Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1902 — SAWYER IN TROUBLE. [ARTICLE]

SAWYER IN TROUBLE.

A Former Resident of Rensselaer Goes Wrong. Valparaiso Vidette. According to reports Joseph Sawyer, a former resident of this city, is short in his accounts with the Singer Sewing Machine company, of South Bend, to the amount of about S4OO. While Sawyer was a resident of this city, up to a month or so ago, he was agent for the company here. It is now alleged that he falsified his statements to the firm. It is claimed Sawyer would sell the machines at whatever price he wished. He would sell machines for sls or S2O whenever the cash was available, or lie would trade the machine for cows or other stock to the farmers. Instead of remitting the cash to hyi firm, he would appropriate whatever he could get and falsify his accounts, claiming the machines were on hand when none were at his place of business. It is estimated that he sold fourteen of the machines in this county where he appropriated the cash. The company accepted the reports as true until one day last week when Manager D. O. Brown, of Michigan City, came here and looking up the new agent, inquired for the machines which were reported to be on hand, but which were noticeably absent. A careful investigation then" followed and the true state of affairs exposed. Sawyer moved to Kankakee, 111., recently, where he became the company’s manager, and from present accounts is still in their employ.