The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-06-24
SCHEMES 70 MAKE MONEY
CLEVER DEVICES OF SWINDLERS
TO GET RICH WITHOUT
WORKING
SELLING BOGUS ZINE STOCK
How a Group of American Specu-
IatOrs Made "a Fortune by Kid
mapping the Opium at an
OppOrtune Time.

about the best graft I ever heard
of in which the guilty man retained his
liberty was that worked by George r. Will
mot young American, who last year set
tied in Windsor, Ont"
The speaker was Attorney George, CT
Detroit, who was in Chicago last week
on some legal business, and happened y
meet a few old friends with whom he saH
down and snapped stories of odd expert
euces, says the Chicago Inter Ocean.
"Wumot," continued Mr.. George, took
Rradstreet's and picked out about LOCO
business men in small towns throughout
the United States whose rating was from
s. goo to $1,000. He then had addressed tc
each one a letter stating that owing to
the death a few weeks before of (nam.ng
some one with the same surname as the
addressed there had been committed to
his charge to be forwarded certain min
ing stocks in rich property in the Koo-
teray district, that these were made to
bearer, and that he had on the same day
as advising by letter shipped the stock by
express. There were, however, certain in
cidentaI charges of $15, which could be
paid when the stock was taken from the
tihCates Of stock in a worthless corpora
ton which bore the same name as one
whose stock was listed at some so per cent
Of its par value, and was a quick seller
on the market, were then sent by express
c. o. D. charges, and $l5 to be collected
These letters were all mailed from De
troit, while the express packages went out
from Windsor Canada, where returns had
to be made. In a little less than thirty
days Wilmot had cleaned up over $4,000,
and went to Vera Cruz, where he nov
resides The postoffice authorities could
not touch him, while those who had so
foolishly dropped $l5, and express charges,
for a few sheets of worthless certificates,
preferred to keep quiet rather than adver-
ise their loss and gunibiIity."
KIDNAPPED THE OPIUM KING.
VERY cleverly worked" said Ed R Duff
ie, leader Of the Omaha, Neb, bar, anG
formerly Judge of the Fourteenth judicial
district of Iowa, but I think l can match
it. I'll tell you a story. the particulars
of which I learned while on a visit to
Honolulu.
For some years the opium trade of the
Sandwich islands had been controlled by
a syndicate chartered in London under
the English law. This combination was
formed early in 1890, with a cash capital
of 100000, the president of the company
being Leung Chi Tso, Of Honolulu, who
held, with his Chinese friends a major
lty of the stock. This stock has been
bought and sold on the San Francisco and
Honolulu exchanges for some years. When
issued its par value was $40 per share,
but of late, owing to the enormous divi-
dends paid, it fuctuated between $40 and
$25.
During the summer of 1885 syndicate
was formed among New York, Chicago,
Cincinnati. and San Francisco stock
spectators to bear the market in this
particular stock. Sufficient capital was
pooled to insure the selling price being
lowered COncurently the exchanges of
San Francisco and Honolulu were at
tackled. In a weeks time the stock had
been domo1alized and was sold short for
$40. 1t was then the fine work of the
sports came in. Old LeuRg Chi Tso had
CALAMITY stood by his company and in
vested no less than 100000 in protecting
its stock. He had borrowed from the
banks and put up his stock as collateral,
his notes being payable on demand. On
April l3 last the daily papers in both
Honolulu and Frisco published the in
formation that Leung had mysteriously
disappeared. 1t WAS limited he had
abSconded with the funds of the COM
pany.
THE banks became alarmed and de-
manded payment The collateral stock
was forced on the market and sold at q
nominal figure. Stock steadily dropped
until the syndicate had bought double
as many shares as there was IL the Ger
poration The bears turned to bulls and
called in their purchases. Inside of a
week those on the inside had pocketed
over 100000. and all done by kidnapping
the head figure in the opium plant He
was drugged and taken out to sea, held
until the Americans were ready to re-
lease him, and then let go. He was in
formed that his. capture was effected on
orders from the empress dOwager, and it
is said he gave up tidy sum to be al
lowed to join his cOmpatriots on tie
island
RETURN OF LEUNG CHI TSO.
The next day after Tso's return the
papers published the following:
Honolulu, April 1S.-Inability to raise
Leung Chi Tso, Chinese reforTner. for
whose head the empress dOwager has Of
fered $4,000, from beng kidnapped 1t has
leaked out that party of white men
formed plot to put the Shanghai re-
former on sailing vessel and touch at
some small Chinese port from which they
could take Leung to Pekin and get the
reward
Here the matter was allowed to drop,
with the American sports good winners
Mistake of Smart Lawyer.
Lewiston (Me) Journal.