Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-09
swindlers probably stands Alfred Pa

6eHuiHe ueliSnt IN the STUDY Ill HIS
youth, and following his early educ0-
ton with Il series OF chemical expert
mentS in his own laboratory. After he
left school he set out upon his travels,
and, having exhausted the funds allow
ed him by his father i'll proiligate eS-
penditure he found himself stranded
in Glasgow. This incident may be said
to have launched the clever young fell
low upon the career he afterward pur-
sued to his eventual disgrace and
downfall. He engaged the most Gle
giant suit of rooms i'll the most fashion,
able hotel. visited n firm of wealthy
manufacturers and announced himself
as the dlScovcrer of u new and cheap
dye for calico printing. Piunging into
the laboratory of the establishment,
the brilliant young. fellow actually sue
ceeded 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 dissipateu
in new eXtravaganceS, ana, again re-
duced to sore straits, he compounded
new color and sold the secret of the
dye 10 his uncle a rich manufactures
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 Il dis
tinguished chemist, and cleared 500
600 by the sale of n new "analine
black succeeded in escaping with his
SpoilS before the real owner and pat
entee of the process arrived To dispute
his claims. He next swindled Governor
SpraGue. of Rhode Island, out of So
eou on II iabled process for the cheap
extraction of madden, and during the
eighteen months that elapsed before
the bubble burst is known to have in
CURED expenses exceeding 500. 0O0 con-
tracing large pecuniary obligations of
ready money i'll addition to his outlay.
i Ia
contriNcd to organize Il stock company
with Il capital of $500. 600 for its manu-
facturc. Investigation proved that he
nad only worked out the idea of the
Partisan. MeSc Mouricz. the original in
ventor of the process, but then Parafs
american company dispatched n son of
Prof. Doremus to Paris to save its own
standing by the purchase Of the Amcri-
can right, which was obtained for SI0.-
000.
THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE
I-Eafaf, still .sitttrrtfuiritr- next
came To san Francisco to dispose of
me right TO manufacture oleomarga-
rinc in this State and to superintend
the erection of works. During his alb
sehcc The old company in New York
collapsed and Il new one was founded
rom which Paraf WAS excluded. Paraf
thcn disappeared from san Francisco
where his career had been marked by
The same lavish style OF living. and
was next heard from in Santiago,
chill. lie was accompanied by his pre-
tended servant. Francisco Rogcl. who
afterwards turned out TO be n skilled
chemist, and aided and abctted by his
clever accomrlice he launched upon the
nlsuspcctini Chiians the most fragrant
swindle known in history. Presenting
hlnself To the highest officials and So
cial leaders OF the South American Re
public. inLrr. hit,aNalf
py means of his accomplished manners
ana brilliant intellect. he coniidcd 10
them the wonderful Intelligence that
ne was the discoverer of Il process by
Whlch the dreams of the ancient al
chemists could be realized and the base
metals be transmitted into gold
~ series of experiments. which Paraf
knew so well how to conduct. persuad-
Ell them Of the truth Of his claims, and
they Zcalously embarked upon the
enterprise. Smelling works were built
ana preliminary experiments resulted in
n yield OF $4,000 worth of gold from n
single ton of loW-gradc copper ore. The
company's stock ran up To fabulous
prices. Shares, the par value Of which
was $1,000, sold at $4,000 apiecc. Pa
raj, diSposing of his own stock when
the excitement ran highest. is estimated
to have placed $4,000, 000 to his personal
credit. He delayed escape from the
country little too long. y director of
iEe company having his suspicious
aroused. conducted some private ex-
perimcnts in the smelling works dur
me the absence of Paraf and Rogel.
ana the discovery WAS made that ali
the gold discovered had been placed in
the "rc-aSent' which Paraf claimed to
have discovered.
This substance was found to be Il
lSposulpnlde OF soda and gold. which
resistS the most powerful Reagents
known. but readily yields To metal con
tanning oxide of lead or iron Parafs
NE was only saved by his rescue from
the indignant populacc by the officers
"I tHr INV fic WAS sentenced 10 five
years exile from Santiago the time to
ne passed at hard labor under guard
in the Gillian settlement of Valdidin
unhappily for the ethics Of the tale
thls sentence, pronounced on Septem-
per -, 1871. was two years later an
nullcd.