday had the following report of the trial: “A fine of $lO and a six months’ sentence in the' Marion County Jail were imposed on W. E. of Syracuse, Ind.,/by Judge Anderson Thursday afternoon after a jury of the Federal Court had deliberated only ten minutes. Guss was charged with using the mails to defraud. He had advertised for distributors, and promised that there would be no canvassing. After the prospective employe had paid $1 for an outfit he was given powders with instructions to dissolve them in a gallon of water, bottle and label them and distribute from house to house. The distributor then was expectedpto collect for the goods delivered a few days later. The entire day was occupied in hearing the case.”/ He is 26 years of age and has been twice married, his last wife being Miss Gladie Grace Richmond of Rensselaer, to whom he was married last September.