Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-23
HIS LATEST TUMBLE.
Rev. J. w. Ellis Patronizes the
Photograph Gamble.
He Is the Head of Promoters
Association.
The Ex-Presbyterian Divine and His
Pecn1isr Business Methods-A
Young Englishman's Story
About Him.

| About Him.
The ex-Presbyterian minister, J. w
Ellis, the hero of several sensations in
this city, who was bounced" from the
pulpit OF the Central Presbyterian
tabernacle at Golden Gate avenue and
Polk street, in San Francisco, by the
presbytery of the church for frauds
committed while he was in charge oil
that church, and who afterwards sued
certain members OF the presbytery for
damages and was nonsuited, has assumed
new role, namely, that of gamhl in
photographic stocks at the Public
Stock exchange, on Stockton street.
Not only is the ex-minister engaged in
speculation OF the sort named, but he
has many other irons in the fire through
a concern advertised on his card as fol-
lows, says the San Francisco Call:
THE CALIFORNIA PROMOTERS Asso CITATION.
We Promote Railway Enterprises,
Buy and Sell Stocks Patent Rights,
Place Bonds and Make Exchanges,
Interest Capital in
Paying Investments.
Address TIE CALIFORNIA PROMOTERS Asso-
CITATION,
- Kearney Street,
San Francisco, Cal.
The above concern is not incorporated
and, 80 far as known, consists of j. w.
Ellis only, although he alleges he has
three partners, but he refuses to give
their names or tell anything about
them.
On June 18th last, one M. Poulter. a
young Englishman out of work, adver-
tised in one of the daily papers for sit
uation. He received letter from man
signed Ellis, Kearney street, and went
to see him.
Poulter tells the following story !:
"When I went to see this Mr.. Ellis he
was at desk in the Office of lawyer.
When told him my business he took
me out into the hall and talked to me
awhile and then made an engagement
with me to meet him at the Baldwin
hotel, saying he was stopping there.
Il met him at the hotel" continued
Poulter, "and he told me he wanted me to
work in mining stocks. That he wanted
me to go on the Public Exchange and
buy and sell stocks, and that under no
consideration must his name be used.
He was to pay me So day. for my work,
and l was to 90 on the board when the
markets opened, keep track of the quota
tions for him and report the same. as he
was making up system by which the
game could be beaten
GIVEN MONEY TO INVEST.
81 went to work for him, and he gave
me money to invest. bought under
the initials of C. P. A. aud Ellis used
to come around and get quietly into
corner, and then would tell me when to
close out the trades-I had made, and I
would turn him over the profits. gave
him So one time, $40 another, and
various small sums, as the profits of the
deals l had made for him.
Sometimes he paid me at night when
turned over the profits, and at other
times he would say he needed the
Finally one night Ellis accused
me of being drunk and discharged me,
owing me 81. This he refuses to pay
me.
"Once while was working for him he
sent me to dressmaker's in the Phelan
building with bill for $50 he owed her,
me to ask her to wait day
or two and not do anything and he
would pay it. His reasons, as l have
since understood, for not playing the
phonograph stocks was that he owed
Mr.. Spear, one of the men who run the
exchange, for three months board for
himself and. wife, and he did not want to
give him chance to collect any of the
money he might win, and also that he
did not want to be known"
Poulter makes a number of other
charges against Ellis as to the latter's
dealings with him, accusing him of
many things.
A call at the Public Stock Exchange
confined Poulter's story in go far as the
statements he made. about playing the
game as 80. P. Az, DIR. Ellis'presence
in the exchange at various times every
day, and the ex-minister's indebtedness
to Spear, although the latter gentleman
refused to do more than merely say the
story was true, but that he "cared moth
ing for the debt; it was all right, ETC."
Then DIR. Ellis was seen. He was
found at his desk in the Kearney. street
office, and told of the story.
s'Poulter is blackmailer, COM
menced DR.. Ellis. she is more, he is
an embezzler."
When told that it made no difference
what Poulter was or was not, DR.. Ellis
continued:
ssIt is true / employed Poulter and
furnished him money to operate in
stocks on the Public exchange on Stock
ton street. We wanted to test the
matter. We are looking for investments
in every direction"
"Who are we, doctor?"
WHAT ELLIS UNDERSTOOD.
"Why the California Promoters asso-
ciation. We understood that the Pub
lie Stock Exchange was a perfectly le-
gitimate concern, and we wanted to test
It."
"Who are the others in the Promoters