Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1918 — IN HANDS OF PHILLISTINES [ARTICLE]

IN HANDS OF PHILLISTINES

Newton Township Farmer Shorn By Sharpers. The following article appeared in Thursday morning’s Indianapolis Star regarding a well-known Newton township farmer: A confidence game in which he says he lost $11,371, came to light Tuesday when David L. Halstead, a farmer and stock dealer, of Rensselaer, Ind., went to police headquarters and made two affidavits. He charges that two men giving their names as J. Martin and William H. Peck succeeded in swindling him out of $9,371 of the money and the remainder he lost in selling stock below what he had paid for it so that he could meet the demands of the strangers. The affidavits charge Martin and Peck with bunco steering, obtaining money by false pretense and grand larceny. From the manner in which the two strangers procured the money detectives believe that Halstead was in a company of two shrewd confidence men . Halstead was with them Oct. 23 to Nov. 5 and the deals in which they procured his cash took place here. Besides the loss of the money which the two men got from him Halstead has a mortgage for $1,500 on his farm to meet and also notes amounting to $2,000 which he owes to a Chicago live stock company. Halstead, who owned some land in Michigan which he wished to sell, met Peck in Rensselaer. Peck, who was fashionably dressed and looked prosperous, said he wished to purchase the land for a client living in Detroit, Mich. He made an engagement to meet Halstead in a hotel at South Bend, Ind., on Oct. 25. Halstead met Peck and while they were talking over the sale of the land, Peck, it is said, suggested they take a walk. While in a residence section of the city Peck found a purse on the sidewalk containing SBS and several certificates for stock in an oil company. The purse was supposed to belong to J. Martin, who happened to be stopping at the same hotel. When Martin was seen he claimed the purse and wished to give Halstead and Peck a reward of S4O each, which they refused, but Peck, it is asserted, suggested that Martin might apply the reward on the oil stock, if it was any good, and they would see what they could make on it, which it is said Martin agreed to do. In a short time Peck, who had gone to an alleged stock exchange, came back and announced that they had won $30,000 on the stock but they would have to raise an equivalent sum as a guarantee of good faith. Peck volunteered to supply $20,000. Martin said his rich uncle would “stake him” to the remainder. He went to find the uncle and returned later with a telegram from the supposed uncle in which he was refused the sum. It was then up to Halstead to get the SIO,OOO and according to his statement he left no stones unturned to get it. He went to several banks in the northern part of the state and was finally told by a bank at Monon, Ind., that he might borrow $5,000, but when the appointed day came the bank refused him. In the meantime Peck, who had been in Chicago, came back and -said he could raise his part of the sum. Then Halstead went tp his home and placed a mortgage of $1,500 on his farm and by appointment met Peck in Indianapolis and gave him the money. Thuy were registered at a South IHinois street hotel. Whe nhe was unable to raise the rest of the money Halstead went to Chicago, where he purchased three cars of cattle, for which he gave his notes for $9,000. The cattle were shipped to the Indianapolis stock yard and consigned to the C. W. Sedwick Commission Company, which

sold them for $7,871. This was given to Halstead in two checks. In the meantime Martin opened an account in a local bank in which Halstead’s $1,500 had been placed. While here Halstead introduced Peck as his nephew but the Sedwick company became suspicious. An inquiry was made at the hotel for Halstead which was answered by Peck who was in Halstead’s room, and shortly after noon the two men left the hotel for another. The next day Halstead was sent to Hammond, Ind., where he was to meet Peck and his client who wished to purchase the land and he was also to receive his portion of the $30,000 he had made on the stock market. The Sedwick company, however, when they were unable to locate Halstead, notified the banks to stop payment on their two checks. The bank did not get the notification in time, it is said, and it is said Martin drew both, with the additional $1,500, leaving a balance of about S4O at the bank. This was on November 6. Halstead said that after leaving here he received a telegram from Peck dated at Shelbyville, Ind., in which he said his client was ill but that he would keep the engagement at Hammond. Halstead did not realize he had been swindled, he told the police, until Peck failed to appear at Hamm»nd.