The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-10-14

the elevator conspiracy. Then he would
send out his Farmer Alliance friends to
circulate the report that 1.-THE old combine
had raised the price of wheat to crush him
out, and appeal to the farmers not to al
low the combination to crush him, but 10
come to his aid by selling their wheat to
MIN at reduced price. Thousands OF I'M
suspecting victims were thus imposed upon,
and he succeeded in making considerable
money out of the ignorance of the produc-
efS III certain localities
His trip to Europe was taken partly to
get away from the men he had victimized,
and partly to Swindle monied foreigners by
representing his corporation as Il bonanza,
and selling 1t out to them through fraud
and falsehood.
Before leaving for Europe he was driven
almost to desperation by the men he had
swindled, and it was at this time that he
had sent one of his agents to a reputable
business man in Minneapolis with the fol-
sand to the Scandinavian Elevator COM
pany, which was TO be invested in ware
houses i'll villages where the methods of
that favored corporation had not been tried;
TO secure as much wheat as could be con-
venlently done after the harvest, ship it
OUT ana sell 1t by stealth, and decamp with
the proceeds. That proposition was actually
THE SCENE TO SELL
the stock of the scandinavian Elevator com
pany TO the suckers of Europe fell fiat and,
a1ter Mr. AmSden dishonored WOlcOttS sec
ond draft for his salary, money became
scarce in the WOlcott treasury.
II WIS tnen tnat brilliant MATCHMAKING
ldea presented itself to his fertile mind H.
e. Z. Stewart was an employee of the Credit
Lyonnaise bank in Paris. WOlcott tempered
with Stewart and got him to write the cell
eDfateu letters to various grain men III the
Northwest. Among these were letters to &.
A. Plllsbury. Horace Pratt and others. In
almost every instance these letters were an
Swered by the parties to whom they had
been addressed, and then Mr.. Wolcott was
about ready to return TO America so that
he might put into operation another of his
brilliant financial schemes.
GEORGE PORTER'S STATEMENT.
Here is the way Mr.. George Porter, a
member OF the firm of Pratt and Porter
tells the story of Horace Pratt's expert
ence:
One day big, villainous looking individ
ual came to the office and inquired for Mr.
Pratt He was shown into Mr.. Pratt's
room and at once opened up his business
by asking: Mr.. Pratt, did you some time
ago receive letter from Paris asking about
the profits of the elevator businessH'
II did. and answered it," said Mr. Pratt
The big villain put his hand into his peck
ct ana drew therefrom letter, replying:
Il knew You did, and here is your reply.
thought you might desire to purchase il
and thus prevent its publication You can
have that letter by buying it,
How much do you call it worth?' de.
manded Mr.. Pratt
About $500. and if it is not sold il will
be published in the Great West newspa
per-"
'My friend" 1enlied Mr.. Pratt. ssyou arc
five stories from the ground and might gel
hurt II pitched you out of the window
Ilease 40 not tempt me any further
Mr.. WolcOtt'S Matchmaking agent retired
This was the letter written at WOlcott's
instance to Mr.. Pratt by H. e. C. Stewart
OF the Credit Lyonnaise bank in Paris