Published in the Kendall County Record, July 4, 1872
Edited & compiled by Elmer Dickson
The stockholders of the woolen factory in this place have labored under great difficulties and met with heavy losses. Under Mr. Curtis’ administration the factory was never disgraced with shoddy machinery, and a good article of cloth was turned out. However, the factory was not a paying investment, and the company decided to give up the running and management of it and rent it to other parties.
Accordingly, some two years ago it was rented to the Cunningham Brothers. Recently some of the owners of the company have become suspicious that all was not right. On Friday of last week, considering themselves justified in doing so closed the factory. There is due from the Cunninghams to the company two thousand dollars, and the interest there on. In addition, six month’s rent is due and the employees have not received their pay for some time. There was very small amount of cloth in the factory at the time of shutting up. The Cunninghams affirm that if they were permitted to go on with their work they would pay all indebtedness. Because they were unable to give any security the company did not think it advisable to continue.
On Friday night after the factory was closed a guard was placed there to watch the goods. Towards morning he
decided to go home and take a nap. In the morning it was discovered that some of the cloth had been stolen. Suspicion
was fastened upon a young man who had been at work for the Cunninghams who had failed to get his pay. It is supposed
that he took the business into his own hands. He boarded with the Cunninghams and they reported the next morning
that the goods were in their house and part of them was found in their cellar. It is strongly suspected that the
man, I have not learned his name, was not alone in taking the goods. Several persons were about most of the night
and some of them were under the influence of liquor. However, there was insufficient evidence to convict anyone
except the man before mentioned and he is bound over to court. He has been considered inoffensive, and is certainly
far below the average intellect. Had he only taken sufficient cloth to pay himself there would not have been much
done about it. There has been ten or twelve pieces found. It is not positively known how much has been taken or
that he took them all.
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