The Washington bee., 1899-04-29
An EDUCATED SN|ND[ER.
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.

Game to America Where He Operated With
Great Success-His Experience in New
York and San Francisco-S to Have
Realized Five Million Dollars in Chilli
Where He Met His Downfall.
Foremost in the ranks Of the worlds
swindlers probably stands Alfred
Paraf, Il native of Alsace, handsome,
Dolished. we'll educated, noted for his
keen intelligence and ready wit. as well
manly Qualities He was remarkably
proficient in chemistry, taking Il 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 left
school he set out upon his travels. and,
having exhausted the funds allowed
him by his father in prOtiigate expendi-
ture he found himself stranded in
Glasgow This incident may be said
to have launched the clever young fel-
low upon the career he afterward pur-
sued to his eventual disgrace and
downfall. He engaged the most elegant
suite of rooms i'm 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 $4,000 in gold for
the right to the use of his new cOlOring
process. This sum was soon disSipa-
ted in new eXtravagances, and. again
reduced to sore straits. he compounded
a new color and sold the secret of the
dye to his uncle Il 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 a distin-
guished chemist and cleared $4,000
by the sale of new "analine black"
in escaping with his spOils
before the real owner and patentee of
the process arrived to dispute his
claims He next swindled Governor
Sprague, of Rhode Island. out of $25,-
900 on a tabled process for the cheap
extraction of madden. 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 cOntrived to organize a stock COM
pany with Il capital of 100000 for it's
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
+,l, Of r.
Paris to save it's own standing by the
purchase of the American right. which
which was obtained for 100000
Paraf, still shareholder. next went
to San Francisco to dispose of the
right to manufacture OleOmargarine in
California. and to superintend the cree
ton of works. During his absence the
old company in New York collapsed
and new one was founded. from
which Paraf was excluded. Paraf then
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 afterward
turned out to be Il skilled chemist and
aided and abetted by this clever ac-
cOmplce he launched upon the unsu--
SpPcting ChilianS the most fragrant
Swindle known in history. Presenting
himself to the highest officials and So
cial leaders of the South American re-
public ingra ratiating himself with them
by means of his accomplished manners
and brilliant intellect. he contided to
them the wonderful intelligence that
b, x,-oC tho Of Y,,o.nc,l
which the dreams of the ancient alche-
mists could he realized and the base
metals he transmitted into gold. A
series of experiments. which Paraf
knew so well how to conduct. Dersua-
led them of the truth of his claims.
and they zealOusly embarked upon the
great enterprise. Smelling works were
built and preliminary experiments re-
suited in yield of $4,000 worth of
gold from a single ton of low-grade cop
per ore. The cOmpany's stock ran up TO
fabulous prices. Shares. the par value
Of which was $1,000. sold at $4,000
apiece. Paraf, disposing of his own
stock when the excitement ran high
ast. is estimated to have placed So .OOO.-
300 to his personal credit He DELAYED
escape from the country q little too
.ong. director of the company, hav-
ing his suspicious aroused. conducted
some private experiments in the smelt-
.ng works during the absence of Paraf
and Rogel and the discovery was
made that all the gold recovered had
been placed in the "reagent" which
Paraf claimed to have discovered.
This substance was found to be
lyposulphide Of soda and gold, which
'esists the most powerful reagents
known, but readily yields to metal con-
taining oxide of lead or iron. Paraf's
ife was only saved by his rescue from
The indignant populace by the officers
of the law He was sentenced to five
years exile the time to be passed at
lard LABOR under guard in the Chilian
settlement Of Valdivia.