The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-05-26
ANOTHER swINDLE
IN WEST VIRGINIA WILD LAND.
Attempt to Negotiate Bogus Bonds Of a Be-
gus Corporation Alleged to be the
Possessor of Half Million
Dollars Worth of Lands
in This State.
Wheeling InteIIigencer.


Several weeks ago Secretary Of
State Stalnaker received an inquiry
from gentleman in New York con
corning an organization called 1.-THE
Farmers improvement Company of
West Virginia. He knew nothing
OF. the company, and could find no
record of its charter. The Intelli-
geacer mentioned the matter at the
time, and spoke in general ofthe fire.
quent inquiries received by State of
fcials esembling this one. The com
pany has come to the front again in
connection with an attempt to dispose
of some worthless bonds, information
OF which was given to Inspector
Byrnes at the New York police head
quarters on Tuesday. The informant
was John Henry, publ sher at Is
Vandewater street, and the transac-
tion grew out of an attempt to swim
die him several years ago. The bonds
are those of the same 'Farmer's I'm
proyement Company of West Virgin
ia," and are fise hundred in number
Of $500 eaclr 4 dispatch to the Gin
cinnati Commercial Gazette says
they were never properly sealed and
are worthless, but a letter received
by Mr.. Henry few days ago, from
Samuel Whitney Catonah, Westches-
ter county, indicates that an effort is
being made to dispose of them. The
history of the whole transaction lead
ing to their issue illustrates the DELHI
crate methods of the swindlers. In
! 1877, Henry says, at meeting Of
gentlemen interested in organizing a
Brooklyn street railway, he met DR..
Battle, who afterwards called Oh him
several times.
Finally Dr. Battle referred to pro-
ject he had in view of organizing a
company to deal in West Virginia
unimproved lands. He represented
the enterprise as an excellent invest
ment, and one that would do a great
deal of good TO the country. Subse-
quently he urged Henry to accept the
Trusteeship ofthe Company, the con
ditions being that he should have sole
control Of the business, and represent
it at its New York office. DR.. Battle
introduced to Henry two men named
Van Dorm and Brown. manufacturers
of artificial stone, whose office WAS on
Broadway, as officers of the company
and also A. j. H. Waters, of Plain
field, N. j., as an able manipulation of
real estate.
These men appeared to be all that
they had been represented, and the
bonds were printed, setting forth as
securities an aggregate of 1868 1913
acres ofiron and coal lands in Wyom-
ing, Mcdowell and Logan counties,
West Virginia, worth, Dir. Battle said
/ fully quarter of million dollars.
The bonds were to draw interest at 6
per cent from September /, 1876, I'M
til September |. 1895. The day was
appointed for signing them, and it
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 we're taken to
Walters office in Plainfeld, and
neither Walters nor Battle was seen
again. Brown and Van Dorm inform
ed Henry that DR.. Battle had told
them that the bonds were taken to
Plainfeld for safe keeping, After
several letters had been written to
Walters, he wrote that the bonds
could not be returned over to Henry
for certain legal reasons. Henry
wrote declining to have anything fur
Their to do with the affair, and then
another letter was received, saying
that the bonds should be Cancelled
and returned to him, as dissatisfac-
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 to swindle him, but he
does not think that they were.' OF
DIR. Battle he has never been able to
learn anything more. The letter re-
eeived few days ago asked for infor-
nation as to whether the interest has
been promptly paid on the bonds,
their market value, and where the Of
fee of the company is situated. The
whole scheme is of similar charac-
ter to that recently ventilated in the
courts of New York city, and it is
doubtful whether either the West
Virginia lands, or the so-called Far
mer's Improvement Company, have
any existence. Inspector Byrnes has
placed the case in the hands Of detec-
tives and there is some prospect that
the swindlers may be arrested.
Erie's Experience.
DIR. HARTMAN: l cannot but ex-