Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1915 — Motorists Security Alliance .Agents Were Fakes. [ARTICLE]

Motorists Security Alliance .Agents Were Fakes.

A couple of men were here last week soliciting membership in the Motorists Securitf Alliance of Chicago, an organization which insures its members against extortion by garages and hotels, worthless,gccesstories,oils', excessive charges for auto parts, etc;, etc., and is seemingly a good thing tor auto owners and auto tourists. The men roomed at Abe Halleck’s residence and boarded at the White Boarding House. They gave their names as W. F. Dunlap and E. J. Howard, and called on most of the auto owners here and secured applications for membership, it is reported, from Dr. Washburn, Dr. Hansson, W. C. Babcock, Mark Schroer and perhaps one or two others. The printed literature which they had. stated that the admission fee was $25 and the annual dues $lO. They stdted, however, that they would take memberships at $7, and so far as known, this is all they-col-lected in cash, and perhaps then only from one or two of these. The .men were supplied with literature and seemingly had sufficient credentials to convince one that they were bonifide, agents, They did not meet with very much s 'ccess hero and Thursday they left town, returning to Chicago, leaving a $9 board bill and their unpaid room rent at*Halleck’s. Friday J. L. Williams, the secretary of the company, who had learned that the men were Canvassing here, came down from Chicago and branded them as imposters. He said that they had made application to his company to become solicitors and pending their filing of a bond and an iifvestlgation of their references they had been supplied with literature to study up on. They had filed no bond, however, and thair references proved unsatisfactory. Mr. Williams returned to Chicago and through the efforts of his company, the men were arrested Saturday and placed In jail. Sheriff McColly received a telegram from the Chicago detective headquarters Sunday informing him that they had been apprehended, and he went up Monday morning to bring them to Rensselaer, they having stated that they would come without a requisition. On arriving there, however, they had changed their minds and he came hack empty-handed. Yesterda/ the sheriff went to Indianapolis to secure a requisition, the men having been held in Chicago on a fugitive warrant, and he will probably go up again today and bring them here. It is reported that the men have several different aliases and have been in trouble before. The report published in the Republican that the editor of The Democrat was -one of the victims; is without any foundation whatever, j »