The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-10

Thomas h. Whitmarsh, mechanical en-
gineer, of l26 West l39th street. says the
New York Press. is the plaintiff in civil
action against Gen Thomas Shelton Har-
rison, millionaire clubman. who was con-
sui general at Cairo. Egypt, during the
Mckinley administration. The suit comes
up for trial in Philadelphia in the Com
mon Pleas Court on MoAlay next. Evil
dence viii be presented 10 prove that the
United States consulate IN Egypt was
used 10 promote a scheme in which thou
sands or dollars were expended. and
from which nothing was realized by the
investors.
Whitmarsh. now seventy-three years
old. went from Philadelphia 10 Germany
in 1876. and from there TO Greece, where
he became one Of the engineers on the
Corinth Canal. In 1SS2 he went TO Egypt
and entered the service of the govern
ment TO bore for oil at Gemseh and
Gabelzet. on the borders OF the Red Sea.
He became an expert. and made many
valuable discoveries of birthstone depOS-
its. and gained Il complete Knowledge OF
the territory rich in petroleum and sui
phur. This came 10 the attention of Gen
Harrison IN 1889 when he was consul
general.
Violated Consular RuIess
AZ his invitation. Whitmarsh visited
the consulate, and described the district
and what it produced He was directed
20 return to the Red Sea. and 10 obtain
samples of the OIL and the sulphur. and
bring them to Cairo. The consul general
entered into an agreement with him,
written on the letterhead of the con-
sulate, which was in direct violation Of
the consular regulations. Following is a
copy:
United States Diplomatic Agency and Consulate
General. Cairo. Egypt. January 2s 1879.
Mr.. 7. b. Whtmarsh-
Dear Sir; l very cheerfully agree. should ] be
successful IN obtaining a concession Of the mOu0p-
Oly. sole right 20 the petroleum deposits or
rights Of the Egyptian government 10 give 20 you IN
kind or otherwise. az my option. not exceeding in
values &Z.WO0 two thousand pounds sterllngl. FOR
the information that you have given and are still
TO furnish, and the work that you have agreed 90
do 10 locate the said deposits. aud / VIII do what
l can and may consider proper. 20 have you EN-
plOyed after the operations Of pumping, &c. dc.
begin and are practically carried on.
This includes the locating. &c. OF the birthstone
and sulphur deposits, and I understand that you
expect 4 salary from the parties who nay employ
you for your whole time and attention 10 their in
truly. THOMAS SHELTON HARRISON.
Says Agreement Was Broken.
Consul General Harrison never paid me
cent Of the $4,000 he promised" said
Mr. Whitmarsh last night Il carried
out my part of the agreement. and
nearly lost my life in a storm on the
Red Sea I made the borings boxed and
canned the samples. and delivered them
at the consulate in Cairo Cen. Har-
company called the Egyptian Explora-
American surgeon in Cairo, invested
and so did many others. I don't know
how much stock was sold, but it must
have been up in the hundreds Of thou
sands. Gen. Harrison is very wealthy
man. and 1 didn't have the means to
fight him, but 1 am in hopes now that
the justice so long delayed will be grant
ed by the courts"
The action Of Gen. Harrison in en-
tering into a business agreement on Of
fetal paper which lent it official sane
ton, was brought to the attention of
the State Department by Col T. b.
Hay, attorney for some Of the claim-
ants. who sought 10 get back the money
they had invested in the Egyptian OIL
lands The tardy methods pursued by
the department did not bring the in
vestigation 10 a close before the consul
general resigned.
Gen. Harrison lives in a fine old-fash-
Toned mansion on Locust street, Phila-
delphia- He is one of the leaders in So
ciety there