The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-01-12
SUIT SETTLED.
Mr.. Call Of This City and His
Investment.
He Advances Money on a
Bogus Patent.
The Result of the Case in His
Favor.

morning contained inc IHIothiotioA ehos
W. II. Call of this city, had obtained
verdict in the supreme court against John
Collins of Boston, for $4,000. The suit
was one charging conspiracy in obtaining
moncyunder false pretenses. as the com
plainant was induced to buy worthless
patent for extracting wool waste from
rags.
The case has already excited general
public attention, as the dealing of the
man Collins has included several transac-
tons of similar character in this country
as well as in Eerope. Collins has sailed
under several assumed names, and his ar
rest has finally been effected, and the pres
ent suit having terminated against him,
it is fully expected that his other victims
will soon make themselves known, and Sc
cure such restitution as the circumstances
will admit.
THE HISTORY
of the Rock Island transaction in detail is
secured from Mr. Call, who is naturally
better satisfied with the world since he has
learned of the money which he advanced
| to establish the bogus establishment which
was represented to be q pronounced sue
cess
In the month of JAM, 1878, an individual
arrived in this city by the name of John
Collins, although he registered at the hotel
as Duncan Everett. He was man of
good appearance, plausible talker, and
gave persons with whom he conversed the
idea that he was man of inventive ideas.
He remained but short time, but made
the fact public while here that he was in
possession of valuable invention, that
when fully developed would prove for
tune to those interested in the process
He had conversations with sew
eral citizens of Rock Island, and
persons in Italy. France, Germany and
Russia. BY representations of the value
of the patent which he possessed he was
enabled to raise some 100000.
The various financial hackers of the
scheme became suspicious that all was not
in accordance with fair play, but by his
wanderings from city to city he eluded
arrest for some time. However a Russian
stakeholder followed him up a short time
ago, and effected his arrest. He is now
confined in a prison at Brussels, and the
enormity of his financial transactions will
soon be ascertainsd and made public.
HIS FATHER
who lives in New York was a partner in
the fraud The elder Collins was rep
resented as the original inventor of the
process, and while the son was visiting
different localities raising money the
father was supposed to be at work per
fecting the machinery that was to extract
wool waste from rags to them he explained
his patent, which was a secret process of
extracting wool waste from the ordinary
rags that are sold to paper mills and other
illustrations of similar character, stating
| that he required some valuable machinery
which he was unable to purchase without
| financial assistance.
was visited by him, and the process eX-
planned, with the exception Of the secret
involved in the conversion of rags to wool
waste He further explained that he
desired to establish a factory, claiming
that work would be commenced as soon as
the proper machinery could be secured for
the conversion process.
| Mr. Call was finally induced to advance
| So, 900 to the undertaking, and until the
present time has had no returns on his
investment Collins or Evertt with the
money obtained in this city, as well as
other places, departed for Europe.
He there INDUCED in the same
practices and secured funds from
worthless rags The old man was in fact
at work at some machinery which was
claimed to be of great value, but which
proved to be utterly worthless when ex-
amined by an expert.
At the time of the arrest of John Col
Inns, in Russia, which was in November,
1880, Mr.. Call, of this city, discovered the
whereabouts of the elder Collins in New
York. He Immediately commenced suit in
the United States court, with the result as
indicated at the commencement of this
article Collins was arrested last April,
and is now confined in the Ludlow street
jail in New York city.
ASSETS.
The firm of Collins s. Son has consider
able ready money at its disposal, besides a
fine residence located in Brooklyn, and it
is fully expected that the persons interest
ed in the undertaking will not suffer a
total loss of the money originally adj
vanced.
When the arrest of the elder Collins was
made it was discovered that there were
$15, 900 in money orders at the post office
to their credit in New York and Brooklyn,
in sums of 81, 600 each.
In addition to that amount, the resi-
dence occupied by the family at Brooklyn
is represented to be quite valuable, so that
the courts will have tangible property
upon which to levy judgments.