El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-02-02
ANOTHER SWINDLE.
How Some Americans Were Induced to
Invest in an Imaginary Mine.

ANOTHER SWINDLE.
How Some Americans Were Induced to
Invest in an Imaginary Mine.
On the 18sh of last Now mber Fred
erick P. G-aham and q business man
of New York arrived in this city and
registered at the urbide hotel. About
three weeks after another business
man OF New Jersey arrived In the city
and joined the other two. Soon after
the three went down TO Puebla and be-
fore q notary public organized the
mexican fh osphste Mineral Co." for
tho purpose of developing certain
phosphate deposits in the state of
Oaxaca. The bustness men put up S12,-
400 and Graham was appointed as pre-
sident and treasurer of the company.
The Now York man came to this city
and proceeded to Osxsca to investigate
the mines The New Jersey man went
down TO Veracruz, Jalapa and Orizabs.
Graham came to this city drew $1,000
from the Puebla funds aud skipped
Clinton, of FRANKIE fame, was to 90 to
work for the Phosphate company on
recommendation OF well known gen.
tloman but " as arrested the day before
he was TO take charge. Graham skip
ped about the next day as near as can
be learned. There may or may not
be q connection between the two cases.
Such In brief arc the facts al related
by the parties who were robbed. The
one who went to Investigate the mine
In Oaxaca returned day before yester-
sey arrived last night from Orizaba.
They are only two out of the five
Americans who srs interested in the
mythical Phosphate company. It has
been sscertAined that there is no more
phosphate in tho mine than there are
funds left in the Puebla bank. Ora
ham represented that the ore would
Indian Juan Mendez who owned this
fabulously rich mine would never sell,
but had lately died leaving as his heir
. spendthrift ron with whom he, Ora
ham, had made a contract for the
delivery OF all the ore. CT aham also
led his victims TO believe that he was
connected with the very highest Off
cials in tho land and that in everything
he was acting under their advice.
en- route and they came on here to-
gether, as stated, last November.
They occupied adjoining rooms at tn Q
hotel and . frequent visitor to their
quarters was . certain Spanish looking
man of about thirty five whom Graham
In trod need to bis victim as q certain
high Official Whose name will be with
ham said was In with the powers that
be. and would render them invaluable
assistance in organizing the company
and getting the ore out Of the country.
This ''officiel" came around elmost
nightly and he and Graham would
meet At Whitney's saloon aud from
there would 20 off, the New York man
never knew exactly where.
About the middle OF December Ora
h tho q
claimed he had made with the old In
dams heir, and certain parts of it read
as follows:
&C.. The said Juan Mendez is to
deliver to tho said Frederick z. Ora
ham at . convenient station OF the
Southern railway between Huitzo and
and Oaxaca all of the deposits of phos-
phate, gold, silver or copper ore as the
case may be. now held by himself and
others aud controlled by the said
Meudez, the same now being of no
value to himself or Others"
The price was to be SO cents q bag OF
$50 pounds. MendeZ was to furnish up
to 200 mules as may suit the convent
ence of said Gresham Mendez ac-
of 81, 900. which he promised to return
in partial payments out of the price Of
the one delivered. If the business was
satisfactory it was to be continued for
afty years.
After making other minor provisions
the contract contains the following
extraordinary clause: SHOULD Men
dez refuse to continue delivery of the
ore to Graham. or his ASST grs, Graham
aid the tate governments assistance
or tho assistance Of the nation,
and in that case be entitled to
the full possession of the ore de-
posit.''
The delivery of the ore was to COM
mence on the 18th OF January, 1898.
Although this wonderful instrument
name Is "ot signed to it. Instead At
the foot of the document, which is
typewriter in English, are the words
This mark" and 10 the blank space is
what looks like an angle worm pierced
by two arrows. Two almost i1legible
names are signed ~ witnesses one of
which IL that of the Srs- in looking
official" and the other was represent
ed by Graham TO be- the ex-governor of
Oaxacs. This contract is endorsed on
the hack by Graham as transferred to
the Phospb ate company, with all it's
riRh's, priv. ges, etc. The date of
the endorsement is Pueb'a, January
18th, 1898, Immediately after they had
organized the company aud deposited
b0o cash.
When tho New York gentleman got
down to the alleged mine which was
d. scribed as teipg seven miles from
Ella On the Southern road, he could
find neither Indian, nor mine, nor even
a sign Of phosphate. Reading in the
Herald of the developments into the
FRANKIE swiudle he hurried back here
and found that Crab sm was non est
and had drawn through the Banco dc
Lnndres the So, 900 at Puebla. The
New York gentleman at once sent for
his associate to Orizaba and informed
the authorities of the swipdle. 1t j.
supposed though that Graham has too
great q start to be caught up With, at
least in this country. Indirectly the
gentlemen who invested in the Phos-
plate company have lost through GA
hams dishonesty nearly $50, 600.
Graham is described rs being 81
years of age, 5 feet or 8 inches in
height, about 200 lbs. weight, round
horid face, sandy grey hair almost
bald in spot at the top, small grey
burnsides, round mouth with i'll defin-
ed lips He was plausible tslker ard
represeuted himself as having married