Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-04-17
IN EDUCATED SN|NDLER.
History of an .Alsatian Who
Secured Vast Sums of
Money BY Fraud.
IS AN EXPERT CHEMIST.
A Glasgow Firm Gave Up Twenty
Thousand Dollars for His
Coloring Process.


Great sucoess-His Experience in New
York and San Francisco Said to Have
Realized Five Million Dollars in Chill
Where He Met His Downfall.
Foremost in the ranks of the worlds
swindlers probably stands Alfred
Paraf, native of Alsace, handsome
polished. we'll educated, noted for his
keen intelligence and ready wit, as wei
manly qualities. He was remarkably
proficient in chemistry, taking a genu
inc delight in the study in his youth
and following his early education with
a series of chemical experiments in
his own laboratory. After he lef1
school he set out upon his travels, and
having exhausted the funds allowed
him by his father in prohigate expendi
ture he found himself stranded in
Glasgow. This incident may be sale
to have launched the clever young fe1
low upon the career he afterward pur
sued to his eventual disgrace and
downfall. He engaged the most elegant
suite of rooms in the most fashionable
hotel, visited firm of wealthy manu-
facturers and announced himself as
the discoverer of Il new and cheap dye
for calico printing. Plunging into the
laboratory Of the establishment the
brilliant young fellow actually succeed
ed in supporting his assertions and
was rewarded with E4,000 in gold fol
the right to the use of his new colorine
process. This sum was soon dissipa
ted in new eXtravagances, and, again
reduced to sore straits, he compounded
a new coler and sold the secret of the
dye to his uncle rich manufacturer
In Paris, for $4,000 francs.
Before this sum was entirely scat
tered to the winds he landed in New
York, made himself known as distin
guished chemist and cleared $50 00G
by the sale of n new "analine black
succeeding in escaping with his spoils
before the real owner and patentee OF
the process arrived to dispute his
claims. He next swindled Governor
Sprasue, of Rhode Island out of $50,
900 on a fabled process for the cheaL
extraction of madder, and during the
eighteen months that elasped before
the bubble burst is known to have in
Cured expenses exceeding 100000
contracting large pecuniary obligations
of ready money. in addition to his out
lay. He next invented oleomargarine
and eontrived to organize a stock com
pany with a capital of $500, 600 FOR its
manufacture. Investigation proved
that he had only worked out the idea
of the Partisan, Mege Mouriez the
original inventor of the process, but
then Paraf's American company dis
patched a son of Professor Doremus te
Paris to save its own standing by the
purchase of the American right. which
which was obtained for $4,000,
Paraf, still a shareholder, next wen
to San Francisco to dispose of the
right to manufacture oleomargarine il
California, and to superintend the cree
ton OF works. During his absence the
old company in New York collapsed
and a new one was founded, frem
which Paraf was excluded. Paraf theT
disappeared from San Francisco. where
his career had been marked by the
same lavish style of living, and was
next heard from In Santiago, Chilli He
was accompanied by his pretended ser
want Francisco Rogel, who afterwarG
turned out to be a skilled chemist, anG
aided and abetted by this clever ac.
complce he launched upon the unsu-
specting Chilians the most fragrant
swindle known in history. Presenting
himself to the highest officials and so
cial leaders of the South American re
public, ingratiating himself with them
by means of his accomplished manners
and brilliant intellect, he confided tt
them the wonderful intelligence that
he was the discoverer of "A process by
which the dreams of the ancient alche
mists could be realized and the base
metals be transmitted into gold. 4
series of experiments. which Paral
knew so well how to conduct, persua
ded them of the truth of his claims
and they zealously embarked upon tht
great enterprise. Smelling works were
built and preliminary experiments re
suited in yield of $4,000 worth o.
gold from single ton of low grade cop
per ore. The company's stock ran up te
fabulous prices. Shares, the par VALUE
of which was $1,000, sold at $4,000
apiece. Paraf. disposing of his owr
stock when the excitement ran high
est, is estimated to have placed $1,000
600 to his personal credit. He delayed
escape from the country little toe
long. A director of the company, hav
ing his suspicious aroused, conducted
some private experiments in the smelt
ing works during the absence of Para
and Rogel, and the discovery was
made that all the gold recovered hai
been placed in the ''reagent' which
Paraf claimed to have discovered
This substance was found to be 6
hyposulphide of soda and gold, which
resists the most powerful re-agent.
known, but readily yields to metal con
staining oxide of lead or iron Paraf's
life was only saved by his rescue from
the indignant poPulace by the officer.
of the law. He was sentenced to five
| years exile the time to be passed n
hard labor under guard In the Chiliar
settlement of ValdiVia