The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-02-15
OLD DEAL REVIVED
Advertisement for a Missing Woman
Recalls Famous Wheat Deal
OF 1879 in Chicago.
KBNosHA MEN WERE LOSERS.

Some Unknown Parties are Hunting for
the Whereabouts of May Courtenay who
Sent the Fraudulent Message Which Re-
suited in Kenosha Men Losing Several
Hundred Thousand Dollars.-old Case
May be Solved After Many Years.
The past is again to be revived and
it is probable that after many years of
mystery a case of fraudulent te1e-
graphing, which cost spectators in
Kenosha several hundred thousands
of dollars will be solved.
The case is the famous "Keene
wheat corner the details of which
were enacted on the Chicago board of
trade in 1879. Many of Kenosha's
best known men were interested in the
deal, and if the reports circulated at
the time are to be believed, several
fortunes were lost in day.
The advertisement which has caused
the revival of the interest in the old
historic deal, appeared in a New York
paper Tuesday, and reads as follows:
''Two hundred and fifty dollars will
be paid to Miss May Courtenay, the
person who, as telegraph operator,
was in charge of the Atlantic & Paci-
fic telegraph office, in the Fulton Ferry
house on the evening of May 6, 1879,
for the privilege of an immediate inter
view; 800 reward will be paid for in
formation as to Miss Courtenay's
present whereab bouts. Allan P. Lewis,
general delivery, postoffice, New York
City.
By this advertisement the famous
forgery Of telegram in 1879 is recalled
by which a firm of Chicago grain
brokers lost $15O,OOO. In 1873 James
r. Keene had organized one of the
greatest corners in wheat ever at
tempted. In the company with Keene
were many Kenosha people, and not
few of them shared the heavy losses.
When the clique first began opera
tons it bought wheat at 80 cents a
bushe1 and continued to buy all the
way up to dollar. More than 10000,
900 bushels of wheat were held.
J. K. Fisher & Co., of Chicago, were
the clique brokers there. One day they
received a telegram signed Keene, tell
ing them to sell 100000 bushels of
wheat. Mr.. Keene was in complete
ignorance of what was going on until
he received from Chicago a telegram
announcing that Fisher & Co. had sold
half million bushels of wheat for his
account. This was Immediately follow
ed by another dispatch announcing the
sale of 100000 bushels more. Before
Mr.. Keene could get into communica-
ton with his brokers they had dumped
$1,000 900 bushels of wheat into the
"pit'', causing a small sized panic and
dropping the price several points.
May Courtenay was in charge of the
Atlantic and Pacific telegraph office in
the Fulton Ferry house, and it was
through her office that the forged order
was sent. She said that she had re-
ceived the forged dispatch from a man
whom she described as about IS years
old, stocki1y built, well dressed and
wearing his hat pulled down over his
eyes, so that she could not see his face.
She said the dispatch was signed
''Keene". The original dispatch was
secured by Mr.. Keene, who offered
reward of $4,000 for the discovery of
the man who sent it.
The revival of the old story has
caused a great deal of talk and many
interesting stories have been told today
in regard to the deal.