"The Mercantile Finance Company positively guarantees to
allow its customers the privilege of exchanging any stock
purchased from it for stock of any other company which may
be in the said guarantee fund. Such exchange may be made
and repeated as often as desired during a period of five
years following the date of the original purchase."
The tremendous activity of Inspector Ketcham, ably assisted by
Wooldridge, has been at the bottom of the exposure of this whole
abominable swindle. But this is by no means the first case in
which these two men have joined hands and caused an upheaval in
pseudo-financial circles.
These two men first began to work together in the famous Wild Cat
Insurance raids. These raids furnish one of the most dramatic chapters
in the financial history of the United States if not of the world.
The Wild Cats had stolen millions of dollars. Their methods involved
brutal filchings from the poor, heartless commercial brigandage and
finally the running to earth and conviction of the ringleaders and
promoters of the concerns. The work was all done by Wooldridge and
Ketcham.
It would be improper to close the story of the great Rhodus frauds
without some mention of Attorney Patrick H. O'Donnell, who, by his
wise counsel and careful review of the matters submitted in evidence,
materially assisted the two men who had most to do with the unearthing
of the frauds.