Arizona republican., 1903-07-06
SCIENTIFIC BASIS
On Which the SuInmerfieId
 Gang SwindIed Many
It Operated in This Territory Under I. Qnaley-The Way in Which It Was Done.

New York, July 5.-INith the con- viction and sentence of Frank s. Vel Ter to the penitentiary, the last of what has been known as the Larry Sum- merfield gang, whose operations were carried on for years in connection with the stock of the Horseshoe Copper Min ing company, has been sent to prison. The leaders were Ignatius Dudley. Summerfield and Weller. Summerfield fled when the district attorney started proceedings, but Dudley and Weller were indicted. tried and convicted.
 Of all the games worked upon in vestors with a view of securing their cash in exchange for wild promises, few probably were on so scientific a basis as that operated ty Dudley and Weller. They knew and studied human nature, experimenting here and plan ming there. Once a victim got within their grasp they never let him go. Weller used to pride himself as being able to sell stock wherever anybody else had failed.
 How they ever began manipulations in the stock of the Horseshoe Copper Mining company of Stafford, Ariz., no one knows. The company was or ganiZed and plans laid to sell stock. By maneuvering Weller secured an admit tance into several of the fashionable New York clubs. Former Postmaster Francis H. Wilson of Brooklyn testified that he introduced Weller to several of his friends, never knowing or even sus- pecting his character. According to the story of one of the victims of Dudley and Weller's plot, the "modus oper- andi'' was something like this:
 Both Dudley and Weller exerted every !. influence to meet what are called "big men," and by every conceivable means ] tried to interest them to place from $l0,000 to s15.0eo in the shares of the Horseshoe Copper Mining company For purses having less capital Dudley and Weller did not seek, though as
 favor" they are known to have ac.
 cepted subscriptions as low as S700 After having secured a few big men to look into the proposition, it wa:
 difficult to move further and operation: | would remain at a standstill. Suddenly one of the big men" would receive | telegram saying, 50 and So. a stock
 holder of the Horseshoe Copper Mining
 company. lies dangerously i'll at hi | home. It is not expected that he vii
 recover. Good chance to get stocl cheap" This seemed to strike a sof spot in the "big men, for they imme
 diately got in touch with Dudley ant
 Weller and asked for an interview witt
 the sick patient.
 No time was to be lost. as the stock
 holder was very sick and might die a
 any moment. As quick as a cab coul
 take the man to his destination tn scene of operations was transferred [ the sick chamber of the stockholdel
 He was usually lying in bed and suffer ing mental anguish over the fact tha ) he had several thousand shares of stoc representing all he had saved, whic he must now lcSe.
 The capitalist would then make d ! offer which the sick man would prompt : ly accept. The money would be pal z and the stock delivered.
 \ Much astonishment has been cause l, by the light sentences most of tn ) members of the gang received, but $ : many prominent men testified to the previous good character that lenier [ punishment was inflicted by the cour