St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-21
4 Big WHEAT STEAL.
A Systematic Plan Of Robbing
Elevators Carried on Over
a Year.
khout6O,0OO Bushels Of Wheat
Stolen From the Union
Elevator.
Indications That There Will
Be Some Sensational De-
velopments.
Are the State Grain Weighers
Implica -ed---Different
Statements.

The arrest of William &. Harley, of
the Minneapolis commission firm OF
Harley IL Peterson, at an early hour yes
terday morning upon warrant charg-
ing him with the larceny of $4,000
bushels of wheat from the Union Ele-
vatOT company, has created a tremen-
dOus sensation in business circles, and
especially among those whose dealings
are made through the medium OF
the chamber of commerce. Thus
far. the events with which
the public has been made acquainted
have served To awaken the suspicion, If
not the apprehension, that gigantic
scheme of robbery has been unearthed,
The extent of which can only be con-
,ectured, because of the reticence of
The members Of the elevator company.
The refusal CT the Bank of Commerce
10 honor the notes Of the firm of D. c.
MOak 4 Co. was the first indication,
perhaps, of the
TROUBLE THAT WAS COMING.
A meeting of the directors and officers
Of the Elevator company followed in
the evening, and then the arrest of
Harley. formerly bOOkkeeper of the
firm, at midnight. He was charged
with the larceny Of 1900 bushels of
wheat in the warrant. but the amount
claimed to have been stolen was after
wards reduced to 1,5OO bushels, and he
was admitted to bail. Next Charles
Nj. Mason, foreman of the elevator.
was arrested and committed to jail
upon the charge Of stealing 15,O00 bush
els, pending an examination. Moak &
Go. made an assignment to James L.
Cargill for the benefit of creditors. In
connection with these movements are
The rumOTS founded upon what can be
learned from the parties interested, to
20 the effect that not less than 10000
bushels of wheat have been stolen from
the elevator company, and that the rob-
berry has been carried on Systematically
since Sept. l, 1887. The very nature of
the scheme, and the adiuncts necessary
to its being successfully carried on,
naturally duplicates others, who must
Of necessity be dealers in wheat. 1t is
absolutely certain that several of the
employees OF the elevator company
STOLE THE WHEAT
and turned it over to commission men
dealing with the company, and it is
generally supposed that the wheat was
stolen from the elevator in the follow
ing manner: Commission men who
we're partners III the theft would ship
several carloads of wheat to the ele
gator, and be credited with 80 or 100
bushels in excess of the amount re-
.eived from each car. And again, when
he wheat was shipped out Of the ele-
.atOr the same system was also fol-
owed. but in a little different manner.
This time. instead of reporting 80 or
100 more bushels than the amount in
the car, they reported just that amount
less. and in this way from 100 to 200
bushels were stolen from theelevatOT in
every car shipped to the commission
men in the conspiracy. How this was
done without the aid of the state wheat
Weighers may appear to be mystery to
some people who think that these wheat
yeighcrS are able TO keep the elevators
rom robbing the farmers. But if they
knew anything about how an elevator
run. they would understand that one
man in the cupOla of an elevator. who
S not allowed TO handle the machinery
" which the receiVing-binS and scale
Oins are opened and closed, would not
have as good a chance to find out how
much wheat was being received and
shipped as a man who was working in
the switching crew that switched the
cars to aid from the elevator.
ARE TIE STATE WEIGHERS IMPLICATED
In an article published in the DAII.X
GLOBE nearly year ago, the system
adopted by the state grain commission
for the weighing of wheat received at
he elevators. was shown up, and the
statement was then made that the state
VeiEheTS were no protection to the
armeTS who were compelled to pay for
lem and that they might Just as well
make up their minds to tile fact that as
ong as the wheat ring had control of
The grain commission, they would be
robbed on both grades and weights.
This article caused a great howl from
the wheat ring. who said that it was ut
terly impossible for a single pound of
wheat to be either taken in or out of an
elevator without the state weigher
knowing il. These same men now say
that they are confident that the state
WeigherS knew nothing about this theft
of about 0.UO0 bushels of wheat from
the elevator. thereby admitting that the
state weigherS' knowledge Of the re-
ceiptS and shipments OF wheat at the
elevator is very limited. 1t is supposed
these thefts from the Union Elevator
company have been going on since
about the lst of September, 1887. Until
the l1th of February, 1883, II. q. VenoSs,
br0ther-iI-law Of II. G. StordOck, war
den OF the state prison, was the state
weigher, and since that time F. E.
Blodgett, of Redwood Falls, has been
the weigheT. {. \. Pillsbury, who is
one of the directors of the elevator
company, is said to think the state
weighers know nothing about the theft.
Samuel Hill, another director, stated tC
areporter yesterday that the parties ar.
rested were very small fish compared
with some who were known to be con.
aected with the robbery. He said thai
ne understood that Harley, who was un
,ler arrest. was but an agent for a com
mission firm which had stood in will
he thieves.
THE ARRESTS,