The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-08
SOME FAMOUS FRAUDS.
HOW 80 POUNDS OF GEMS WERE
PLANTED IN COLORADO.

They Bore Rich Fruit. and Business
Men, of SAN Francisco Were the
Victims-AdventureS of an Asa
tian AIchemist.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
The sensational announcement that the
Keely motor, the promise of whose mar
Vicious powers has for score of years
thrilled the expectaut world turns out to
have been fraud from beginning 10 end,
as most people believed it was. sustained
by all manner Of cunning devices, of which
the public has so FAR only received on
inkllng. calls to mind numerous notable
receptions that have from time to time
beer perpetrated upon our shrewd, hard
headed and astute modern civilization
The most dazzling swindle ever perpe-
trated upon a trusting public was launch
ed in San Francisco on Aug. /, 1872. when
it went literally crazy with excitement
over the announcement made by men
whose very names seemed 10 carry con-
vihcmg proof of its reliability that diamond
| fields of Uncomfortable richness had been
discovered in Northwestern Colorado at a
| point about forty-five miles south of Black
| Butte, ana near the Wyoming line. That
I very evening a formal meeting was SOL
emily called at the Grand Hotel 10 which
members Of the press were invited, and
/ George ID. Roberts, speaking for his as
soeates, entered into a detailed eXplana-
! ton of the new discovery, stating that
| the tract covered not less than 1900 acres.
and that mere surface prospecting with
a pan in the hands Of two men had re-
suited in the discovery of between $4,000
and 100000 worth of precious stones, com
| prising diamonds of the purest water, ru-
bies. garnets. sapphires, amethysts and
! emeralds.
Rich Diamond Field.
| He presented a report from the celebrated
! local mining expert, Henry Janin, who
! had carefully examined the ground within
a init of 100 acres and defined its char
acter as a gem producing region in glow
! log terms Roberts added that he would
| decline TO give private reports wh,h he
| had received as TO its richness. but that
| with two mountain streams close by,whose
/ waters could be utilized for hydraulic
| washing, the future development OF the
| district was almost beyond the power of
man 10 compute. His assertions Were sup
ported by such men as William c. Ralstoa,
| L
| Gansi Gen. David y. Cotton, Wilii9n r.
Eabeock Thomas II, selby Louis Sloss,
4 MILAN M. Lent Maurice Dorei a: Har-
! pending, Gen. Dodge and s. L. NJ Bari6w
and George B. Mcclellan of New York,
! all of whom were directly interested in
| the san francisco and New York Mining
and Commercial Company, which mad been
| Incorporated t. develop the diamond fields,
ana all of whom had sincere faith in thc
! discovery. Fifteen thousand shares %
stock were Issued at a par value of $40 ana
in less than twenty four hours all had
been subscribed for and people were uy-
! iUg for nit IL. Ra lston accepted the office
| Of treasurer on the condition thaG all tie
! stock should lemain in his hancs uUtil the
| presence of the IT ecious stones shodld be
| verified by the hIcne authority, AMI ,fs
| fact saved n ally Of San Franchises first
| citizens from hopeless ruin. Clarence ling
| was called upon to make a searching OK
! animation of The field and Simultaneously
! F. Ferry, a well known mtHi1g expert
and operator cf San Francisco. undertook
personal inspection of the grounds ON is
own a count. Berry, who was soin2w nat
| o: a ccna ssreuI in gems, 1T once pro
nounced the diamonds to be gems from the
| Cape of Good Hope. with a few Rio jan
GIRO stones, and Clarence Kings official
report offered a few days later confirm
ed the growing apprehensions that the
! whole scheme was a swindle, perpetrat-
ed by Arnold and Slack. the alleged origi-
nal discoveries, who had an this time kept
quietly and wisely in the background. The
swindlers fed TO parts unknown.
How 1t Was Done.
Afterward ]. B. Cooper of San Fran
cisco, made a fun confession Of the whole
swindle, duplicating himself, Slack and Ar.
/ fba in xrhf aE
| Rubery, Roberts, Harpending and Gen
! Dodge had been vctimized. Arnold. acting
for the trio, had bought fifty pounds oil
| spinelle rubies, garnets, sapphires and 9th
! er stones from the Indians at Fort De.
( fiance. A. T., and with S41 900 worth oil
| rough diamonds, and Other precious stones
previously purchasedain London, had care.
fully selected the Colorado field with q
! view TO its favorable geological conditions
aud spent several days in sailing the tract
after a most plausible and scientific plan
Then they .decoyed louis Janin, Mr.
/ Harpending and Cen. Dodge to the fields
| artfully demonstra led the presence of the
/ gems surveyed the ground, elected Gen
4 Dodge recorder of the Goiconda district
and the most picturesque swindle of tho
century was artisticaFly launched.
Foremost in the ranks of the~word'
swindlers probably stands Alfred Paraf j
native OF At0dCtg KARLSRUHE DDnsnttl wei
| educate led noted for his keen intelligence
and ready wit as wei as his manly iual.
tiles. He was remarkably proficient ir
chemistry. taking a genuine delight IN che
study in his youth, ana following his early
/ education with a series of chemicaf ex.
periments in his own laboratory. After ht
| left school he set out upon his travels. and
| having exhausted the funds allowed hin
! by his father in prohigate expenditure. b.
found himself stranded IN Glasgow Tni,
| incident may be said TO have launched tn,
| clever young fellow upon the career M
afterward pursued to his eventfu disgrac,
and downfall tie engaged the most Gle
| giant suit OF rooms in the most fasniona
! bic hotel, visited firm Of wealthy manu-
! facturers and announced himself as tn,
discoverer Of a rev and cheap dye for cal
leo printing PIungng into the laboratory
| OF the establishment, the brillian
young fellow actually succeeded in sup
| porting his assertions and was rewaroos
with $4,000 in gold for the right to the US.
OF his new color.ns process. This sum wa
soon dissipated in new extravagances, and
| AGAIN reduced 10 sore Straits he non,