New-York tribune., 1899-02-12

From The San Francisco Chronicle
The sensational announcement that the hcely
motor the promise Of whose marvellous powers
has fnr "A score OF years thrilled the eNpcrtaht
world turns out to have been fraud from be
ginning IT, end. as most peopl" believed IL was,
Sustained by all manner Of cunning dtNl''8 Oh
which tn public has SO far only received an
inklug. calls 10 mind numerous hoiaoie ueccP-
tions that have from time II time been perpr-
tratcd upon our shrewd. hardheaded and astute
modern civilization
TIL most dazzling swnde ever pcrpctraicd
upon a trusting public was launched III san
Francisco on August !. NJ when II went lit
orally crazy with eXCitemt nt over the announce
men, made by men whose very names seemed
10 carry convincing PROOF ~ its reliability thdt
diamond fields Of inconceivable richness Had
been discovered in Northwestern Colorado n
poini out forty-iVc miles south " Black
Butte, aai near the Wyoming line. That very
cVerr . a formal mcetlnG was soiemnly called
Mt the Grand Hotel 20 which members OF the
press were invited. and George D. Roberts,
speaking for his associates, entered into
a detailed explanation If the new discover
ics, stating that the tract covered not less man
two thousand acres. ana that mere surface
prospecting with a pan in the hands OF two
men had resulted I'm the discovery Of between
$500OO and 100000 worth Of precious stones
comprising diamonds Of the purest water, ru-
bies. garnets. sapphircs. amethvsts and cmer-
aids
He presented a report from the celebrated
local mining expert. Henry Janin. who had caro-
100 acres and defined its character as a gem
producing region in glowing terms Roberts
added that he would decline 10 give private
reports which he had rcccl' ID as to its rich
ness but thai with two mountain streams close
by whose waters could be- utilized for hydraulic
washinc The future development. Cf the district
was alm's t beyond the pow i Of man 10 com
pUte His lsseTt )nS W-rc supported 10y such
men As William c. RalSt0n. Thomas Bell. Milton
S Latham. Albert Gansl. General David -. col
ton. " lam +. Bahcock Thomas II. Selby
Louis Sloss William VI. Lent Maurice Dure y
Harpon1ne Ge1etd Dodge and : l.. Vi. Barlow
and George g. Mcclellan. Of New-York an Of
whom Nnrc directly inter -i..d I'M the San Fran
cisco and NcW-York Mining and Commercial
Company which had been in 3rporatci to ie-
volOI tho diamond fields ard an of whom had
SINGER faith in the discovery. Fifteen thou
sand shares ~ stock were sued. al par value
OF $40 and i'm less than twenty four hours all
had been subscribed for. and people we're cry
ing for more. Ralston accepted the Office "
treasurer on the cOnditiCI that all the stock
should remain in mis- hands until the presence
OF The precious stones should be verified by the
highest authority, and this fact saved many ~
San Francisco's first citizens from hopeless ruin.
Clarence King was called upon to make a
searching cXaminat on of the field. and stimuli
taneousy J. f. Berry well-known mining cx-
pert ana operator OF San Francisco undertook
a personal inspection Of the ground his own
account Berry. who was somewhat Of a con-
noisSeur IN gems. al once pronounced the dia-
mOndS TO be gems from !ho cape Of Good Hope
with Il few Rio Janeiro stones. and Clarence
Kings official report. offered a few days later
confirmed the growing apprehension thai the
whole scheme a sWindlc perpotratrd by
Arnold and Slack the alleged original discov-
ercrs. who had all this time kept quictIy and
wisely IN the background The swindlers fled
% paris unknown.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
Anerward J. r. Cooper. Of San Francisco
made full confession Of thc whole Swindie. i'm
plicatEg himself Slack and Arnold and rclat-
ing the manner in which Rubery. Roberts. TTar-
pending and General Dodge had been victimiZed
Arnold, acting for the trio had bought fifty
pounds Of spinee rubics. garurts sapphires and |
other stones from the Indians At Fort DEFIANCE. |
Arizona. and. with $fl.OcV worth Of rough dia- !
monds and other precious stones previously /
purchased in London. had carefully selected /
the Colorado field with Vi,w - its favorable /
EeoloEcal conditions and spent several days !
In sailing the tract after a most Plausible and |
scientific plan
Then they decoyed Louis Janin Mr Harpend- /
ing ana General Dodge to the fields. artfuy /
veyed IN" ground. elected General Dodge re- /
cordcr ~ the Golconda district. and the most .
picturesque swindlc Of the century was artist .
cal.y launched
Foremost ma the ranks of the worlds swiudlcrs .
probably stands Alfred Paraf native OF Al /
SAGE. handsome. polished well educated. noted ,
for his keen Intcliigcnc. and ready wit as we'll .
as ms manly qualities IL was remarkably +
proficient IN chemistry. taking senuin. delight +
in the study in his youth and follow nG his .
early "ducati0n with 4 series OF chemical cx-
perrin rnts IN his own laboratory. After h. left /
school hc sct ont upon his travels. and. having |
exhausted The funds allowed him by his father T
in proili-at, expenditure. hc found himself ,
strau led in Glasgow. This incident may be said .
to h1v" launched the cl.vri young fellow upon
the cdr""r Dec aft"rHard pursued to his eventual I
dlsgiacr and downfall H. aged the most .
elegant ruiic of rooms IN the most fashiuulhIn
hotel. visited 4 firm of wealthy manufacturers .
and announced himself a. th" diecoN-rcT - P
p"W and rh"ap dt" Npr calico printing Iluug. .
3ng INTO the laboratory Of fhr establishment th. .
brilliant young fellow actually succeeded in
Buplpr'Iug bis astrri ion. and was rewarded
with llDp in gold f,r Tho 1Ght TO the use of
his nrV rpi"rng procraa This sum VAS soon
disfIrti~d iu u"W "rtrHvI~apors. and again re
ducrd 20 rDfr Yirnitr hr tpuupuhd.d a nc'V
(lLl .arlN -..-I IL L.. Iun L.. ~.