Asheville, Jan. 7—Scott Dillingham, erstwhile “largest used-car dealer in the Carolinas,” after an absence of five months, has come back to Asheville for a reckoning. Five hundred persons were at the Southern station to greet “Scott,” as he arrived in the company of Deputy Sheriff McLean and J.L. Page, bondsman, who went to Dallas, Texas, to bring him back.
Last August Scott Dillingham’s business became so involved in debts, suspicious dealings, and pressing obligations, that he absconded, leaving bondsmen unprotected on $25,000, customers and patrons with scores of automobiles claimed by several owners, and debts and obligations, said to amount to nearly $100,000.
At the time of his flight 38 cases on the dockets of civil and criminal courts in this county were slated against him. He is wanted in Pennsylvania on the charge of securing two Cadillac automobiles and tendering a worthless check in payment.
In this city Dillingham is facing two larceny charges; one for State license tags alleged to have been removed illegally from other automobiles and the other for tendering a new Reo car for two diamonds. Sam Argentar, a local jeweler later found that the car was owned by another party.
Scott stepped from the train smiling, and said he would be back in business in a short while.
Although a very young man, having attained the age of 21 last December, Dillingham has been the head of a large business in this city for a number of years. He was doing business as head of a used car concern when only 19 years old, and was said to have accumulated property, real and personal, amounting to $100,000.
Leaving Asheville last August, Dillingham said today that he went straight to Los Angeles, Cal., and that not liking the place he went to Dallas. From Dallas he went to Mexia, where he remained until arrested several days ago. He was head salesman of an automobile house and highly respected, he said.
“A blonde-headed woman” is attributed to the downfall of the former used car dealer. But for an old acquaintance whom he knew years ago in Asheville and suddenly ran upon in Dallas, Dillingham declared he would never have been apprehended. The girl tipped the officers off, he said.
“I was about to clean up $100,000 on a deal, when the girl gave me away,” Dillingham declared. It was his intention, he said, to eventually go back to Asheville and pay off all obligations.
From The Charlotte News, Sunday, Jan. 8, 1922
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