Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-15
FACES SERIOUS CHARGE
PROMOTER OF uBERo
SCHEME ON TRIAL.

Ferdinand E. Borses. formerly OF In
diana. and an alleged promoter Of the
Ubero Plantation Company, was placed on
trial In the Suffolk county superior court
at Boston yesterday on an Indictment of
many counts charging larceny In connection
with the operations of the Ubero company.
The compliments against Borges allege
that losses aggregating $780, 900 had been
sustained. Borges has been in jail for
months in default OF $4,000 BAIL. The sum
involved in the company's collapse. rs well
as the fact that thousands of individuals
were affected. conferred great interest In the
case.
Former Representative Indicted.
The same grand jury which indicted
Borges also reported bill against William
d. Owen. former representative and for
mer secretary of state for Indiana. who was
alleged to have been associated with Borges
in the promotion OF the Ubero Company.
Owen has not yet been arrested.
The counts IN the Borges Indictment num-
bered 126. Special preparations were made
by the prosecution for the trial OF the case.
The case was called late in the forenoon.
A jury was quickly impaneled and Special
prosecutor Chase made long preliminary
statement to the jury. He explained that
the principal Office of the Ubero company
walton of rubber and other commodities
were located in Mexico. The government
contends that the Boston company was
amalgamated with several other "Ubero"
companies. some OF which did business in
the state of Indiana, and that the concern
was fraudulently conducted and in a man
ner intended to deceive the stockholders
and induce them to purchase stock.
Conspiracy is Alleged.
Mr.. Chase said that large part of the
evidence would relate to two counts alleging
conspiracy between Borges and Owen to
steal money by means of false pretenses
He reviewed the investigations made In
Mexico by investors who had become sus-
picious and who found. he said. that beau
tiful pictures said to reproduce Ubero prop
erty were of buildings on an entirely diff
ferent plantation and that the Ubero tract
included 5000 acres of worthless unculti-
waited. tropical foliage
Mr.. Chase said also: This defendant
Borges. got $4,000 In commissions. $175.o0O
in cash receipts and $4,000 In stock of the
two companies. and more than $25o,000 in
profits in various transactions. At least all
this he got. Gorges told one Abbott, whom
he was trying to Induce to invest. that he
had lost $4,000 invested in the Ubero COM
pany, telling additionally that Owen had
100000 in the company All this was false
To get money i'm that way was larceny"
Many letters written by Borges in connec-
ton with the promotion of the company
were introduced by Attorney Chase. One
letter. to a Kansas City man. told of the
plans to place the company in Boston.
where an abundance of capital existed, and
the people were educated to invest. The
person addressed was urged in the letter TO
invest in the company. which planned to
give ground floor stockholders 400 per
cent profit" A letter. dated in 1900, to
Owen from Borges. said:
THE east seems a virgin and fertile field. I"
Boston. it said was the place for the COM
pany's HEADQUARTERS because of the large
capital and the number of women inves-
tors.