Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-01-12

NEW YORK, January 6.-The Evening Sun
prints what it calls an "Almost incredible
tale of gigantic fraud" 1t states that the
Electric sugar Refining company has been
| duped to the extent of over q million dollars
and that its whole secret process turns out
to be humbog of the most barefaced
kind.
The "secre. process" was the invention of
Henry G. Friend, who appeared in the trade
about foui years ago with samples of won-
derfully pure sugar which he said had been
refined by his electric process" About q
| year ago he induced q number of English
| and American capitalists to organize COM
pany and buy the secret process" from
him. This was done and factories erected,
but no one was allowed inside Of them save
Friend, his wife and few ignorant work
men. The rooms where the refining was
| supposed to be going on were always kept
securely locked, as + riend said his process
was not paientable, and he could not afford
to allow any one to share his secret. In the
meantime the stock of the company had
been bouncing up Until 1t was worth nearly
$500 per share OF 500 par value. Friend
then began to unload but suddenly he died.
The officers of the company suspected
nothing wrong until few days ago, when
it was found that Mrs. Friend and al who
had been connected with the factory, had
disappeared, Mrs. Friend leaving word that
she had gone to the west. President Colt.
ril, Treasurer Robertson and q number of
stockholders proceeded to the factory and
invaded the secret rooms. What they dis
covered made their eyes bulge out and
every hair on their heads gave limitations of
10 n a NOR rIpa Dh haI fv1v
There were number of machines used in
breaking cube sugar into smaller particles,
and In graduating the coarser grades; and
nothing else. There was no mysterious cleo
trical apparatus by which the sweet stuff
should be transferred as by flash into the
purest sacharine crystals, no wonderful CYL
lnders, pots or pans charged with purging
electrical current. There were crushers and
that was all. Investigation at once set on
foot showed how great the scheme had been
worked. Not a pound of raw sugar had
been refined in the factory. Quantities of
refined sugar, chiefly cubes, had been pur-
chased by the operators and prepared in
some secret spot with the chemical LIQUID
which eliminated the ordinary impurities
found in all sugar. The ''doctored" sugar
was then carried to the factory in bags pur-
porting to contain raw sugar. The chemi-
cal used had crystalized the cubes to large
extent, and when they were broken they had
a finer appearance and quality than sugar
was ever known to possess. Mrs. Friend |
and those connected with her received
large sum in cash from the com pany for the |
process and heavy block of the stock, which |
was disposed of, partly in England and |
partly here, at price away beyond its par |
value.
just how many persons were interested in |
the scheme does not seem clear nor will the /
officers of the company tell how much |
money was paid to them, though they admit !
that adding the cash and proceeds from the |
STOCK together they must have received a !
sum approximating $25D, OOO. The scheme
was clearly worked to the very last, The |
stock holders and officers of the company |
were kept in perfect confidence as to the fu. |
ture of the proceeds until the largest pos
81 BILE amount of money could be secured, |
and then the bubble was allowed to burst.
There Is no such process as electrical sugar
refining and the bugbear of the sugar trust
IS dead. Treasurer Robertson said to an
Evening Sun reporter this morning:
49, am heart broken over the discovery
that we have made" and he certainly sp-
peared as If he were. Continuing he said:
II don care so much about losing my own
money, but induced numbers of my friends
to invest in the scheme and it is their finan-
cial ruin that distresses me; then had such
high hopes that the scheme would bring
fortunes to US all. Oh, we've been shame-
fully tricked and deceived. It means ruin
to Us: 1t Is the most outrageous thing 1
eyer heard of. Yes, we have been over to
the factory and seen the interior of the e.
cret rooms. [ would rather not tell all that
they contained Just yet. l am preparing a
statement for the public in which i will set
all matters forth just as they are."
SIS there no prospect of being able to save
out of the wreck?'
mot tnat can see. The revelations found
In the factory prove the entire thing to have
been fraud. President Cottrill lett for the
west to try to find Mrs. Friend and endeav-
or to learn what chemical was used in the
sugar. After it is treated with il, it becomes
a remarkably pure product. If this proves
TO be worth anything, it might save total
collapse, but can not have any faith in it.
l can not tell just how much stock is held
here and in England. That will all come
out in my statement"
Later-The results of to-day's investiga-
non OF the affairs of the Electric Sugar re-
hnery gives additional evidences of fraud
and President Cottrill left the city for the
purpose of procuring the arrest of Mrs.
Olive Friend and William E. Howard.
THENEws IN LONDON.
LONDON, January 6.-The sensation in
over revelations regarding the
Electric Sugar Refining company has been
by alarming cable9rams. The
ocal holding of stock is stated to be 10000
pounds. One Of the principal stockholders
has departed for America to inquire person.
slly into the matter, The stock fell greatly
n Birmingham and Liverpool.
An Editor In Prison.
CHIoAso, January 6.-Warrants were
worn out by Police Inspector Bonfield for
he arrest of J. ]. West, proprietor, and i,
Joseph Dunlap, city editor of the Times,
.hAr0inQ them with criminal lihel for the | :,