Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-01-08
THE PLOT THICKENS.
Rumors That President Cotterill
Isn't What lie Should BE.
W00DW0RTH'S WICKEDNESS
Robertson says a Man, Who Il Now Dead.
Took "a Lot or the Cash Dishonesty.
Mrs. Friend and Howard Sup
posed 10 BE in Canada

from Ann Arbor, Mich, IS now an1iousiy
awaited by his friends in this city, who want
him 10 explain few unpleasant stories about
himself aud his past career.
J. U. Robertson, treasurer Of the Electric
Sugar Refining company, turned pale when
a reporter showed him a clipping from a
morning paper, dated July 20, 1876.
This clipping contained serious allegations
against a William Henry cotterill in con.
neeti0n with tbs disappearance Of funds
which he held as attorney some years since.
"You never heard of such scandal in con-
nection with your friend beforeg" queried
the reporter
Il assure you never did, he answered
do you think it out Of keeping with issu-
ing a circular ending as follows that was the
means of bolstering up gigantic swindlng
schemeln asked the reporter, handing Mr..
Robertson the following clipping of the cir
GUAR issued by President Cotterill in the
haicyon days OF the company, and which
Mr. Robertson took with him on trip to
England as an aid in disposing of some of the
stock:
II would only say In conclusion that from
two years constant daily intercourse with
the professor, being at his house almost daily,
and having had the most intimate relations
with his family. and having awaited myself
OF the opportunities thus offered of testing
the good faith of the parties, and carefully
watching every circumstance, am satisfied
as / know that the sun rises and sets daily
that the professor does by his process accom-
plish all that is claimed
Mr.. Robertson did not answer the ques ton
directly, but declared emphatically:
Il do not believe that Mr. Cotterill was
cognizant in the slightest degree with the
fraud in this case. think he has acted with
the greatest integrity all through the mat
ter
"How much of the stock has he heldfn
"About 300 shares, which he still ownsn
"And about how much money has the
company receivedp
"About S350,000 from the sale of stock,
etc.
"of which $4,000 went to the Friend con-
tingentp
Yes
"What became of the balancein
"Oh, we'll, you know, a great deal was
spent on the factory in Brooklyn
1T was given out that the SlS0,000 the
Friends got was to be used for that purpose"
sOh, not all They were only supposed to
buy the machinery. Then we had TO pay
large salaries, and besides, Mr.. Woodwork,
the original president of the company, took
large sum out of it by breach of trust
breach of faith, rather, he added.
"How was thatp
ssWell, he retained for his own use large
sums Of money that he collected for the COM
pany. He was a high liver and spent money
lavishly."
'sWas he prosecuted"
s'Oh, no; we gave him stock and asked him
TO retire, which he did. u he concluded. Mr..
Woodwork died several years ago.-Re-
porter.1
Mr.. Robertson could not say when Mr..
Cotterill would be back from the west. The
last he heard from him was that he was try
ing to attach the property owned by the
Friends and their friends in Michigan, but it
has been mortgaged heavily, and he has
many difficulties to contend with. Mr.. Cot
tersll has also wired Mr.. Robertson that Mrs.
Friend, Howard Il Co. have fed, and are
presumably in Canada.
'sCan they be arrested therel' Mr.. Rob-
ertson was asked this morning.
mo. They cannot be extradited Their
oifense is not extraditable."
'.But warrants have been issued for their
arrest in England. Can they not be arrested
on them in Canadafn asked the reporter.
II do not know of any warrants having
been obtained in England. They would be
of no use, as the people have committed no
crime in England or its dominions.
'Then the main hope of saving anything
from the wreck depends upon what you can
get for the refuse in the old factoryY
ut seems so. / am in hopes, however,
that Mr.. Cotterill may succeed in getting
their property out west he returned.
Mr. Robertson was not as cool as usual this
morning, and nearly lost his temper once.
This was when the reporter showed him the
clippings stating that Mr.. Cotterill had been
in trouble before, and that religious people
had subscribed to send his wife home to Eng
land, which money she really used TO go to
her husband in Canada.
'sAll know of their family relations is
that they lived happily in Orange, N. j.,
since have known them. Mrs Cotterill is
now with her husband in the west.
II am entirely innocent of any wrong
doing In the NATTER and as soon as possible
| win 90 back TO England and tell my
friends SO.
s.Another groundless lie is the story told by
an engineer named Babbitt, who says that
he was hired to attend our engines in Brook
lyn; that he found out something wrong;
that he came to me and Mr.. Cotteril and
told us of his suspicious, and that he was
bought off, given $780, two shares of stock
and bis salary TO keep silence
Here the reporter showed him the follow
ing extract from an interview with BAbbitt,
received from St Louis and printed this
morning:
II told Cotterill, Sniffen and Robinson. after
fun investigation, that the whole thing was
fraud. Wen, they laid me of and gave me
SI00--I don't know what for-and told me
ell had 60 do was to report to President
Cctterilrs Office and draw my salary. re-
ported that way for several months.
ssScandalous, scandalous,a he CALCULATED
upon finishing it. II can only say again that
TIE fellow lies when he says he ever spoke to
me about the matter"
SHOW many of your personal friends-that
is, these whom you induced to buy stock
are alnong the victinsln he was asked next.
ssNot one, as far as l know, he replied
81 only induced three friends of mine by my
advice to enlbark in the enterprise