New-York tribune., 1872-03-21
CRUSHING THE ELlAStS.
OVERWHELMING EXPOSURE OF TIE "GEN'
EVA WATCH COMPANY SWINDLE.


TELEGRAM FROM THE u. s: CONSUL At GENEVA
&c No WORD OF TRUTH" IN ELIAsS PkETEN-
sIoNs-TEsTING THE BANKRUPT WATCHES
-" WORTHLESS WORKS AND CASES MADE or
IRON WHAT THE u. s. AssAYER DIsCoV-
ERED-TEsTIMONY OF LEADING EXPERTS
WARRANTS ISSUED FOR THE ELIAS BROTHERS.
The most remarkable aud outrageous swiDdlo
known E this city for dozen years is that enei-
neered at No. 763 Broadway by the two champion
rogues, Ellis H. Elias and Henry p Elias, under the
guise of q bankrupt sale" of the watches Of the
" Great Geneva Watch Company The fact that
there is no such company and that these watches
are either utterly without value. worth only a
fraction of what they sold for, has been repeat
edy published in THE TRIBUNE and one or two other
newspapers in favor of suppressing fraud BY dnt
Of heavy and mpudent advertising the Eliases,
however have bribed most Of the city journals to
silence, and have almost pursuaded the creduous
portion of the public that they are really selling
valuable watches at less than cost To prove beyond
doubt that this bankrupt watch company ~
swindle of the worst kind. THE TRIBUNE under
taking the work the police should have done, has pro
cured chain of evidence which led Judge Ledwith &"
issue yesterday for the arrest OF the w"
Eliases and which must convince all who read what
follows that No. Broadway is the headquarters OF
the most rascally swinders in New-York City.
On the 2sth O. February Wayne Ltzenberg and Edwar
Newell of this city purchased watches OF the socaed
watches were represented TO be manufactured by John
Elery of Boston, Mass. and his appeared on tho
movements, which we're numbered respectively oo'o''
and The purchasers paid $40 35 for each wa'eh
and told by the seller that the ordinary retail pc'
OF each watch SIS apiece. The printed gnarahtf"
that accompanied such watches certifying that II waS
solid silver. and good timepiece, was signed by the
Geneva Watch Company" aud this will be seen be-
low guarantee at ALL as such company not only
does not exist, but has existed The purchasers
finding that their watches failed entirely in keeping tune,
submitted them TO the inspection Of competent judge
who declared them worthless watches and 0f httlo
| value otherwise.
| Messrs. Robbins Appleton agents OF the company
by whom the watches were said to be manufactured,
declared them TO be fraudulent and applied for and oh
tained Injunction In the Superior Court against Henry
P. Elias, John Doe, and Others representing tho
| called Geneva Watch Company" restraining them
from selling any more watches bearing the trademark
mentioned. This injunction served Elias and al
the statesmen No. 763 Broadway but did not prevent
Elias conederates from carrying tbeir fraud
uent trade stop them deluding the public into
| buying.
The swindlers continued 20 advertise boldly that they
were selling the watches OF the Great Geneva Watch
Company" greatly reduced prices. in order to enable
that bankrupt" to close its business speedily
and that worth Of these watches had been sent
to them to dispose Of. To explode this audaciOus mis-
representation the following telegram sent the
|
American Consul at Geneva, in Switzerland:
NEw-YORK, March 49, Igie
To Cmts a. Upton an o. IS s. Co,fm Gemeea, Sg@frtam %
Watch Companyi Is it bankrupti Has it sent s2ooov
worth OF watches to be sold here TO close the cOnccr
II not send ahdavts on which TO DaSe an action by our
| authorities.
The reply this dispatch, signed by Mr. Upton shows
| conclusvey that there is Geneva Watch Company;
that. consequently has become bankrupt that
watches here any one to be sold at
low prices TO close the concern IN ne erdet cords OF he
telegram. there is OF TRUTH" Ia Eliass pre-.
| tensions.
this sale OF watches purported TO be bankrupt sale
of the Great Geneva Company" plausible res
son was furnished the public why solid gold sill
Watches might offered for sale at half price,
The TRIBUNE deemed it advisable in the first place. td
demonstrate that such bankruptcy had occurred, an
consequently such existed; hence the sendng
OF the telegram The next step TO show the absolute
worhessness of the watches and to such legal
evidence would compel action by the authorities.
Accordingly the watches bought by Litzenberg and
Newell were obtained by TRIBUNE reporter, taken to
the United states Assay Office, and presented To MI
Graham official in charge, with the request that they
should examined and complete assay made, 90 show
exact composition of the cases The works Of tho
watches taken ont by Mr. Graham and the r-
porter carried the works OF the purchased by Newell
to Ball. Black Co., and the works OF the one purchase
by Ltzenberg to Tiffany Co.. for examination on tho
next day the reporter received the following cefhcan
| from the u. g. Assay Office:
Ireceived Of - for y. Y TRIBUNE, March 49, 1917,
two watch-cases, the works OF which were numbered
office and found only 81 46 worth OF silver ia each
s. 80 worth OF silver In both The residue tras bof
| AND COPPER SAM III. GRAHAM,
! March 10, 1872 U. s. Assay Ofhce. New York.
The reporter also put in possession OF the asyed
metal and the amount OF which entered into tho
composition OF these solid silver Watches and whici
did not melt the crucble would be quite suhicentJf
viewed, IL may be, at THE TRIBUNE Office by persona
anxious for cheap bargains at No 63 Bi
10 deter anyone from falling victim to the schemes or
Elias and his gang. The' following letters show the
! worthessness OF the works OF these two watches
estimated by the well known authorities to whom Elias,
OH walls Of No. 763 Broadway invites buyers to take
their purchases for Inspection
The watch movement 55575, marked " John Elery,
Boston, Mass" left with us has been submitted tn
| platuyactu,e and UTTERLY WORTHLESS AS WATCH
NeDe-York, March 10, 1874 TiffANi * Go.
NEwYoRK, March 10, 1872.
Ireceived from n. Y. TRIBUNE the works Of "a watch
marked John Ellery, Boston, Mass, No S,9o2" ana
of opinion that said movement not manufactured
this country and that it is Swiss or French imitation OF
American watch IL is the most imperfect aud rOrsi
Tnished Increment Ierer sa'e AND is Utterly WORTH
Matchmaker for Ball, BLACK o..
Conversation by TRIBUNE reporter with the two jew.
elers mentioned above ected fact that the works oe
these watches probably collected from the dnerenb
wachmakers Of Switzerland who had discarded them as
too imperfect to put In their watches and that this
refuse purchased old metal and valued by It's weight
| alone, had been combined baphazard In forming ID"
works Of the watches sold by the concern at No ics
Broadway.
The purcbasers of the aforementioned watches
were prevailed upon by TRIBUNE reporter
snare time enough from their pressing dutes to
annear before Judge Ledwth yesterday, at the
Jeaerson Market Police Court and make affidavit to,
the facts of the purchase as stated above. MI.