The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-05-17
ANOTHER SWINDLE
IN WEST VIRGINIA WILD LANDS.
Attempt to S,ro.l4.. Besu. Boad. of a Boru. Cor.
porstIOu All.s.dt to be the Posss.Or Of a HLf
SIlllOn Dollars Worth Of Lnnds Ia tAh
staie-A Big scheme In Progress.

Several weeks aga Secretary OF State Stall
maker received an inquiry from 4 gentleman
in New York concerning an organization
called 1.-THE Farmers Improvement Com.
pany OF West Virginia." He knew nothing
OF the company, and could fnd no record OF
It's charter. The lErELLioEScER mentioned
the matter at the tins, and pike in general
OF the frequent inquiries received by State
officials resembling this one. The company
has come to the front again, In connection
with an attemp. to dispose of soms worts.
less bonds, information Of which was given
TO Inspector Byrnes at the New York police
headquarters on Tuesday. The informant
was John Henry, u publisher at 10 Vande.
water street, aud the Transaction grew out OF
an attempt 10 swihdle him several years ago.
The bonds are those OF the same ''Farmer's
Improvement Company OF West Virginia"
and are five hundred 10 number, OF $500 each.
A di.patch 10 the Cincinnati Commercial
G1=ette says they were never properly sealed
and are worthless, but a letter received by
Mr.. Henry a few days ago, from Samuel
Whitney, Catonah, Westchester county, in
dictates that an effort Is being made 10 dispose
of them, The history OF the whole transaction
leading TO their issue illustrates the deliberate
methods OF the swindlers. la 1877, Henry
says, at q meeting OF gentlemen interested II
organizing q Brooklyn street railway, be met
a DR.. Battle, who afterwards called on him
several times.
Finally DR.. Battle referred to a project he
had In view OF organizing a company 10 deal
Ia West Virginia unimproyed lands, He
represented the enterprise rs an excellent in
,..k n.uN ava that ,,nt,1d 10 a Vnnuk
deal OF good 10 the country. Subsequently he
urged Henry 10 accept the Trusteeship OF the
Company, the conditions being that he
should have sole control Of the business, and
represent 1t at It's New York Office. DR..
Battle introduced to Henry two men, named
Van DoriH and Brown, manufacturers OF
artificial stone, whose Office was on Broad
way, as officers Of the company and also
A, j. H. Waters, OF PlainfsId, n. j., as an
able manipulation OF real estate.
These men appeared 10 be all that they had
been represented, and the bonds were print
ed. setting forth as securities an aggregate Of
36S, 1877 acres OF arabic iron and coal lands In
Wyoming, Mcdowell and Logan counties,
West Virginia, worth, DR.. Battle said,
fully a quarter OF a million dollars. The
bonds were to draw interest at @ per cent
from September !, 1876, until September l,
| low Luz uhg wac aPpolhteh w cIEuIh6
them, and II was agreed that they, together
with a deed Of trust, should be placed In the
possession OF Henry, for him TO carry out all
the legal requirements. But instead OF this
they were taken to Waters Office in Plain
field, and neither Waters nor Battle were
seen sgain. Brown and Van Dorm informed
Henry that DR.. Battle had told them that
the bon ds were taken TO Plaintleld for tafe
keeping. After several letters had been
written 10 Waters, be wrote that the bonds
could not be turned over to Henry
for certain legal reasons. Henry wrote
declining to haye anything further 10 do
with the affair, and then smother letter was
received, saying that the bonds should be
Cancelled and returned TO him, as dissatiSiac.
ton existed. Mr.. Brown and Van Dorm
subsequently left New York for the West,
and Henry does not know whether they were
parties to the attempt 10 swindle him, but
he does not think that they were. OF DR..
Battle he has never been able TO learn any.
| thing more. The letter be received a few
days ago asks for information as to whether
the interest has been promptly paid on the
bonds, their market value, and where the
office Of the company Is situated. The
whole scheme Is of q similar character TO
that recently ventilated in the courts Of New
York city, and 1t is doubtful whether either
the West Virginia lands, or the so.called
Farmers Improvement Company, have any
existence. Inspector Byrnes has placed the
case In the hands OF detectives, and there Is
some prospect that the swindlers may be ar
| rested.