Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-01-11
EhEcrRIc SUGAR REFINING
Que Of the Biggcst Swindies Of Recent
Ncnrs,
wmcu SHOWS now THE AVERAGE HUMAN

secret process Of sugar refining had been
discovered to he no more or less than IA gi-
gantic fraud.
The capital stock Of this company con.
sisted of 10000 shares Of a par value of
go. 500, each About 5000 shares (half
"A million dollars worth have been lloated
upon the public, and nearly all Of them are
held in England
The alleged process was announced as a
wonderful discovery in 1882, Prof Henry
c. Friend aiming to be its inventor He
said raw sugar could he refined 10y this
process for 50 cents ton, a saving Of SIP
ton, and it would produce more sugar than
any other method Refners wanted to see
the process of refining, but this Mr. Friend
steadily declined to allow, claiming that it
was not patentable invention, and that
in order to protect himself he would not
dare allow any one ~ see how he achieved
hi, marvellous results If company
could he formed, however, he said he would
be willing to explain the process and sell
the secret to the company Finally about
"A year ago, IA company was formed, of
which W. II. Cotterill was chosen president
and j 4. Robertson treasurer aud secreta
ry. Offices were fitted up at $50 Wall street
and factory established on Hamilton ave
nue., Brooklyn No one but Friend, his
wife, a man named Howard, who was in
terestcd in the scheme with Friend, and
few ignorant workmen employed by Friend
were allowed to enter the inner recesses of
the factory where the refining was sup
posed to be going on. The machinery with
which the factory was fitted up was brought
here 10y Friend aud was supposed to be of a
most unique character, but no one ever
saw it, People Interested in the company
we're allowed to stand in an outside room
and listen 10 the machinery and after a
certain time specimens of wonderfully
pure sugar alleged to have been refined
within from raw sugar, were shown TO
them. The machinery had all Of the
sounds created by crushing machines in re
ineres, and those outside took it for grant
ed that they must be sugar machines.
The sugar samples were analysed 10y eX
perts and chemists aud pronounced to be
Of marvellous purity. Last March. before
preparations for full! blast operations had
been completed, Mr.. Friend died, leaving,
rs he said. his great secret in the possession
of his wife. who, at the proper time, would
reveal it to the company. Since the IN.
/ vrntor death the work at the factory has
| gone ON internationally, but the secret
was never told for the reason, as alleged,
that the process was not yet as perfect A.
it would he later on
In the meantime stock was issued 10y the
company Mt 500 per share. Mr. Robert
son, finding it difficult to raise money here
went to England with samples of the sug
ar. His statements created great excite
ment among the sugar men there. Tie of
fered $500 to any man who could prpduc,
sugar as pure rs his samples by any meth
od whatever. At last money began e
come in aud the stock went like hot cakes
thousands Of pounds sterling worth Of Ger
tiicate> being disposed of Now there be
gau a regular contest to get the stock am,
the price went above par. It. was tn,
greatest thing Of the time In this coun
try, ia the meantime. much stock had beef
disposed of, and 1t was thought that opera
tions ON a grand scale would soon begin
The product made even the great suga
trust tremhle, for If the new process woul,
do what was claimed for 1t, it would reVu
lutionize the refining industry of the world
SO gigantic scheme needed u he KEEP
well under cover The suspicious of tin
officers were aroused some days ago, whel
it was found that Mrs Friend and all win
had been connected with the factory has
disappeared Mrs Friend left word tina
she had gone to the West, and Presidrn
Cutterill, Treasurer Robertson and a mum
her of stockholders proceeded to the facto
~ and invaded the secret rooms VIVA
they discovered made their eyes bulge out
There were number Of machines used il
breaking cube sugar into smaller particle
and in graduating the coarser grade
nothing else. An Investigation at once st
on foot showed how the great scheme ha
been worked Not pound of raw suga
had been refined in the factory QUAINT
ties of refined sugar, chiefly cubes, ha
been purchased 10y the operators and pre-
pared in some secret spot with Chemlc'
liquid which eliminated the ordinary impt
rites found in all sugars. This doctore
sugar was then carted to the factory /
bags purportlng To contain raw sugar Tn
chemical used had crystallized the cubes
IA large extent and when they were broke
they had IA finer appearance and quaint
than sugar was ever known to posses
When everything was ready, the crushel
o. ia the secret room were set in motion AL
the cubes were broken into smaller part
cles according to the grade desired Whe
the refined sugar began to come out of II
Shoots, two floors below all who saw
marveed ut the genius which could tur
raw sugar into refined in so short "A time
Mrs Friend and those connected with ht
p received large sum Of money in cash fro
the company for the process and a heay
block of stock, which was disposed O
partly in England and partly here at
I price away beyond its par value. Ju
p how many persons were interested IN tt
scheme does not seem clear, nor will ii
officers of the company tell just how muC
money was paid to them. although they a.
init that, adding the cash and the proceed
a from the stock together, they must ha'
- realized "A sum approNimating 500, 90
. The scheme was CleveTly worked to u
a. very last. The stockholders and office
of the company were kept in perfect con
dence as 10 the future of the process uni
the largest possible amount of money cou
l. be secured, and then the bubble was allo,
T. ed TO burst. There is no such process
electrical sugar refining, and the bugbe
/ of the sugar trust is dead
u A representative of the victims, wl
Il followed Mrs. Friend to Michigan, did II
p. find her, but saw her attorney, who sa
o that there was no intentional fraud, b
h that the company expected more than "
promised The cap sheaf of the swind
comes in = declaration from Mrs Frien
who says that the company is now tryil
to force from her another secret, by viii
Is she makes a superior article of sugar fro
e grapes instead of resting satisfied with /
a secret their contract calls for. W This la
secret she refuses to divulge at any price
According to the latest estimate the loss
e stockholders who caught at this bait is ov
5 81 700 900