The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-12-18
4 SWINDLE.
The Cherry Tree Man:pulators
Have 5een Exposed.
TIE OFFICERS HAVE FLED.

TIE OFFICERS HAVE FLED
Amcs Gwen Himself Has Noihgns
20 Do With shs Cherry Tree
Fraud. Some Of she
MsShods Ussd.
| The "ageats" Of the Amos Oven
Caer,y Tree company Of Henrietta, N.
G., have been multiplying. Many Of
them in South Carolina we're somewhat
surprised Thursday to receive a COM
! nunicstion from this concern that on
account Of newspapers attacks against
the concern, business would be sus.
pended one month to allow unfriendiy
sentiment to die out. Such an excuse
as that prepares the 'sagents" for the
news received from Charlotte Thursday
night: Amos Owens Cherry Tree
company today indicted in the federal
court for using the mails for frsudu.
lent purposes. It is said the officer Of
the company have fed"
This concern was chartered under the
laws Of North Carolina and an omsial
investigation has been in progress there
with the result that the whole business
is declared to be swindler. Dr.. Flank
Bcighs (fornerly Of Henrietta, new
moved to Fiorids), started the affair,
aad feeling soon becsms strong against
him in Henrietta, and about O,sober,
l, 1901, he disposed Of the matter, leav-
ing 1t 70 his father, Rev. T. Bright,
Hho had the company Incorporated
| dnrirg October, and sold it to G. D.
Wlikls, cf Rusherfordton sbout Noveln-
Der l. Mr. Wiikie was the author Of
an article published at about This tame,
s:a.ing shst tha company vas on firm
basis snd doiog a.leg,tinass business
(or TO thai efss:) he sold to Chas.
| Naskinss Of Henrietta (?) and Gao. W.
Roliiss, Of Forest City, ABOUT Nogem.
Der 20, and they sold TO N. g (sr @.
81 PsSat, Of asnriesta(?) OF Forest
Ciss ~ socus N,vember 25sh.
Mc. Jas. D. Simmons, Of Henrietta,
says taAs his experience Is that the
Amos Ogen cherry will not bear when
the trees afe transplansed from she
mountain; says he hss trees set out 40
Years sgo which have never borns. he
denoaHces he finn IS fraud.
Mr. F. B. Gsf aey, Of Henrietta, de-
clsres it is to bs his opinion that il is
fraud. and, SIS showing that the trees
sold are not Amos Oven cherries, ne
says tnat ne heard Rev. 7. Bright say
that he had purchased 10, coo srses from
Mitchell county.
MIR. J. o. Bsll, Of Henrietta, satis-
6.d IhaS isis fraud, hAYing seen let
ssrs ;Eon poor girls and women Who
aere refused the compensation agreed
to by the company, afser such women
hsd apparently fulfilled their part Of
the contract, says the good people Of
EsDrletta are ashamed Of the affair, and
want the company driven out Of buli-
ness; says the company has not the
confidence Of the people Of the sonmu-
nisy; says he has seen letters from
agents at distance who could not get
their pay, but when such claims were
presented by some one in town OF in
the 7ieiaity Of the company, it would
be paid; says the reason evidently was
that they issred the people Of the COM
munity would take action, and so paid
claims Eighsfully presented By thams
but would Gin SONS cases, at least) ig-
more them when sent from distance.
Rev. q. q. jordan, Of Gsnriatts,
ssys he met Mr.. Long, near Bostic,
vho said he had just been out to show
sons people where they could find
sprouts Of cherry trees in field, which
sprouts he had sold to these men, who
were buying them for the company.
Mr.. Jordan says his name was used IS
q reference By the company, but it was
done without his consent, that he does
ros endorse the company, and that he
does denouncs it as o fraud. MIR. Jor-
dan sgreed TO send me letters which he
has received regarding the company.
Amos Oven, Of Oak Spring, Cannot
read or write, it is reportedl gays that
sae last sprouts he sold from his
orchard were sold some time ago, and
that altogether he had sold less than
1000 trees (in his opinion). He thinks
that some more have been taken, but
it was without his consent, and he
wants it stopped. he says he is con-
6deRs that they get trees from sll over
the country without reference to place,
CT kind Of cherry; says the use Of his
nams is fraudulent, as he has never
authorized it, and has serious objection
TO ii; says he has 10 connection with
the company.
The main evidences Of fraud brought
out By a. Investigation are as follows:
l. Non-psyuens Of agents. 2. The
inferior quality Of grading of trees. 3.
The fsiss statements Of employees re-
garding the sources Of trees. 4. The
talss claims made by the company in
its circulars. 5. The frequency with
which the ownership Of the concern has
changed hands. 6. The direct fraudu-
lent dealings Of the company in p1r-
chasing trees from d;farent Sources
(tai:oaeIl county, and having such trees
shipped uaaer the label ''Auos Oven
Cherry Trees"