The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-12-17
CHERRY TREE FRAUD
HAS BEEN EXPOSED.
WARRANTS ISSUED FOR THE ARREST
OF MANIPULATJRS
Comp@nys Omcers Have Fted-Amos Owen
Himaelf Has Nothing to do with it
Some OF rho Methods Used


The "agents" of the Amos Owen
Cherry Tree company Of Henrietta,
N. O., have been multiplying. Many
of them in South Carolina were some
what surprised yesterday to receive
communication from this concern
that on account Of newspaper attacks
against the concern, business
; would be suspended one month to
allow unfriendly sentiment to die out.
y Such an excuse as that prepares the
"agents" for the news received from
81 Charlotte last night: "Amos Ovens
n Cherry Tree company today indicated
lin the federal court for using
EKthe mails for fraudulent purposes. 1t
Igess8is said the officers Of the company
@ have fed"
This concern was chartered under
u the laws Of North Carolina and an
official investigation has been in pro-
gress there, with the result that the
business is declared to be a
s swindle. The Observer of yesterday
contains the following report sub.
.,lsinitted by Franklin Sherman Jr.,
State en,omologist:
NJ Mr.. S. l. Patterson, Chairman North
Isl Carolina Commission Controlling
Gro p Pests:
Sir: In accordance with directions
5SS received from the crop pest commits
sion, I went to Rutherford county
ITO sinvestigate the charge of fraud
which had been made to us against
81 the Amos Owen Cherry Tree Com
pany, doing business at Henrietta
This paper gives an account of the
work done while engaged in this in
Is 8yestigation.
Arriving at Henrietta on the
sSeyening of the 9th, at once called
4 upon Mr.. Jas. o. Simmons and Mr.
sJ.SO. Bell, both of whom had pre-
yiously written to Raleigh regarding
3tbe$matter. In addition to these l
I{&so6n met Messers F. B. Gaffney and
5sssSCt M. Robertson, all of Henrietta,
81 and from them secured the follow
ling history of the firm, which they
S all declared to be accurate as they
s now remember 1T,
S HISTORY OF THE FIRM
DR.. Frank Bright formerly of
Il Henrietta, now moved to Florida),
d started the affair, and feeling soon
became strong against him in Hen
rietta, and about October !, 1901,
|. he disposed Of the matter, leaving it
to his father, Rev. Il. Bright, who
. had the company Incorporated dur
ing October, and sold it to @. d.
Wilkie of Rutherfordton, about No.
vember l. Mr.. Wilkie was the au.
thor of an article published at about
q this time, stating that the company
was on a firm basis and doing To-
climate business Cor to that effect).
le sold to Chas. Watkins of Henriet-
a p and Geo. w. Rollins, of For
City, about November 20, and
6ey sold to M. O. (or G. M.) Paget
- of Henrietta (P) or Forest CITY (P)
about November 25th.
opinion OF oITIzENs REGARDING THE
4 Mr.. Jas. 0. Simmons, Of Henrietta
sfysthat his experience is that the
is Amos Owen cherry will not bear
when the trees are transplanted from
tho mountain; says he has taees set
sottts 40 years ago which have never
borne. He denounces tho firm as a
sfrand. .-.'.". .....,... r.. .
4 Mr.. II. B. Gaffney, Of Henrietta,
leclares 1t to be his opinion that it is
81 freud, and, as showing that the
Istrees sold are not Amos Owen cher
FieB he says that he heard Rev. IT..
Bright say that he had purchased
~, 600 trees from Mitchell county.
nir, j. 0. Bell, Of Henrietta, is sat
isdea that it is fraud, having seen
letters from poor girls and women
who were refused tho compensation
& asgsesd to by the company, after such
women had apparently fulfilled their
psfs OF the contract, says the good
Espeople Of Honrietta are ashamed of
the affair, and want the company
driven ont of business; says the
csnpany has not the confidence Of
II 4