Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-08-30
HE WAS CROOKED.
A SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF A BUSINESS
BUBBLE,
Blown BY Stranger in Ssubsvills-Ihs Big
Standard Oil Shipping Station Will Not
Be Erected for q While.

Yesterdays REGISTER contained local
item to the effsst that officers of the
Standard Oil Company were in Steuben-
vile looking about for a site upon which
to erect tsnksge, for the storage OF Stand
ard oil, that one site Of fifteen acres had
been settled upon and the transfer almost
completed, and that there was quite a
buoyant feeling, as result, among real
estate men and the Steubsnyille business
world generally.
By last evening the situation had been
very materially changed, the high hopes of
those interested in the advancement of
Steubsnyille having been dashed to the
ground in a rough way, calculated TO create
widespread disgust. The bubble was pune
tured by tine srrest OF the alleged repre-
sentative of the Standard and his assistant
on a charge of obtaining money by fraud,
and last evening both men were under lock
and key.
The following special telegram explains
the situation:
sTEUBENvILLE, August ga sleek
locking young fellow, accompanied by an
other man who was apparently an assist
ant, appeared at Mossgrove's U S. Hotel last
Saturday and registered as Edward Nor
ris, and announced that he was Secretary
of the Standard Oil Company, and had
been sent out to look up site for the es-
tahlishment OF a shipping station for Lima
oil designed for the Southern markets. He
cut great swell, hired horse and buggy
at B. M. Sharps livery stable and kept it
constantly in use. The main provisO he
made with the livery man was that the
horse should be changed three times a day
the cost was no object and received no
consideration from him. He succeeded in
being introduced TO a number OF our prom
inent business men, and WAS shown several
sites for the proposed shipping point.
lie wanted considerable laDd on which
to erect tankage, and finally settled on
the Beatty property on North Seventh
street as tbs best adapted to the pur
pose, aud employed an attorney to look up
the titles Wednesday morning he an
nOunced that his father and President
Rockefeller, of the Standard Oil Com
psny, would be here in the evening, and
the purchase of the property would then
be confirmed, az all that was necessary
was ratification by the company.
His story was eagerly gulped down by
those to whom it was told, and Morris was
the lion Of the hour, bat on Wednesday
afternoon an attacbe of the Hotel Wind
sor, Wheeling, came to the city in search
Of young man who had deirauded that
establishment out of $40 board, and Morris
was identified AZ the swindler. Landlord
MossgIoye Immediately saw that he was
the victim of sharper, and swOre out
warrant before the Mayor for the arrest of
Morris charging him with receiving money
and board on false pretenses. He and his
partner, who registered as Richard P.
Roberts, were both arrested and locked up.
After his arrest, Morris admitted that he
was not connected with the Standard Oil
Company, and said that his right name
YVES +. Tragic, and his home was at
Lebanon, Pa , where his father was man.
ufaclursr His partner told the police his
right name was Duncan Bruce, and said
that he had met Morris in Wheeling, and
had been engaged by him to assist in what
he supposed was legitimate business.
Morris, or Tragic, is in Jail, and his part
ner is in the lock-up. Both will be held
until news is received from Lebanon.