Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-04
Another Interesting Chapter In
Notorious Gold Dredging
Company Case
scHLEckER HAS DISAPPEARED
Dredse Property Has Been Attached
for s1o,ooo-Many Stockholders
Duped by the Man--Funds of Com
pany in Bad Shape and Use the Mon
ey Was Put to Is Mystery.
Special to Times-Republican.

SDeClaI to I1meS-RepuDllC
Iowa Falls, Dec. 4,-The past few
days have shown an unusual activity IN
Iowa Lillooet Gold Mining Company
circles. but all actions We're sub rosa
and were conducted behind closed
doors with every attempt at secrecy.
The cat evidently jumped out of the
proverbial bag this morning, however,
and the Sentinel this morning will say:
"From private letters we learn that
another chapter is about to be written
concerning the notorious Lillooet Gold
Dredging Company. William Schleck-
err, who has been stationed on the Fra
ger river the past two years to man
age the operations of the dredge, 1t Is
claimed, has disappeared and the
dredge property has been attached for
$4,000 debts contracted by him. 1t is
also claimed the proper officers have
no knowledge of where this money
went. The funds of the company are
in bad shape and it is doubtful wheth-
err sufficient money can be raised to
cancel the debt and save the dredge. A
meeting of the stockholders was held
here, and it is reported nothing was
done toward saving the dredge. The
stockholders have lost all faith in the
concern. and it is doubtful whether any
money can be raised to liquidate any
additional claims against this Inflated
company"
William Schlecker came here from
Des Moines when the collapse in the
company came and Mrs. Hamilton and
others connected with the concern were
posing in the spotlight of publicity.
He was taken up by the local stock
holders who had invested in "Lnyca-
hoot' as the one man to whom they
could pin their faith. He worked here
several months trying to straighten out
the tangle in which the stockholders
found affairs when the lid flew off, and
when the time came to send man out
west to take charge Of the dredge and
look after the real stockholders tn-
terests, Schlecker was considered the
one man for the place. He was dis
patched to Lillooet and placed in
charge of the dredge. Some of the
more sanguine stockholders felt that
there could yet some good come out Of
the bed of the Fraser river and looked
for Schlecker to be the Moses that
would lead them. Reports from him
were very encouraging and to the I'M
washed it was given out that the
dredge was paying out and more. too,
and that eventually the stock would be
worth something. The more faithful
even went down deeper into their pock-
cts and dug UP good Iowa coin to pro-
tect their interests on the Fraser. The
above quotation inulcates that there is
more trouble in store for those who
have been loyalsto the dredge, and that
it is a case of either dig up again or
let the tail go with the hide and kiss
the Lillooet mirage fond farewell
Schlecker had the implicit confidence
of his fellow associates here and it is
hard for them to believe that he has
proven untrue to his trust. 1t is stat
ed that Eldora attorneys have been
consulted as to the best plan to pur-
sue, and 1t is intimated that the legal
counsel has advised that the matter be
dropped. Rumors have been rife for
several days that new sensation was
being nursed by the loyal stockholders