The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-08
THE Big SUGAR SVINDLH.
The Story of-the Negotiation
with Mrs, Friend, Which
LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT
orthe Fraad-A shrewd Woman and
aLawycr's AdyIco-The secret Of
the "EleorIe Process" DIvulG-
cd by a Lady Boardcr

AhW}cFb Auflcc-lHe nuUFCt VI
the "ElecrIc Process" DIvulg-
4 cd by a Lady BoRrder
CuIc4Go, Jan, IA correspondent
for a local paper who has been investi.
eating the Electric Sugar Refining case
at Milan and Ann AFbor, Mich, says
that the handsomely fitted houses re-
Gently occupied by Mrs, Friend, and
the Howards at the former place are
now deserted, The arrival Of President
Cottrell at Ann Arbor Friday created
considerable Of a stir at Milan, and the
afternoon train brought Mrs, Friend
aud Mr., Howard to Ann Arbor, The
lady showed herself sparipgly on .lhe
street, but Mr., Howard was in and out
everywhere. He was in a desperate
hurry, He endeavored to borrow "a, 600
from two different gentlemen, Offering
to give mortgages ON the Milan property
as security, but as he wanted the money
Immediately they were either not able
n or not willing to accommodate him,
Sunday afternoon the correspondent
succeeded In interviewing Mr., Cottrell.
This gentleman after showing a sample
Of the sugar alleged to have been refined
by Friends process, said: "About
month ago things were ready, as far as
We could see, TO make the demonstration
which II satisfactory was to warrant us
in paying Mrs. Friend $4,000 for her
secret. Mr.. Howard, Mrs, Friends
step-father, was In charge Of the works.
The excuse for not starting up at once
was that the crank shalt was too weak.
sudARMEN SATISFIED.
at took week to remedyt his defect.
Then the machinery was started and
in two hours and fifteen minutes sixty
two barrels Of Friends product were
turned out. The mill was then stopped
because, 1t was claimed, some Of the
bearings were hot Friday aud Satur-
day another run was made aud sixty
eight barrels OF refined sugar were the
result. The best sugar men in the Coun.
try were at the mill and everybody was
satisfied. The Friend party gave us an
excuse for not going right on that 1t was
impossible with the help they had to |
handle the vast quantity OF raw sugar |
necessary to keep tile mill running
steadily. You sec 1t would not do to |
employ men with sense enough to under
stand what was going on, nor men en-.
tirely ignorant OF what was required OF
them. SO We have no real ground for
complaint because the mill was idle
teniporararily. The demonstration was
apparently all that we lad demanded Of
II and we're prepared to carry outthe
terms OF the contract. The contract
stipulated that $40 900 was TO be deposit
ed in New York and made payable to
Mrs. Friend when she Ind diyulgctl the
secret OF the process. She was 10 have
81, 900 in cash before telling anything.
came on here and met Mis. Friend
week ago In the Office Of her attorneys,
Messrs. LANCER and Knowlton, and Mrs.
Friend insisted that the $4,000 should
be deposited in Michigan. Tho contract
said that the money was to be. deposited
in New York, but | finally consented 10
have 1t placed in Michigan. aR &ai
slIREwD WOMAN
"Thcn she demanded the 5000 in cash
l refused to pay this on the ground that
II 1 did, the deposit being in Michigan,
the whole thing would be in their hands.
l said, however that l would place,the
5000 in tho hands OF her attorneys
with the understanding before the
money was paid to Mrs. Friend they
should see twenty barrels OF sugar
turned out and give me q written state
nent to the effect that the same was
produced from raw sugar by the process,
the secret OF which we were negotiating
for. This was Saturday. Mrs, Friend
demurred and we adjourned till Monday.
Monday she was stillunwillihg To accept
my propositions, whereupon made tie
cash offer Of $4,000, subject 10 the same
conditions, Mrs. Friend then declared
aatly that she would agree to no such
conditions. Upon this1 said to her:
"Mrs. Friend, people have had a great
deal Of confidence in. you, but now |
must beg that you answer one question:
at thasalways been understood that by
your process the refined product is made
direct from raw sugar. Is that a iact2"
0"1 don't toonsider rthata proper question
said Mrs. Friend.
"Itiselninently proper answered,
and must be answered before we can
proceed? - I''.t W
"Mrs. Friend hesitated awhile and
sud che would have to speak 10 her at.
torney privately, l withdrew and after
quite awhile the attorney came out and
imagine my feelings when he said;
AN ASTONISHING TURN.
"will process for manipulating re-
fined sugar be Of any yalueAt to your
@'No,'1 said, swapping my fingers, 1t
won't be worth that ~ tr
"'Weli, then, he said, the best thing
you eau cdo is to get back to New York
as soon as you can
"Mrs. Friend wanted me to walt an-
other week and discuss matters further,
but had heard enough TO decide me. !
took the attorneys advice; l went back
| TO New York as quickly as | could. !
took Robertson with me aud entered the
mill. ] demanded the keys OF the secret
rooms Of the men In charge and broke
into them, This was last Wednesday,"
Mr.. Cottrell then related tue story Of
the discoveries In the factory sub.
BtAntially as IL has been told before.