El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-20
Was The Mine Sailed?

crat of St. Louis story cent in by it's
correspondent at Normal, ILL.,, which
reads as follows:
"a big silver swindle has been de-
veloped here,in which the principal
victim Is Smith H. Knott. Knott who
is aged SO, is widely known as a work
er in state grange affairs. and is q re-
tired farmer. 1t seems that he has
been plucked to the tune of S25 900 or
$50, 900, if not more.
''Knott was visiting in FL Paso, Tex,
recently, and was associated there
with M. Sieberling and his sons, of
Peoria county, Ill. The Illinoissns
met a man named Harding, who had a
half interest in q silver mine, which he
claimed was worth 100000. Harding g
partner was Mexican, with whom he
could not agree, and who would sell
out. The mine was alleging to be pay
ing $500 day. The Mexican offered
to sell for $50, 600. $4,000 in cash, the
if it was shown by the assayer's reports
that the product of the mine was as
rich as represented, assaying 20 ounces
of silver to the ton.
''An assayer was hired for one
month and reported from twenty-five to
thirty-fve ounces. Thereupon the
trade was made, Knott signing the stip-
ulsted notes and it being arranged
that he was to manage the property at
= big salary.
"Some weeks later.Knott became
suspicious that the assay was as fraud
and visited the mine. He broke in two
a piece of ore from it and had the regu-
lar aSsayer test half of it and took the
remainder to another assayer. The
former assayer reported twenty-three
ounces of silver, the latter eight. This
and other developments showed Knott
that he had been swindled and that the
property was valueless. The notes are
now coming to Normal and Blooming
ton for collection. Knott is seeking to
stop payment, but they are in the
hands of innocent third parties. Knott
is worth $50, 900 to $75, 900, owning 300
acre farm in Champaign county and
valuable property here"
About four or five days ago one OF
the parties who says he was swindled
arrived in Ell Paso and stopped at the
VendOme, registering as M. Sieberlipg
from Peoria, Ill. Mr.. Sieberline was
met here by VIM. Herring, of Tucson,
Arizona. After consulting about the
business which called them together
they repaired to the law office of Davis,
Beall, and Kemp, and told this firm
the facts in the case aud wanted to
have thescOntrsct and notes which they
had given in final payments in the deal,
made void by the courts.
Captain Beall of the firm has the
case in hand and will do all in his pow
er to bring the matter to the courts in
it's proper light. The charges which
the plaintiffs will try TO prove to the
court will be fraud and conspiracy to
defraud.
The complainsnts in the suit are j.
r. Sieberline, J. II. Sieberling, Mon
roe SIeberling and Smith A. Knott
Those who will be called on to an
swer the charges in the d. al will be
Miguel Bonio. M. L. Bonio, Luis
B. Har ding.
The reporter of the HERALD called
at the Office of Judge Stanton to find
out what he would say about the mat
ter, but it was found that he would not
be in town until this afternoon.
Edgar Shelton. who is in Mr.. Stan
toms Office, told the reporter that the
published statements were q
lot of falsehoods and that there were
two sides to the case. He said;
''These farmers from Illinois who
came down here looking for. invest
eyes open and the defendants will be
able to prove it when the case is
brought for trial" He also stated to
the reporter that these parties had a
three months option on the mines and
that ought to have given
them enough time to have opened their
eyes If there was any fraud.
Two or three assayers in this city had
specimens and they all told the Messrs
Sieberling that the property was good
paying dirt and the Investment was a
good one. The parties who bought
the mine also had Mr.. Earle, of the
SIN elter, to assay the dirt and his re-
port was about the same as the outside
assayers. Mr.. Shelton said the Illinois
parties who bought the mines have
shipped two or three car loads of the
ore to the smelter here for smelling,
but as to the results he did not know