Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-09
GIGANTIC SWINI)IiE.


II Suddenly Bursts, Running Many Peo
pIe-How it was worked and the Ras
cal Who Concocted the scheme-Hi
Death Results in the Exposure Of thi
Humbug--Over . million Of Dollar
Sunk in the Fraud.
New YoRK, January 4.-The Eyeninl
Sun" prints what it calls an almost in
credible tale Of gigantic fraud. Il states
that the Electric Sugar Refining Co. has
been duped to the extent OF over q million
OF dollars, and that its whole secret pro.
cess turns out TO be q humbug OF the
most barefaced kind.
The secret process was the invention OF
one Henry 9. Friend, who appeared in
trade about Tour years ago with samples Of
wonderfully pure sugar, which he said had
been refined by his electric process. About
a year ago he induced u number OF English
and American capitalists to organize 9
company and buy the secret process from
him. This was done and factories erected,
but no one was allowed inside oil them
save Friend, his vile and q few ignorant
workmen. The rooms where the refining
was supposed to be going on were always
kept securely locked, as Friend said his
PROCESS WAS NOT PArENTABLE
and he could not afford to allow any one
to share his secret.
In the meantime the stock OF the COM
pany had been bouncing up until worth
nearly $500 per share OF 500 par value.
Friend then began to unload, but ne sud
denly died. The officers OF the company
suspected nothing wrong until a few days
ago. when they found that Mrs. Friend and
all who had been connected with the fac.
tory had disappeared, Mrs. Friend leaving
word that she had gone West.
Officers OF the company entered the secret
chamber and found no sugar refined there
at all, but merely u number OF machines
used in breaking cubes and sugar in smaller
particles and in FORMULATING coarser grades,
Quantities OF sugar, chiefly cubes, had been
purchased by the operators prepared in
some secret spot with a chemical liquid
which eliminated ordinary impurities in all
sugars. This .doctored" sugar was then
carted to the factory in bags %purporting to
contain raw sugar.
The chemical used had cr~ystaii1ed the
cubes to q large extent. When broken they
had a finer appearance and quality than
sugar was ever known to possess.
The scheme was cleyerly worked to the
very last. Stockholders and officers OF the
company were repb in perfect confidence as
to the future OF the process until the largest
possible amount OF money had been Sc
cure !, and then
THE BUBBLE WAS ALLOWED TO BURST.
There is no such process as electrical sugar
refining, and the bugbear of a sugar trust is
dead.
Tom Robertson said to a reporter: II
am h~eartbroken over the discoveries we
lave made. I don't care so much about
losing my own money, but / induced a
number OF my friends to invest in
the scheme, and it's their financial
ruin hat distresses me. Then / had such
high hopes that the scheme would bring
to US all. Oh, W I've been shame
treated and deceived. 1t means ruin
to us. It's the most outrageous thing |
aver heard Of"
rs there no prospect OF being able to
anything out of the wreck?'
"Not that | can see.n
The revelations found in the factory
prove the entire thing to have been afraud.
NEW York, January THE results OF
to-day's investigation OF affairs OF the
Sugar Refinery, gives additional
OF fraud, and President Cottrell
eft the city tonight for the purpose OF pro-
curing the arrest OF Mrs. Olive Friend aud
e. Hews.