The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-25
MINING STOCK swINDLERs.
Sleek Operators Rope In Eastern
Tenderfeet.

The operations of one B. C. W. Evans,
of Butte, in connection with the Free
dom Gold Mining company, says the
Recorder, of Anaconda, has all the ap-
pearance of a gigantic swindle, and
entities him to a protrdcted vacation
from public life. A berth in the penl-
Tertiary seems to fit his case, and the
authorities of Silver Bow county owe
it to themselves to see that the Of
fender is not allowed to escape from
the Justice he deserves. The amount
of money Evans and his confederates
are said to have secured in their fraud
ulent scheme is estimated to be as high
as $10S,000.
The recorders attention has been
drawn to the case because the name OF
an Anaconda man has appeared in it
Charles E. Allensworth, who is an
nounced as secretary of the company.
MI Allensworth is an attache of the
Montana hotel and when the Recorder
asked him to relate his connection with
the company he gladly consented to do
so. He has no hesitancy in denounc-
ing it a gigantic swindle and says he
is constantly receiving letters from wo-
men and other dupes asking him when
the dividends are to be paid. But
will begin at the beginning" said Mr..
AlIensworth. Il guess it is about three
years ago, while | was a resident of
Butte. Tom Haggerty, Louis T. Rhule,
Judge Turner, Charles Warren, Joseph
Mattingly-well there were eight or ten
of us organized the Freedom Gold Min
ing company. Mr. Haggerty had To-
Gated a claim near Basin, and we in
good faith, intended developing it. We
Incorporated and Charley (B. c. W)
Evans drew up the articles but was
not one Of the incorporators. We sent
a surveyor and some assistants to the
claim TO make plat of ii. We capital
lied at 100000 shares of 81 each and
divided 100000 up among the incor-
porators-the remaining 100000 shares
were to be placed in the treasury.
Evans got some stock for attending to
the work of Incorporating. 1 was
elected secretary and we met in Evans
Office | think we paid about So each
or $50 all told for survey and plat. A
prospectus and stock certificates We're
ordered printed by some one, amount
ing to about $40. and this bill has not
been paid yet.
we nei,s u meeting, and it was de-
cided to assess each owner 500, to be
expended in prospecting the claim.
Nobody would put up a cent, and
Charley Warren and l got disguised.
We never had another meeting. 1
asked Warren what l would do with
the books and stock certificates, and
he said he didn't care a rap. so left
everything in Evans office. That was
practically the death of the Freedom
Gold Mining company, after an exist
ence of about so days. Nothing was
ever done on the claim, no more meet
ings were held. and as the others
seemed to be about of the same mind
as myself. we dropped the whole bust
ness. and the company has not had any
real existence since that time, three
years ago.
ut is quite evident that Evans con-
tinued a mythical company, and if my
name is signed to any more certificates
as secretary, it is a forgery, as well as
is the name of Louis T. Rhule as presi-
dent.
"A short time ago Chicago man
named Liebs, who was f1eeced for 81. 900,
called on me and l gave him all of
these particulars. He has since had the
swindling operators at the Chicago end
arrested. understand Evans, who had