The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-14
INTERNATIONAL EPISODE
A Swindler and His Opera
lions in This City.
How His Arrest Was Finally
Accomplished.

As is quite generally known in this city
w. T. Call has recovered judgment for
SO, 700 against John Collins ST., of New
York, on the grounds of conspiracy and
fraud, and it is believed that MIR. Call will
secure that amount from the tangible
property of the defendant in the suit.
| The details OF the whole affair, how Mr..
Call was originally induced to advance the
money, the flight of the younger Collins,
his carear in Europe and arrest, and the
subsequent incarceration of John Collins
Sr. in New York, are interesting in the ex-
| IRENE, and show the mode by which the
fraud was perpetrated, and how the men
employed for a long time eluded arrest
They are both now behind the bars of a
prison, one in New York and the other in
Brussels, and for time at least will be
prevented from playing their game upon
the business community of two continents.
class, and their arrests are certainly very
important.
AT ROCK ISLAND
In May 1873, an adver tisement appear
ed in the Rock Island and Davenport pa
pers announcing the fact that a partner
was wanted in a legitimate business, the
only one in the United States. who had
81 900 to invest The advertisement stat
ed that the person inserting the same could
be found at the Clifton hotel. in Davenport,
on the levee. Several citizens of Rock
Island and Davenport called upon the
person at the hotel, who gave his name as
Duncan Everett. He explained to them
his business which was to extract wool
waste from cotton or wooden rags He
exhibited a number of specimens, and gave
references in the East, and also allowed
the visitors to send the samples to estab-
lishments in the East and secure their quo
tations. He stated that the process was
the chemical action of certain acids, and
that he would establish the factory at
either of the two cities, as the person adj
vancing the money might elect.
W. T. CALL
of this city, finally answered the adj
vertisement, and made call
upon Duncan Everett at the
hotel in Davenport. He found young
man of twentysix years of age, well
face and figure who answered to the name
of Everett. The business was explained
to him and figures and estimates made out
that demonstrated the remunerative ma
ture of the enteip prise. On the first visit
Everett said that several persons had
called upon him, but were unable to fur
nish the proper amount of ready money,
and desired TO say that unless his visitor
was so provided farther conversation
would be futile Mr.. Call stated his abil-
ity to raise the requested amount at a mo-
ments notice, and on this information
Everett Immediately laid out his plans
and gave references and other means of
ascertaining his standing where he had
formerly lived.
EVERETT
explained the process of converting wool |
waste from rags by means of acid He
said that his father had been engaged in |
a wooden mill in Rhode Island, and that as |
a boy he was constantly around the inst-
tuition. AS soon as he became old enough
he was employed in the same institution |
and when he left held quite good posi-
=;
accidentally fell into bucket of chemicals |
and acids used about the mill, and when |
he fished the garment out he discovered |
that the cotton portion of the goods had
been eaten up by the acids leaving the
wooden portion in good condition. He
made several experiments based on the
discovery which he had made, and finally |
secured the right ingredients and was en-
abled to manufacture wool waste from
the ordinary rag of cotton and wool mix
ture. He secured ready sale for all the
stuff that he could turn out and left the
mill to branch out for himself. He stray
ed over to Toronto where he commenced
the manufacture, having previously ascer-
eAhS Viz does "oo Ohiy cSNCA NCHtc
per pound and the selling price thirty
one cents. He continued the manufacture,
shipping large quantities Of the wool
waste to this country, until he was arrested
for evading the custom house duties, they
claiming that the waste had been improp-
srly classed and that instead of seven
cents per pound the duty was thirty-two
cents. A suit followed and he
vas compelled to pay the
duty on all the goods that he
1ad shipped previous to the discovery by
he custom officers. He stated that he
lad been obliged to part with ali his ma
;hinery to pay the duties, and the most
of the machinery had been
pledged to an old gentleman in Boston,
who had become interested in him during
he trial IN Boston, and had advanced him
he money to pay the government. He