The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-11-02
Side Partner, Col. f. A. Boone,
the Railroad Shark
and Schemer.
Text of the Governors Letters of
Endorsement of the
Fraud Taken From the Prospectus
With Those of Cappeller.
n Racy Chapter in the Gigantic Railroad
Swindle.

The exact relation Governor Forake
bears to the notorious Black Diamond
railway scheme is plainly shown by tn
following letters taken from the pros
pectus of these roads. This prospectu
is a handsomely printed volume of abou
60 pages.and purports to give the reason
why capitalists, large and small, can flint
no better Investment for their none.
than Boone's Black Diamond railroad
stock. Among the first evidences of th'
prosperous condition of the company anc
the reliability of the managers to which
the prospective investor was pointed, /.
the letter on page four of this prospectu:
dated at the office of the Ohio State Com
missioner of Railroads and Telegraphs
giving an unqualified Endorsement tc
Boone's railroad enterprises and signed
by
WILLIAM 6. CAPPELLER,
The State Commissioner of Railroads
who lends his official name to bolster uE
arailroad scheme, the rottenness of which
is shown on its very face. But Mr.. Cap
peller is in distinguished company, for
on the same page, few lines 5e!ow,
appears the following:
II fully concur in all that is said in
the foregoing letter as to the charac-
ter ofthe territory through which said
proposed roads are to pass, and the kind
of business they should command, If
properly constructed, equipped and
operated.
Signed II. B. FORAKER"
This is calculated to inspire conf
dence in the breast OF the would-be pur-
chaser of the stool: in these roads but
the following letter, on page 20 and 81
of the prospectus above referred to,
removes any lingering doubt:
GIDEON +. MElGs" (Alr. Meigs is pres,-
dent of one of the paper roads-the
GAINESVILLE, Mt. Vernon & Marion.
DEAR SIR: Answering your ques-
tion, l state that the organization and
proceedings of the above-named corpor-
alton (the Black Diamond Railway Com
pany,) have been in all respects in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
laws of Ohio, and are in all respects val
i'd. / have had personal supervision of
the business of the company since July,
1885, and have carefully examined and
familiarized myself with all that was
done prior to that date. Very respect
fully yours. etc, j. b. FORAKER
The great and gallant Governor of
Ohio becomes party to this nefarious
scheme to rob the people, and uses the
high position he occupies to help float
this
GIGANTIC FRAUD,
the corruption and rottenness of which
he is fully aware, for he says he had
personal supervision of the business of
the company since July, 1885," and had
carefully examined and familiarized
himself with all that was done prior to
that date
The character of this enterprise is
fully shown by the fact that none of
the projected roads, or any other of
the various enterprises of which Boone
has been manager and Foraker attorney.
has materialized or ever will.
1t is estimated that over
HALF A MILLION
Dollars have been collected along the
routes of these roads. The greater part
of this sum has been subscribed in the
form of promoters stock, which Boone
said would be redeemed on the basis of
two dollars for one. In all the large
towns through which the projected roads
were to pass, gainesville, Marion,
Gallon, Wooster, Mt. Vernon, Parkers-
burg, Maysvillc, KY, the people sub
scribed literally, and the small villages
and hamlets came up with pro rata con-
tributions.
Meetings were held In rural school
houses and oven boys subscribed fifty
cents and dollar in order to secure q
railroad through their neighborhood.
And one of the chief factors in begetting
confidence in the enterprise and secur-
ing subscriptions was Governor For
aker's connection with the company AS
general counsel and Governor Foraker's
letters of Endorsement. Now Ia good
time for those who were swindled out of
divers sums, from fifty cents to
S25, 900 to reflect that the present Re-
publican candidate for Governor was
PATTY 40 TIE FRAUD.
Mortgages are plastered all over their
property, Judgments for large sums are
standing against thom, thousands of
dollars are due the employees, the com
pany's notes have been refused by every
bank in the city, and Colonel Boone.
the general manager, president and
what-not of this aggregation, has of late
cheerfully permitted his own checks to
go TO protest.
What has become of this enormous
sum that was collected? Only Heaven.
Foraker and Colonel Boone know. and
they won't tell. The outside business
OF the company has been conducted on
o magnificent scale, their general Offices
were the largest and finest in the city.
No expense WAS spared in the furnish
ing OF the rooms, and the adornment
of the grounds surrounding the building
was OF tho same costly character, The
lawn was well kept smooth and green
and clotted here and there with beds of
blooming flowers, while rare and valu-
able potted plants adorned the entrances
and lined the gravel walks. The play |
Ing OF marble fountain added beauty |
and music TO tho scene. At night the |
place was made brilliant by dozen |
electric Lights. The whole was we'll |
calculated to create an impression that |
wealth Unlimited vas nv the command |
Of this corporation.
The salaries of the officers was In ac- |
cord with their surroundings. Albert |
E. Boone, as general manager Of the en-
fire systep. drew a salary Of