The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-07
William Cadwallader of st. Louis
COrrOborates the Story Tele-
graphed From San Francisco.
THEY WERE IN BUSINESS HERE.
Present Head of Steel and Wire
Trust Had an Interest With
Fuchs in a Machine
Shop.

Harry Fuchs. who claims to have been a
partner ia ST Louis eighteen years ago OF
John W. Gates. president of the American
Steel and Wire Company. and of Alfred
Clifford. now assistant general manager OF
the same concern. IS At present an Inmate
't the San Francisco almshoUse. the victim
If misfortune and circumstance.
II the story which Fuchs tells ia true IN
detail. Gates and Clifford. wealthy heads
OF a prosperous Industry. acquired with
him. and paramountly b. his genius, the
FIRST impetus TO their success.
He declares IN a telegram from San
francisco that he invented certain nail and
harbed wire machines. which he sold to Nr.
Gates, now a multlmil!lonaire and the head
of the Steel and Wire Trust, together with
n third interest IN the st. Louis factory.
Mr.. Clifford also purchased a third interest.
while Mr.. Fuchs retained the other third
himself. They conducted the plant as equal
partners. and within fifteen months made
Il clear proht OF StS.ca. 4 quarrel then en-
hCed. Fuchs says, between him and Gates,
and Gates bought his share OF stock. Fuchs
declares that TO notes were given. as he
placed Implicit trUs: il Gates. and that the
millionaire stu owes him one payment on
the transfer.
h"-Aohi tACNalld4ST OF NO -biJ University
htTeet, engineer Tor the 81. Louis Dairy
company. was the engineer at the old wire
GnG nail factory and knew Fuchs inf
fnateiy. The factory was located on Lom-
bard street between Third and Fourth
streets. in a portion OF The building OCCUPIED
by the Nanny Manufacturing Company.
About 20 employees worked in the shop.
twenty-five machines were operated. and
the average daily capacity OF the plant was
about i've carloads OF barbed wire. Mr..
tadwallader says that Gates and Clifford
were considered partners OF Fuchs and fire.
Quently visited the factory.
Fuchs had three different machines cor-
structed In the Nanny machine shop" Mr.
ladWi!4aGer says, from drawings which
lie had made. He claimed to have invented
the machines and to have secured the rat-
tIt rights So lar as / know similar ma
chimes are SUI used in manufacturers nail
and barbed wire. One OF the machines he
took 4 Particular interes; IN and ALWAYS
was making improvements for it He was
a man OF his word and l believe he did in
vent them; II he didn't originate the de-
vices. am sure that lie did much 10 i'm
prove them.
Il remember Gates and Clifford a. Well
Is l 90 Fuchs. They We're around often
and II was generally understood that they
were fuchS'S partners. Fuchs was a ge-
Mus as a machinist and always was Great
Ing something new. Apparently he was in
80 SANGiiSAA-ilG5 anu WAS very LAVISH
with his money; too lavish. l thought, for
lie never failed to spend 1t on the men who
worked for him ana occasionally treated
them TO anquetS or gave them tickets to
the theaters. There wasn't a man in his
service who Gid rot love him. Paul and
Albert schuster. two machinists, were
oined at his home several times.
IF the Fuchs now in the San Francisco
HlmShouse is the same who was in ST
Louis eighteen years ago. ! believe every
thing lie says. He spoke the truth at all
times. The reason he is in bad luck. l sup
rose, IL because he was too considerable
everybody. lie came here from
Joliet. H.. and lived near Eighteenth
street and Chouteau avenue with his wife
and two children. He vas IL partnership
lere with Gates & Clifford. about ISN2. He
left In lSSi and / Lever heard OF him again
until to-day, when informed by The Re
public that he is in the aIInshouse n san