Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-11-13
By Venezuela From the
American Asphalt Co.
BIackmaiI, COntiscation, False
Testimony and Bogus Law
Used 10 Extoh The Pleasant Little Sum Of
100000 from Company.

from the company the sum OF SfUO,0oI
are made in a statement given out, TO-
day, by the New York and Ber:nnde2
Asphalt Co, in reference to the suit
brought against the company by the
Venezuelan government for $1l l,ouo,o ,ool
damages, it having been charged tha'
the Asphalt Co. aided the Matos re
bellion. the means used by these OIL
cials according to the allegations IN
c!uded blackmail. confiscation OF the
companys property, the manu- -
of false testimony and the making u
DEGREES without regard TO law.
The allegations made in the Stdt :,
ment are based upon letters "i'i.i'
is declared. We're received from a.
Garner, nowffkceiver. holding 'he s,a,,
nany's property for the EeheEuel,lii
government, but who, in l'oo' "'' -,
company's agent at Caracas anu
report of Colonel Victor NJ. aon pn'D
vyho was sent to Venezuela III l'Vo a.
an indepandent agent by the n Dc
~ Tha eta+enent concluded with an
oxbauetive review of what it describes
as THE Asphalt Cos. act3 relations
to the revolution.
n this connection it is explained that
500 600 was given to Gen. MatoS Oh tiic
officials of the National Asphalt 90. Oh
7he generals request. Further Suiii9' az
xyreeatine $50 600 were pald the lesoiu
tionary leader soon ;1terWdru- ms
money was paid, the statement says 70
guarantee protection OF the company
nroDerty at time when the territory
IN which it was located was in the con-
troI of the revolutionistS.
The statement maintains that the
company at all times observed apSo-
lutte neutrality, even going 10 the eA-
tent of paying custom duty TO poth 'he
srov,rnment and the reVolutloniS'S
when the custom houses were con-
troilcd by the insurgents.
one of the letters Of Mr.. Garner TO
fha Fernandez Co, dated Dec. %, l9oo,
when he was the company S caracas
agent. which is quoted in the statement
in support of the allegation OF eHlor-
ton. says:
'"rhey (the government agents. are
after money. That Castro is pefililu H.
an morally convinced and, ilttle py
little. I am getting closer 70 IT, II IL
nov only a question of money ana We
can have all the justice we want.
Another latter, ualeu Ic'' -
quotes Mr.. Garner as saying:
..J have received plump offer from
IN agent (well known to be such), VI
fhe dictator, to the effect that he wouio
guarantee to put our case through "a
lctIv as wanted it. and in such way
~ "a insure us against any further dlt-
+crltics in the matter of our rights ana
properties. all for the sum OF Si"o'ooo.
While things were going ON IN this
vay. the statement says, the company
sent to Venezuela Colonel Victor NJ.
RackI,s Of indianapolis, as an lhoe-
1,endcnt TO ascertain. as far as PoSSi-
bln the true conditions there.
."To this end" the statement says
"ro, Backus represented himself as
4he agent Of American capitalists VINO
,rcro seeking Investments i'll venezuela
Ono of the fraudulent titles to various
parts of the company's property most
actively used as a club to extort money
from the company was La Nenczunia.
"Col. Rackus therefore entered into
pagotiations with Senor Figuera. one OF
the grantees. He promptly found that
.senor Figuera was only a stalking
horse for persons higher up Senior
Figuera professed to act. not only Tor
himself, but also as the representative
of Senior Felipe Arocha. Senior Arocha
was a fostcr-brothcr of Mrs. Castro
wife of the President, and resided at
Mirahores. the Presidents palace. On
Jan. II, 1901. Scn3r Arocha wrote to
Figuera a letter suggesting that Col.
Backus come to MirafiOres for a con-
ference.
col. Rackus then had an interview
at the palace with Arocha and General
Sarrct De NazairiS. Mrs. CaStro'S sec
retary During the interview. the two
latter persons We're in constant con-
sultation with President castro. who
occupied the adjoining room and who
only appeared in the doorway"
As Il result of the conference. the
statement says, an agreement was
made whereby Col. BackuS was to pay
to Mr.. Arocha $4,000 for la Ncncz-
uela" mine. The statement continues:
The execution of the conspiracy "a
cxtort money from the company and
TO spoil it had reached this point when
Gen. Matos arrived in New York in the
midsummer of 1901. For q long while
affairs in Venezuela had been in a rev
tIutltlldTy COnuitlOH. lie region III
which the company's asphalt lake is
situated was constantly swept by rev
oiutionary bands and the company was
often forced, in self-defence to supply
1coc TO them in small quantities and
sometimes to do other small services
frlor TO Gen. Matos' arrival in New
YORK neither the officers Of the Ma
1ional Asphalt Co. nor the officers OF
ehe New York and Rermudez CO. had
any relations Of any kind with him.
When III New York Gen. Matos
caiied on the officers of the Nationa
Asphalt Co. and presented evidence,
'"at ne mad, after much negotiation
united all the parties and forces on.
posed to Gen. Castro. Gen. Ma,o,
asAe1 ior sum of money.
fhe company was confronte6 VII,
formidable revolutionary move,,a,,
winch had been friendly or hostile no
coroins to the company's action -,
Geh Matos' request. The COMM, :,
was also threatened with certain A.
struction of its right by Gen. Castr
aia these conspiring with him for i,
Sioha'iG'. The officers Of the Nation