Evening star., 1896-12-15
A led SWINDLER
Henry Clews Tells the Story of His Opera
tions.
He Utilized His Knowledge Of Chem
to Enjoy Luxurious Living.

One of the most brilliant and successful
swindlers that ever operated in New York
was one Alfred Paraf or, as he called HIM
| self, the "Chevalier Alfred de Paraffe." :"
Though his operations were for the most
part on lines somewhat divergent from the
usual ones Of Wall street, he organized at
least one stock company in New York.
Paraf was a native Of Alsace, and first
appeared here in June, 1867. He was hand
some. we'll educated and singularly fasci-
mating in speech and manner. He was ap-
parently not more than twenty-five years
of age. Securing an introduction to Prof.
Chandler of Columbia College. he endeav-
ored to interest that gentleman in
scheme to manufacture iodine from
sponges. 1t was found to be imprac ticable
and was dropped.
Then Paraf turned his attention to the
invention of colors for calico printing. This
was scheme that he had previously
worked with success abroad. 1t was while
travelling in Scotland two years before that,
finding himself out of funds. and unable to
obtain any further remittances from his
father. who had become financially embar-
rassed, Paraf had turned his thorough
knowledge of chemistry to account by SELL
ing to a wealthy firm Of cloth manufac-
turers in Glasgow the alleged secret of
new and cheap dye for "a. 600 sterling.
When that sum had been exhausted by
life of luxury. Paraf went to Paris, and
sold the same bogus dye secret to his uncle
for $1,000 francs, and came to New York.
His iodine-from-sponge scheme having
failed, Paraf made tour among the New
them rights to use his new "analine black
dye" at from 5000 to 5000 each. He re-
turned to New York with $4,000 in hard
cash. and entered upon a life of sybaritic
luxury and pleasure, that would have made
Dumas Count of Monte Cristo turn green
with envy.
For a suite OF rooms at a fashionable ho-
tel he paid 1925 per week. He took daily
baths In water into which he had pre-
viously poured $50 worth of altar Of rose
He gave elegant dinners at Delmonico's
He would frequently keep carriage wait
ing for him at the door of his hotel all
night because he was too indolent to order
Its dismissal, compensating the driver in
the morning with twenty-five or thirty dol
lars.
At this rate of living his $50, ,OOU did not
| last long, and being obliged to invent some
new swindle Paraf claimed he had discov-
cred new color. which he called clover
| ine, by which he secured a large sum of
| money from damask manufac turer Then
he called on Gov. Sprague of Rhode Island,
| and dazzled him with some brilliant expert
ments, illustrating a method of using ex-
tract OF madder In calico printing at an
immense saving over the process then in
use
After Sprague had paid Paraf 5000, and
had expended large sums of money in the
found that the swindler's discovery" was
not practical for use on a large SCALE and
that he had been badly swindled.
Paraf now began to live more luxuriously
than ever. giving frequent entertainments
of the most elaborate character. His money
was 81 ent, and for time he was very
poor.
In the spring of 1872 he again blossomed
out as an inventor. He claimed to be the
discoverer of s1eomargarine, a substitute
for butter. that was really invented by
Mege Mourier, French chemist, who, dur
ing the siege of Paris by the Germans
won the reward offered by the French gov
ernment to any one who would invent such
an article Paraf therefore stole the inven-
tion, but at least he deserved the credit of
being the first to introduce oleomargarine
into this country.
He formed a stock company, with a capi-
tai of $5OO,WO, for its manufacture but the
| stockholders. discovering that he had stolen
| the invention, purchased the American
right from the real inventor, and reorgan-
lied their company, leaving Paraf out This
| king of swindlers then went to San FRAN
cisco. where, after realizing many thou
sands OF dollars from a bogus gold mining
company he organized, he went to Chile,
| where, for organizing a stock company to
extract gold from copper, which he seemed
to do by secretly putting gold into the
| cruclDle IN which the copper was smelted
| ne served his first and only term in prison.
he died at Lima, Peru, April l. 1892
HENRY CLEWS.