Keck, Frank

KECK

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/14/2008 at 16:24:58

Jackson Sentinel
January 22, 1902

Frank Keck was in Dubuque last Friday to appear as a witness before the grand jury of that county. It appears that one Capt. A. W. Hosford a 50 year resident of Dubuque, a real estate and insurance agent has been guilty of embezzlement in numerous instances. His greatest game has been to receive money from farmers and others to pay on notes they were owing and then failing to pay the notes, but would exercise care to pay the interest on the notes as it fell due to make his victims think he had carried out their wishes. Recently Hosford took sick and was unable to keep up the deception he had been practicing, and the old man’s dishonesty was exposed. He was arrested charged with cheating, fraud and embezzlement and will have to stand trial. Among others was a Dubuque county creditor of J. E. Squires of this city, from whom Hosford had received nearly two years ago about a thousand dollars to be paid Mr. Squires. Hosford never paid over the money to Mr. Squires but took care to remit the interest as it fell due and said nothing whatever to Mr. Squires concerning the payment of the principal on the note. The holder of the note is safe inasmuch as the farmer who paid Hosford is responsible and still beholden notwithstanding he once paid it to Hosford.