The Washington critic., 1888-06-11
THE CHINESE CONCESSIONS.
Count Mitkiewioz Enters Suit Against
wharton barker.

Wharton Barker.
Count Eugene dc Mitkiewicz, through
his attorneys, has entered suit in Phila-
delphia against Wharton Barker, the
Philadelphia capitalist, to compel a
specific performance of agreement, under
concessions by the Chinese Government,
TO supply the parts Of that country
covered by treaties with a telephone SER
vice, and to form another company with
general banking, mining and railroading
powers. The complainant sets forth that
he and w. J.. Paine succeeded i'm March,
1887 at great trouble and expense, in Sc
curing the support of the Chinese Minis
ter, Hoon Chang, and company was
formed to supply the Empire with tele-
phone service. Wharton Barker was to
have thirteen-twentieths of the stock
Paine fourtwentieths, and Count Mitlxie.
wicz three-twentieths.
IL was called the Chinese American Tel
ephone Company. OF the stock 81, 900 900
was 10 be limited to Chinese subjects. and
the remainder, S5,000,000, to be held by
company, capitalized at $50, 600, 900, to be
called the Oriental Company which was
to have grant of mining, banking and
railroading powers from Hi Hung Chung.
On this promised concession provisional
certificates of stock were issued over the
signatures of Count Mitkiewicz and
Wharton Barker to Chinese officials.
Meanwhile an embassy was sent to the
United States, headed by Ma Kie Chang,
to see Barker and arrange matters. The
complaint states that q new agreement
was made between Chang, Barker and
others, and Sl0O,OO was raised to meet
expenses, but MitBlewicz was left out
An agreement was then made, it Is al
legged, whereby Barker was allowed to
sell one fourth of his interest in the
American and Oriental Company for %
per cent. of the par value, one fifth of the
proceeds going TO the treasurer of the
company. Later an agreement was made
to form the Finance Company of Penn
sylvania, with q capital of 50 900, 900, all
the stock to be paid up and each stock
holder to be given part ofthe stock of the
American and Oriental Companies.
The complainant alleges that Barker
has refused to fulfill the agreements and
through his failure to carry them out
Count Alitkiewicz has been unable to full
fill bis promises TO the Chinese officials.
Mr.. Barker claims that the suit is
nothing but blackmailing scheme. He
continues: "He was selected by the Chi
nese Minister to 60 on the expeditions and
the fact that sent Simon A. Stern as my
personal representative goes to show that
put no reliance in the Count. He is an
adventurer, and Mr.. Paine is no better.
"Tfie telephone concessions secured by
the Count and Paine from the Chinese
Empire amount to nothing. When he
got over there they did not recognize him
as of noble birth, but simply as an or
dinary individual, and that hurt his
PRIDE"
Associated with Mr.. Barker are Hamil-
ton Disston, Samuel II. Shipley Robert
Glendinning, Beauveau Borie, Ezra
Bowen, William Massey, Thomas Potter,
Jr., Francis w. Murphy, ii. d. Fling, and
George T. Tyler. These prominent busi-
ness men are not disturbed in the least by
Count Mitkiewiezs charges against Mr..
Barker. They have perfect confidence in
Mr.. Barker's management of the enter
prise.
Speaking of NIitkiewicz, Mr.. Shipley
said; 'He is an adventurer, and Thought
he was going to make good thing out of
these concessions while putting in
nothing himself II he isn't careful he
will find himself in the penitentiary be-
fore this thingis settled. ,"