Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1911 — Is Purtelle a Swindler or Is He an Honest Man? [ARTICLE]

Is Purtelle a Swindler or Is He an Honest Man?

Here are a few of the checks given by Eugene Purtelle for labor on his so-called Indiana Northwestern Traction Co., when he was operating south of Rensselaer, and which came back protested by the* bank on which they were drawn ; J Roy Cheseman. . . $39.85 Frank Moore 37.62 Thos. Anderson 18.10 These checks were given June 28„ 1911, and the amounts given above include protest fees. They were still unpaid Thursday, we were told. The parties to whom given reside in Rensselaer. The Rensselaer Lumber Co. has a bill of SI 19.04 in the hands of an attorney for collection. This is for lumber used in his coffer-dam for the unfinished bridge abuttments at the Hoover slough, for the “Hunky” shanty near by, etc., we understand. F. R. Erwin, a merchant at Fair Oaks, also has a SlO check that come back. It is said there is at least one more such check held at Fair Oaks. The poor, ignorant “Hunkies” who worked- fol- him here a few days and near Thayer were put off witfet a worthless - check for 5345, while still another bunch were defrauded of their pay through shrewd legal machinations. „ It will thus be seen that practically all that he has done —and that is really nothing at all so far as permanency ,or any real

progress is concerned —has not been paid for and his Victims are still holding the sack for their money. We might cite numerous other bills that he contracted here which remain unpaid. We were recently told that at Hammond he owed between $1,500 and $2,000 in livery and other bills in Lake county, some of which have, been owed for nearly two years. We understand that practically all of the grading that was done between Dyer and Chicago Heights some two years ago and operations finally abandoned there, is unpaid for.

As he has evidently- paid little or nothing any place he has operated; as he has given numerous checks that have been turned down by the bank on which they- were drawn; and as a romancer he out Munchauser’s Munchausen, what conclusion w-onder why- it is that so much w-as the father of Mrs. Emma must the people naturally draw-?